Is UT becoming a Basketball School ala UK?

#1
NeylandArmy

NeylandArmy

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#1
With UT finishing in the top five in attendance in a down year with a ton of controversy surrounding both major programs, does it speak to the feelings of the fan base that they will likely finish in top five? Is UT becoming a BBall school ala UK? Now, UT finished 6th in attendance in football in 2010, so there is that too. Maybe we could see ourselves as more like OSU or Michigan. I just think it is great that in what many would consider a down year that UT is going to finish with a top five attendance. Cheers to the fans that have stuck it out. Here's to one day raising a banner to match the women.
 
#2
#2
I guess the question would be better served as is UT becoming a more all around school al UM or OSU.
 
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#3
#3
We are and always will be a football school, but we are more like osu and michigan when it comes to being successful in the big two sports.
 
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#4
#4
We will always be a football school, hands down. However, imo basketball isn't just an afterthought here like it is for some other schools (im pretty sure most Alabama fans are too busy huddling around their 666th nc trophy at Walmart to even know they have a bball team). At Tennessee we care about all our athletics programs and want them to be the best in the nation. However, it is undeniable we have been and will continue to be football first.
 
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#6
#6
NO. It never will be considering the tradition of the football program.

But I do think it's becoming a pretty good basketball school.
 
#7
#7
NeylandArmy said:
I guess the question would be better served as is UT becoming a more all around school al UM or OSU.
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I definitely think we are an all around school, especially if you include fan support for womens sports like basketball (of course) and softball. I would also consider a school like Florida to be an all around school, and at worst we are at least on par with them. At worst.
 
#10
#10
zjcvols said:
NO. It never will be considering the tradition of the football program.

But I do think it's becoming a pretty good basketball school.
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Win a national title atleast once, and be ranked in the top 10 about 5 years in a row, and I bet it becomes close. That's all assuming the football team continues it's downward trend.
 
#11
#11
zjcvols said:
NO. It never will be considering the tradition of the football program.

But I do think it's becoming a pretty good basketball school.
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I don't think it will ever be to the football level, but the fact that they are up there with Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, et. al. In a down season is just dog gone impressive to me. With the women's program to go along, I don't think it is a stretch to say that this is becoming a ball school as well. Not many SEC schools can boast that.
 
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#13
#13
chattavfl86 said:
We will always be a football school, hands down. However, imo basketball isn't just an afterthought here like it is for some other schools (im pretty sure most Alabama fans are too busy huddling around their 666th nc trophy at Walmart to even know they have a bball team). At Tennessee we care about all our athletics programs and want them to be the best in the nation. However, it is undeniable we have been and will continue to be football first.
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While this may be true about Bama fans in recent years (the last 6-8 years), you would do well to look a little closer at Bama's history as a hoops school. They are fourth all time in conference titles in hoops (behind Kentucky-45, LSU-10, UT-9, and Bama-7), they are second all time in SEC tournament championships and they lead the all-time series in hoops against us (by 10 games, I believe). So, Bama and hoops is more than an afterthought.

In the SEC the schools that have absolutely no hoops tradition to compare with their football tradition are Georgia and Auburn. They both play in gyms that are closer to a high school program than major college hoops.

Florida is a "Johnny come Lately" in both sports. In hoops, they started having success under Norm Sloan in the 1980's and have had recent success under the likes of Lon Kruger and Billy Donovan.
 
#14
#14
I know for one that I enjoy basketball games as much as I do football. I could not have said that ten years ago. I would rather have a ticket for tomorrows game thann one in AtL vs NCst
 
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#15
#15
Bama is second all time in the SEC in overall wins in their programs history, although Arkansas has the second highest winning percentage in the SEC, the second most NCAA tournament appearances and I think they are tied with UF in Final Four appearances.

Tennessee is fourth in both overall wins and winning percentage and Vandy is only about 15 wins behind UT, although their winning percentage is much lower. LSU must have started their program later than everybody else because I figured they would be ahead of us since they have had better tournament success and I believe been to the tournament more than us.
 
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#16
#16
esarmstrong said:
While this may be true about Bama fans in recent years (the last 6-8 years), you would do well to look a little closer at Bama's history as a hoops school. They are fourth all time in conference titles in hoops (behind Kentucky-45, LSU-10, UT-9, and Bama-7), they are second all time in SEC tournament championships and they lead the all-time series in hoops against us (by 10 games, I believe). So, Bama and hoops is more than an afterthought.

In the SEC the schools that have absolutely no hoops tradition to compare with their football tradition are Georgia and Auburn. They both play in gyms that are closer to a high school program than major college hoops.

Florida is a "Johnny come Lately" in both sports. In hoops, they started having success under Norm Sloan in the 1980's and have had recent success under the likes of Lon Kruger and Billy Donovan.
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The reason I chose bama is 1) I hate them 2) any bama fan I know, and I know several, could give a rats ass about basketball 3) I severely hate them. My point pertains mostly to fan support since the op was referencing attendance.

As for Florida, I understand most "older" people say they only started being successful in the late 80s and all, but that's 20-30 years and considering I was born in 86 it means they've been successful pretty much my whole life.

Note : I dont know that you are older, but its generally the type of statement I hear from thee older generation. No disrespect.
 
#17
#17
Not to defend UF but the talk about them being "Johnny come lately" in both sport is kind of stupid. They've had success in both since the 80s and that's going on 30 years.

As far as being a "basketball" school, probably never will happen unless the football team sucks for 2 decades and we go on a Final Four tear. But there's no reason we can't be an all around school.
 
#18
#18
NeylandArmy said:
I know for one that I enjoy basketball games as much as I do football. I could not have said that ten years ago. I would rather have a ticket for tomorrows game thann one in AtL vs NCst
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Agree.

Way bigger basketball fan than football fan.
 
#19
#19
No way. However, it's nice to know we don't necessarily have a dead period between the end of football and start of it like some other schools have, for example Auburn. I enjoy being able to see both sports programs have at least some mild success and instead of only one.
 
#21
#21
If we keep a respectful and good coaching staff like mr.cuonzo has ,why not!
We've been a girls basketball school for 20+ years
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#22
#22
UT always has been and always will be a football school. But like some have said we are becoming a well good basketball school.
 
#23
#23
NeylandArmy said:
With UT finishing in the top five in attendance in a down year with a ton of controversy surrounding both major programs, does it speak to the feelings of the fan base that they will likely finish in top five? Is UT becoming a BBall school ala UK? Now, UT finished 6th in attendance in football in 2010, so there is that too. Maybe we could see ourselves as more like OSU or Michigan. I just think it is great that in what many would consider a down year that UT is going to finish with a top five attendance. Cheers to the fans that have stuck it out. Here's to one day raising a banner to match the women.
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no
 
#24
#24
volger said:
Out of your mind OP.
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Ask the question again in 2015.
If Martin can recruit the top kids, schedule teams like duke, NC,etc on a regular basis and beat them and KY, then we'll talk.
 
#25
#25
Btw, who were those saying that we were going to have to put the curtains up in the upper deck after we hired cuonzo??
 
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