Article: Tennessee’s Pearl not coming to Heights

[95 Vol Alum]

Exactly. I'm not trying to start an argument, but he didn't beat Michigan State without their best player. It's not like I have a lot to say that Pearl will take us to the Final Four one day. A lot more confident than I use to be, but not THAT confident.

I'm not trying to argue, but he did beat Ohio State with arguably the best player in the NCAA.

At least with Pearl (like him or not), we are talking about UT basketball, the tournament, and playing quality programs out of conference. We could go back to the complete opposite in Wade Houston and just ignore the basketball program.

 

[3 Rocky Top Cove]

Can't post a link from here.

Google the Looney Tunes' cartoon, "Spike the Bulldog and Chester the Terrier".
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This the one you wanted?

 

[zjcvols]

I'm not trying to argue, but he did beat Ohio State with arguably the best player in the NCAA.

At least with Pearl (like him or not), we are talking about UT basketball, the tournament, and playing quality programs out of conference. We could go back to the complete opposite in Wade Houston and just ignore the basketball program.

I know. I understand what you were saying. What I was saying was those so confident of making the FF, the chance Bruce had to get there, he couldn't beat a team without their best player. I'm proud of the run and I'm not blaming Bruce for the season. It was a great season. I was just pointing something out to the Pearl slurpers.

 

[tvolsfan]

Again, I'm not sure where the "less optimistic" part comes. This past season was the second highest number of wins in school history with the furthest run in the NCAA Tournament. Last year was obviously a rebuilding year. I don't see why we wouldn't be more optimistic.

Let me make this easy for you. The first two and a half years I saw a great turnaround. The next two and a half years I saw a lot of underachieving and inconsistency from the people who were supposed to be the best players.

 

[VOODOOVOL]

This the one you wanted?

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No, it's an animated short film. It was on youtube

 

[3 Rocky Top Cove]

Oh well...I tried.

 

[VOODOOVOL]

Oh well...I tried.

Should have said sooner, thanks.
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[jsc1973]

Exactly. I'm not trying to start an argument, but he didn't beat Michigan State without their best player.

Bruce beat No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Kentucky and got to the Elite 8 after losing his best player in an embarrassing off-court incident.

All I KNOW is Pearl has done more for TN basketball than any other coach since Ray Mears, and as far as I'm concerned MORE than Ray Mears since Ray Mears never got us to the Elite 8 (and I wasn't old enough to watch those teams anyway).

You're comparing apples and oranges. Ray Mears coached most of his career in an era where only the SEC champion earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. He had quite a few teams that were among the 10 best in the country, but missed out on the NCAAs because they finished second by one or two games in the SEC to Kentucky, and at least one where he tied Kentucky but the SEC chose to send them.

The way the tournament was set up was silly. In 1974, Maryland was no worse than the third-best team in the country, but didn't make the NCAA because of this dumb one-bid rule. They lost the ACC tournament final by two in double OT to the team that won the national championship. When they changed the rule, in '76, two Big 10 teams played each other for the title.

If Mears coached those teams today, he'd have had a slew of teams make the tournament as an at-large 2 or 3 seed, and he would have had some teams get that far.

 

[3 Rocky Top Cove]

In a couple of years, everybody will make the tourney.

 

[hatvol96]

Bruce beat No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Kentucky and got to the Elite 8 after losing his best player in an embarrassing off-court incident.


You're comparing apples and oranges. Ray Mears coached most of his career in an era where only the SEC champion earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. He had quite a few teams that were among the 10 best in the country, but missed out on the NCAAs because they finished second by one or two games in the SEC to Kentucky, and at least one where he tied Kentucky but the SEC chose to send them.

The way the tournament was set up was silly. In 1974, Maryland was no worse than the third-best team in the country, but didn't make the NCAA because of this dumb one-bid rule. They lost the ACC tournament final by two in double OT to the team that won the national championship. When they changed the rule, in '76, two Big 10 teams played each other for the title.

If Mears coached those teams today, he'd have had a slew of teams make the tournament as an at-large 2 or 3 seed, and he would have had some teams get that far.

Maryland might well have been the best team in the country in '74.

 

[hatvol96]

Bruce beat No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Kentucky and got to the Elite 8 after losing his best player in an embarrassing off-court incident.


You're comparing apples and oranges. Ray Mears coached most of his career in an era where only the SEC champion earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. He had quite a few teams that were among the 10 best in the country, but missed out on the NCAAs because they finished second by one or two games in the SEC to Kentucky, and at least one where he tied Kentucky but the SEC chose to send them.

The way the tournament was set up was silly. In 1974, Maryland was no worse than the third-best team in the country, but didn't make the NCAA because of this dumb one-bid rule. They lost the ACC tournament final by two in double OT to the team that won the national championship. When they changed the rule, in '76, two Big 10 teams played each other for the title.

If Mears coached those teams today, he'd have had a slew of teams make the tournament as an at-large 2 or 3 seed, and he would have had some teams get that far.

Mears had a couple of teams that were perfectly built to win a pre shot clock national title if they had been able to make the field.

 

[BasketvolsFan]

Mears had a couple of teams that were perfectly built to win a pre shot clock national title if they had been able to make the field.

You are absolutely correct. In todays world, Mears would have made the tournament every year and would have had success. It was a completely different world then. Just think what it will be like when they go to 96 teams. Who won't make the tournament then? I don't like it, but I guess the NCAA needs more revenue.