Had a chance to talk with Stokes for a good bit this evening. Will have a story up later, but here are the highlights.
First off, he's not saying that any one of his five finalists has been eliminated, claiming that Memphis, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas are all still alive.
However, on the Tennessee side, I have to believe that the Vols are really in this thing, and as most know, I've been a huge skeptic in regards to that. Now, to be clear, I'm not saying in the least that I think they're ahead or the team to beat, but I now find myself thinking that they're on, or at close to being on, equal footing with Memphis,KY and Arkansas.
He said the decision to make the drive up today was really a last minute thing and he just decided he wanted to see the game today.
He admitted that he doesn't have the same kind of ties to this staff to some of other schools involved, but had a lot of positives to say about coach Martin and how the two are forming a bond.
He added that he'd been watching Tennessee closely this season and didn't feel at all like the team was a long way from being competitive, something that many (including myself) had considered an impediment to Tennessee's chances.