We're not talking Final Four. We promised. Now that that's out of the way, this was the most complete Lady Vol performance since Georgia, and against a team as good as the Miami team which got run off the court by the Lady Vols in the second half. The difference between this game and that Miami game?

Miami kept it close for 20 minutes. Kentucky kept it close for 120 seconds.

If anything, this was less the 2011 Lady Vols team that's been driving us up a wall and more a throwback to one of the many squads that have banners and jerseys hanging from the rafters. Again, this was one night, and we're not talking Final Four, let alone anything after that. This game, though? This was as much fun as you'd expect.

We have Meighan Simmons and Shekinna Stricklen to thank for the enjoyment. Stricklen came out motivated and did what she's capable of - not only be the best player on the court, but act like it. Simmons hit a couple of crucial early threes to put the game out of reach at 10-2 2 minutes in - and while that sounds weird to say, Kentucky's not a good enough shooting team to come back from a 15-point deficit without forcing a bunch of turnovers. Neither of those were happening tonight.

From there, this game started to get a little lopsided. Then it got a lot lopsided. Then it got ridiculous. If the last three weeks were the buildup of pressure, this was the valve releasing. The Lady Vols played smooth, they played relaxed, and they played composed. Against a Kentucky squad that thrives on chaos, they never stood a chance.

Breadsticks could easily go to Simmons, who had 25 points on the night - on 17 shots, no less. The pieces are coming together for her; again, we've seen this with her before, but it feels different somehow; it's not a blip, but a change in approach. If this is legitimate and this keeps up, watch out.

That being said, Stricklen would rip the breadsticks out of Simmons' hands and leave them lying on the floor next to Kentucky's heart. This game was the imposition of will game we've been waiting on, with the stats to show: 8-12 from the floor, 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 18 points in 25 minutes of action. More of that, please.

And yes, there's a reason I haven't talked about Glory Johnson before now. Answers and more notes below the fold.

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	February 3, 2012 Knoxville, TN 7:00 PM EST TV: ESPN2 / ESPN3 Internet Audio: Lady Vols Network Live Stats: GameTracker
21-3 (10-1 SEC) #7 (AP) #7 (USA Today) RPI: 9		17-7 (7-3 SEC) #11 (AP) #11 (USA Today) RPI: 5

The SEC regular season race is all but sewn up. Even with a loss to LSU and a loss tonight, Kentucky still needs to drop one of their last four games to bring the Lady Vols into a tie for the crown. That's not likely, to put it mildly; Kentucky's other road games are in Tuscaloosa and Starkville (combined conference records of Alabama and Mississippi State: 4-18), and while their home tilts against Vanderbilt and South Carolina are tricky, they're surmountable. (Yeah, this paragraph hurt to type. Let's move on.)

A win for the Lady Vols tonight doesn't really do anything other than sew up the #2 seed come tournament time, which doesn't count for a ton. A loss puts Tennessee in a five-team tie at 8-4 heading into the home stretch including, a two-legged domination of Georgia, and Arkansas coming to Knoxville. (That isn't counting Vandy on the road against LSU and Kentucky, and South Carolina still has to face Georgia, Arkansas, and Kentucky.) In other words, even with a loss it's likely that Tennessee still ends up with the #2 seed.

Oddly, the fact there's so little riding on the game should be for the Lady Vols' benefit. It's a good opportunity for the Lady Vols to get out of their own head a bit. Matter of fact, Rocky Top Talk will make you a deal: play loose tonight and beat Kentucky and we won't start up Final Four talk afterward. Does that sound fair? Good.

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It's no secret that Vanderbilt hates Tennessee. What is often a big/little brother relationship has fueled the rivalry for a long time in many sports, as Tennessee holds major edges in football and women's basketball. Vanderbilt's distaste for Tennessee is often so pervasive that it seems that every waking moment is spent spitting at orange.

That obsessive hatred served Vanderbilt well. It's not often you see a team so finely tuned to an opponent. Vanderbilt had plays designed to break Tennessee's best defenses. They had defenses designed to break Tennessee's best offensive sets. They even had inbounds passes designed to exploit the holes in Tennessee's inbounds defense. It's a hard thing to do, but Vanderbilt's coaches have obviously spent many sleepless nights wondering how to break through Tennessee. It was obvious in the emotions of the game.

Tennessee wanted to win a game. Vanderbilt wanted to beat Tennessee.

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	February 9, 2012 Nashville, TN 9:00 PM EST TV: CSS / ESPN3 Internet Audio: Lady Vols Network Live Stats: GameTracker
17-6 (8-2 SEC) #11 (AP) #11 (USA Today) #5 RPI		18-5 (6-4 SEC) NR (AP) #25 (USA Today) #29 RPI

Let the rehabilitation roadshow begin.

The Lady Vols are coming off a nice win against Auburn, but this is the game that can put the South Carolina debacle in the past. Last time against Vanderbilt, Christina Foggie lit up the scoreboard for 27 points (a career high, but you already knew that) and Glory Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen came up with a hurt shoulder and knee, respectively. Tennessee won comfortably, 87-64, but the injuries may have played a part in the Lady Vols' collapse against Notre Dame.

Tonight, it's a familiar opponent in a familiar funhouse. Memorial Gym will provide the Lady Vols with the opportunity to prove they can play as a team when the bench is located somewhere in Uzbekistan. Will they answer the call? Will the magical floating rims present trouble? Will Vanderbilt again claim a sold-out game to prevent UT fans from buying tickets?

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	February 2, 2012 Knoxville, TN 7:00 PM EST TV: CSS / ESPN3 Internet Audio: Lady Vols Network Live Stats: GameTracker
11-12 (3-7 SEC) NR (AP) NR (USA Today) RPI: 103		16-6 (7-2 SEC) #8 (AP) #8 (USA Today) RPI: 3

The scene in TBA should be interesting today. Coming off the South Carolina loss, the Lady Vols know they have to find their groove again. Meanwhile, the fans are getting anxious and (rightly) doubting this year's team's ability to fare well in the NCAA tournament. The talent's in place; they just have to use it, but playing at the top of their game has been increasingly rare as the season wears on. Will this game give them a chance to turn things in the right direction, or will it be more of the same?

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Alternative title: The Sum of Vol Fears

Last night's loss against South Carolina was a stunner, yet not at all a stunner. Undoubtedly, South Carolina is a vastly improved ball club and played a very sharp game. They earned their win just as much as Tennessee earned the loss. But in a night that Steve Spurrier, of all people, attends a Lady Vols game in Knoxville, all the things we feared about the Lady Vols were proven to be true. From the neck down, they're as talented as any team in the country, and quite possible the most talented team in the country. Between the ears, they're perhaps the nation's greatest basket case.

It wasn't the presence of Spurrier, who seems to be Tennessee's lifelong albatross. It wasn't the presence of Dee Kantner, despite my pregame fears. (Aside: Kantner loves her some post player fouls. Tennessee's most reliable impact player is Glory Johnson. 26 minutes and 5 fouls. They weren't the reason for the loss, but my fears were confirmed.) It wasn't South Carolina's quickness, discipline, or even Markeisha Grant's 27 point night (7-12 from beyond the arc).

It was Tennessee.

If you have access to ESPN3 and if you care to do so, watch the first half. Count the number of close-in shots that Tennessee misses, from post-ups to layups to whatever you see. In the second half, watch the three-point shooters defer on open looks (especially Shekinna Stricklen). Watch players wait too long on open passes, allowing defenders to regain position. Watch forced passes in transition, or even missed opportunities to pass. When Tennessee goes up by 7 with 5 minutes to go, watch the team breathe a sigh of relief as they look at the scoreboard and think, "We got this."

In the end, we can sit and discuss any mistake and any deficiency we want. There are certainly enough things to criticize of this team. But as much as I fear we overcoach from our recliners, I have to by a hypocrite to my own rank amateurishness and share my two cents on the Lady Vols' woes. There are two, and they exist in the mind.

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	February 2, 2012 Knoxville, TN 7:00 PM EST TV: CSS / ESPN3 Internet Audio: Lady Vols Network Live Stats: GameTracker
17-5 (6-3 SEC) RV (AP) RV (USA Today) RPI: 40		16-5 (7-1 SEC) #8 (AP) #8 (USA Today) RPI: 2

It's time to make the SEC a two-horse race.

As odd as it sounds, this is a must-win game for Tennessee. Not only do they need to keep within striking distance of Kentucky, but a loss opens the door for the Lady Vols to fall to third in the SEC by the end of the year. They only play South Carolina once, and an upset would leave a one-game difference. If Tennessee were to drop another (e.g. Kentucky), South Carolina would own the tiebreak if they win out. So while the odds are long for South Carolina, this game actually matters. If Tennessee wins, it's UT and Kentucky to the bitter end.

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	January 29, 2012 Athens, GA 5:00 PM EST TV: ESPN2 / ESPN3 Internet Audio: Lady Vols Network Live Stats: GameTracker
15-5 (6-1 SEC) #9 (AP) #9 (USA Today) #2 RPI		16-5 (5-3 SEC) #17 (AP) #15 (USA Today) #21 RPI

Tennessee is fresh off their blow-off-some-steam win against Alabama, while Georgia is stinging from a 68-48 loss to Vanderbilt in Nashville. Both teams have had struggles as of late, though Georgia is a team that Tennessee tends to show up against. In conference terms, this game gives Tennessee a chance to effectively separate themselves and Kentucky from the rest of the field, while Georgia needs the win if they want any hope of a top 2 finish in the conference. With three teams tied for third in conference, a loss could potentially drop Georgia to 5th, placing them at risk of not earning a bye in the SEC tournament.

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