College Basketball is Here
By Mark Nagi
Now that football is done (that game in Columbus still hurts) it is time to jump into the college basketball pool with both feet.
And guess what? Tennessee is as good as it gets in the sport.
The Lady Vols are back to relevance after winning their first 13 games this season. First-year head coach Kim Caldwell has done a terrific job after replacing the fired Kellie Harper. Tennessee is back in the national rankings with an entertaining style of play. They might not be ready to make a serious run at the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 2008, but at least they are back in the national conversation.
As for the Vols, you couldn’t have asked for a better start. Tennessee won their first 14 games this season. Head coach Rick Barnes has rebuilt a team that lost Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James, Santiago Vescovi and Jonas Aidoo, each key player from a group that went to the Elite 8 in 2024.
North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier is one of the best players in the country, just as Northern Colorado transfer Knecht was a year ago. Newcomers Igor Milicic and Felix Okpara have started every game. The NIL era has caused some coaches, like Miami’s Jim Larranaga, to simply retire rather than learn to adjust to the reality of the moment. Instead, Barnes has embraced the changes and flourished with them over the last few years.
Tennessee was the last undefeated team standing nationally before a blowout loss at rival Florida. That defeat also knocked the Vols out of the number 1 national ranking which they held for a few weeks. Road games within conference play are no picnic, and the SEC is absolutely loaded this season.
Football might be down a bit in the SEC. Evidence? Alabama didn’t make the playoffs. Tennessee and Georgia lost their games in the playoff. Texas is the only team in the conference to advance past the quarterfinals, and the Longhorns are more of a Big 12 escapee than an SEC team. Heck, I barely want to recognize Arkansas and South Carolina, and they’ve been in the league for over 32 years.
But in men’s basketball? Good gracious this league is loaded. Auburn, Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas A&M have each spent time in the top 10 and a bunch of others are in the top 25. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see at least 10 or more SEC teams get into the field of 68.
And that’s why Tennessee’s loss at Florida shouldn’t bother Vols fans very much. Hey, it happens in this sport. Even 1989-1990 UNLV had an off night. It’s a long season, but this Tennessee team is going to have more good nights than bad ones.
The Food City Center is consistently packed. It might not be Neyland Stadium’s level of intimidation for opponents, but it’s become a very tough place to play. A pretty good Arkansas team, led by head coach John Calipari, got torched by the Vols at the venue formerly known as Thompson-Boling Arena.
It’s good to have college basketball take center stage. Will Tennessee make deep runs in March for both the men’s and women’s teams? If the last few weeks are any indication, they might be up to the task.
