Biggest Game? Good grief

[b-ball fan]

I have to roll my eyes at all of the hyperbole that we hear during sports broadcast. Today, near the end of the game,(between Mashack’s last free throws) I heard Jimmy Dykes (who I like) say “they said this is the biggest home game in the history of UT men’s basketball”,
Who would say this? Obviously not anyone who has been a UT basketball fan for many years. Why is this game so big? It’s not for a conference title. It will affect SEC tournament seeding, and likely NCAA tournament seeding. Otherwise it’s a regular season game.
What am I missing?

 

[omghulkhands]

I’m just posting to say I was here because this is gonna be GOOD

 

[VolArmy74]

First ever top 6 meeting. First #1 seed on the line. Huge post-season stakes on the line.

 

[VolonTyne]

Biggest....doubtful. But VERY big in terms of history of Vol basketball with now a very good chance to secure the first ever #1 seed in the NCAA. And with a #1 seed a better path to the Final Four!!

 

[Orange Navy]

I have to roll my eyes at all of the hyperbole that we hear during sports broadcast. Today, near the end of the game,(between Mashack’s last free throws) I heard Jimmy Dykes (who I like) say “they said this is the biggest home game in the history of UT men’s basketball”,
Who would say this? Obviously not anyone who has been a UT basketball fan for many years. Why is this game so big? It’s not for a conference title. It will affect SEC tournament seeding, and likely NCAA tournament seeding. Otherwise it’s a regular season game.
What am I missing?

“The biggest home game in the history of UT men’s basketball”
1. Pretty sure we’ve never played an NCAA or SEC tournament game at home.
2. How many times have we been a number #1 seed in NCAA tournament?
3. Perhaps we could modify the thread a little and make a collective list of the home games that have been bigger than this one.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

It was bigger than a "regular season game", it was an elimination game for #1 seed or probably one, that still has to play out.

 

[Vol49er]

Well, name a home game you’d put ahead of it and settle the debate

 

[OrangeVolMan]

“The biggest home game in the history of UT men’s basketball”
1. Pretty sure we’ve never played an NCAA or SEC tournament game at home.
2. How many times have we been a number #1 seed in NCAA tournament?
3. Perhaps we could modify the thread a little and make a collective list of the home games that have been bigger than this one.

We have played SEC tourney game in Knoxville. The 1989 tourney was TBA.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Exaggerating for the audience. We all know it wasn't the biggest. Thicken the skin

 

[ZZ13]

Biggest....doubtful. But VERY big in terms of history of Vol basketball with now a very good chance to secure the first ever #1 seed in the NCAA. And with a #1 seed a better path to the Final Four!!

I still have the 1977 Tennessee-Kentucky game in Stokely as the biggest regular season home game. Was for SEC championship (no tournament that year). Nationally known stars (harder to have with no internet) in Ernie, Bernie, the Twin Towers, Jack Givens. Place was packed with national media. Good guys won 81-79. Amazingly almost 50 years ago now.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I still have the 1977 Tennessee-Kentucky game in Stokely as the biggest regular season home game. Was for SEC championship (no tournament that year). Nationally known stars (harder to have with no internet) in Ernie, Bernie, the Twin Towers, Jack Givens. Place was packed with national media. Good guys won 81-79. Amazingly almost 50 years ago now.

Was that the final score? I know we came back from being 11 down in the 2nd half. I thought it was a 4 or 6 or win. Regardless, we had already beaten them in our first game at Rupp in OT

 

[adam.vol]

I have to admit that I was miffed by the comment while hearing it live, but like BK said “Exaggerating for the audience”.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

Exaggerating for the audience. We all know it wasn't the biggest. Thicken the skin

I would like to know the list. It’s definitely the biggest one in quite some time.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I would like to know the list. It’s definitely the biggest one in quite some time.

I think beating them in Coleman last year was at least as big. They've been around or in the top 5 in our 3 game winning streak

 

[Unconditional Surrender]

Well, name a home game you’d put ahead of it and settle the debate

nevermind

 

[Col_Cathcart]

I think beating them in Coleman last year was at least as big. They've been around or in the top 5 in our 3 game winning streak

I was thinking it was a list of home victories. Away and neutral site games add a lot of options (including NCAAT games)

 

[Mimi#1]

I still have the 1977 Tennessee-Kentucky game in Stokely as the biggest regular season home game. Was for SEC championship (no tournament that year). Nationally known stars (harder to have with no internet) in Ernie, Bernie, the Twin Towers, Jack Givens. Place was packed with national media. Good guys won 81-79. Amazingly almost 50 years ago now.

Was there! It was such a great game!

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I was thinking it was a list of home victories. Away and neutral site games add a lot of options (including NCAAT games)

Beating Kansas in late January 2010 was big. We've beaten about 7 or 8 teams ranked in the top 5 at TBA. It's a record for the last decade

 

[adam.vol]

I believe beating Florida in 2006 and 2007 gave life back to TN basketball.

Whipping #5 Florida by 20 at home back in February got us back in the #1 seed conversation this year. Bama game would have been meaningless if not for the Florida redemption a few weeks ago.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I believe beating Florida in 2006 and 2007 gave life back to TN basketball.

Whipping #5 Florida by 20 at home back in February got us back in the #1 seed conversation this year. Bama game would have been meaningless if not for the Florida redemption a few weeks ago.

We beat Florida without ZZ and Milicic for the entire game by 20. Thanks, Rick

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

I have to roll my eyes at all of the hyperbole that we hear during sports broadcast. Today, near the end of the game,(between Mashack’s last free throws) I heard Jimmy Dykes (who I like) say “they said this is the biggest home game in the history of UT men’s basketball”,
Who would say this? Obviously not anyone who has been a UT basketball fan for many years. Why is this game so big? It’s not for a conference title. It will affect SEC tournament seeding, and likely NCAA tournament seeding. Otherwise it’s a regular season game.
What am I missing?

For a very very good shot at a #1 seed...we've never got a #1 seed so he has an argument. Especially if we end up keeping that spot in the next week.

 

[ZZ13]

Was that the final score? I know we came back from being 11 down in the 2nd half. I thought it was a 4 or 6 or win. Regardless, we had already beaten them in our first game at Rupp in OT

Yup. You got it right. We were down 66-55 midway through second half. Grunfeld and King played all 40 minutes. Amazingly Grunfeld only had 9 points. But King, well he ate up Kentucky as usual with 36.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

Beating Kansas in late January 2010 was big. We've beaten about 7 or 8 teams ranked in the top 5 at TBA. It's a record for the last decade

I remember that KU game. That was a huge win, but you could make an argument that with a 1-seed on the line that the stakes were higher today.

It’s an interesting conversation imo, and a good excuse to relive some great moments

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I remember that KU game. That was a huge win, but you could make an argument that with a 1-seed on the line that the stakes were higher today.

It’s an interesting conversation imo, and a good excuse to relive some great moments

For sure the stakes were higher today in a game we battled, even with some sloppiness, and came out the winner when it looked like we were going to lose. Sears was top shelf making a ton of contested shots

 

[VolCalls]

This was an elimination game for a #1 seed because it was Bama’s 3rd loss in 5 games and we had to have it to move ahead of them on the S-Curve. It also puts us ahead of them for geographic preference in the NCAA Tournament, which places us in Lexington for the first weekend as of now. I don’t know if it’s the biggest home game in Tennessee history, but I’d argue it was the biggest win in TBA history due to the national implications.