UT non conference schedule...highest national profile ever?

[MikeHamiltonFan]

Okay, it is mid January and TN is about to get tested by 2-3 ranked teams in it's division, but how high could the Vols be ranked?

What if by that point they beat:
Preseason NIT
UCLA and Villanova or Wake Forest 11/24-26 in MSG

Pitt, 12/11
Charlotte 12/16
USC by 50 12/21
Memphis 1/5

Going into the UConn game, this team could be ranked in the top 5.

University of Connecticut Official Athletics Site - Men's Basketball

Pitt, Villanova and Memphis should all be highly ranked when we play them.

If we ran through that non conference schedule (and this early before camps have started it is not a prediction but a hypothetical I want to discuss) I think TN would enter the SEC schedule with the highest national profile it has ever enjoyed.

When we were ranked number 1 for a minute that is a pretty high national profile right? Not in a sustained way. TN would almost be assured of a number 1 seed even with 4-5 conference losses if they could get 3 Big East scalps and Memphis non con while avoiding bad losses.

UK in Rupp,
Florida in Gainesville or at home with a win away
and Vanderbilt in Nashville
leaving one unexpected but not "bad" loss as in UGA but not MTSU.

That Tennessee team would have scouts salivating over Hopson and Harris and would have publicity in terms of magazines like ESPN etc in a way it has never enjoyed before.

Bruce Pearl wants us to be a top 10 program. Our non conference schedule affords us the opportunity this year to show that we are one. Split some games and this regular season will not be as special as beating Kansas, or Memphis when they were on top or beating Texas with Durant. But if we win all those big games? Wow...

Can Hopson finally come into his own?
Can our Centers play awesome defense?
Can our frontcourt impose its will?

I think this could be a very special year, and it could lead to the type of 2011 and 2012 classes that will keep the very special years coming. There are not teams in the country with significantly harder non conference schedules than ours.

 

[Volatility]

I said this in the football forums but as long as our players don't get in trouble it's going to be a great season

 

[golfballs]

This team does have a great opportunity. I love this scheduling because it absolutely raises the profile of the team - particularly when they win.

I think there's been too much turnover since last year, and I don't expect Hopson to all of a sudden be that player we have been waiting for. Harris might need a little bit of time to make the transition. So I don't think Tennessee will win all of those non-conference games. Going to Pitt will be very tough, and Villanova should be good as well.

 

[BasketvolsFan]

Okay, it is mid January and TN is about to get tested by 2-3 ranked teams in it's division, but how high could the Vols be ranked?

What if by that point they beat:
Preseason NIT
UCLA and Villanova or Wake Forest 11/24-26 in MSG

Pitt, 12/11
Charlotte 12/16
USC by 50 12/21
Memphis 1/5

Going into the UConn game, this team could be ranked in the top 5.

University of Connecticut Official Athletics Site - Men's Basketball

Pitt, Villanova and Memphis should all be highly ranked when we play them.

If we ran through that non conference schedule (and this early before camps have started it is not a prediction but a hypothetical I want to discuss) I think TN would enter the SEC schedule with the highest national profile it has ever enjoyed.

When we were ranked number 1 for a minute that is a pretty high national profile right? Not in a sustained way. TN would almost be assured of a number 1 seed even with 4-5 conference losses if they could get 3 Big East scalps and Memphis non con while avoiding bad losses.

UK in Rupp,
Florida in Gainesville or at home with a win away
and Vanderbilt in Nashville
leaving one unexpected but not "bad" loss as in UGA but not MTSU.

That Tennessee team would have scouts salivating over Hopson and Harris and would have publicity in terms of magazines like ESPN etc in a way it has never enjoyed before.

Bruce Pearl wants us to be a top 10 program. Our non conference schedule affords us the opportunity this year to show that we are one. Split some games and this regular season will not be as special as beating Kansas, or Memphis when they were on top or beating Texas with Durant. But if we win all those big games? Wow...

Can Hopson finally come into his own?
Can our Centers play awesome defense?
Can our frontcourt impose its will?

I think this could be a very special year, and it could lead to the type of 2011 and 2012 classes that will keep the very special years coming. There are not teams in the country with significantly harder non conference schedules than ours.

MHF, I assume you are very young or very mentally limited. Of course, if we beat all the top teams on our schedule, we will have a strong national profile. Losing 4-5 conference games would not equate in any way to a #1 seed. You continue to amaze with your youthful, mentally challenged insight into the basketball program.

 

[Hardwood_fanatic]

Bruce Pearl wants us to be a top 10 program. Our non conference schedule affords us the opportunity this year to show that we are one. Split some games and this regular season will not be as special as beating Kansas, or Memphis when they were on top or beating Texas with Durant. But if we win all those big games? Wow...

About the schedule, the strong non-con is always a plus. It will get you 3 or 4 prime time slots on networks for the media writers to see firsthand. Win or lose, thats always a good thing with the exposure. Harris should be talented enough even early to draw interest from many different viewers.

As for the predictions on the team, I know you're just spitting hypotheticals but I just can't see this UT team coming together that early. I said the same thing about the UK team last year, but that was an anomaly. I fully expect UT to compete and possibly win the SEC, but its going to take those few months to gel and come together because turnover in personnel and a heavy dose of freshmen. However, sometimes you just have to wait and see.

If you were to split those non-con games you listed and get 10 or 11 wins in the SEC, you will end up ranked in the top 10 and find a 2 or 3 seed in the tourney, IMO.

Also, I know it has name value but the UCLA win will not be that great on the resume.

 

[MikeHamiltonFan]

MHF, I assume you are very young or very mentally limited. Of course, if we beat all the top teams on our schedule, we will have a strong national profile. Losing 4-5 conference games would not equate in any way to a #1 seed. You continue to amaze with your youthful, mentally challenged insight into the basketball program.

Duke last year had losses to Wisconsin which is a good loss but also lost to
Maryland, NC State, Georgia Tech and Georgetown which is another good loss...

If Tennessee beat all those non con teams and lost the games I listed, we would have a very good shot at a #1 seed.

 

[hatvol96]

Also, I know it has name value but the UCLA win will not be that great on the resume.

Beating UCLA this year will be on par with a win over Texas Tech.

 

[golfballs]

Duke last year had losses to Wisconsin which is a good loss but also lost to
Maryland, NC State, Georgia Tech and Georgetown which is another good loss...

If Tennessee beat all those non con teams and lost the games I listed, we would have a very good shot at a #1 seed.

If we do that, then maybe we should be a 1 seed. But the selection committee works in mysterious ways.

 

[MikeHamiltonFan]

About the schedule, the strong non-con is always a plus. It will get you 3 or 4 prime time slots on networks for the media writers to see firsthand. Win or lose, thats always a good thing with the exposure. Harris should be talented enough even early to draw interest from many different viewers.

As for the predictions on the team, I know you're just spitting hypotheticals but I just can't see this UT team coming together that early. I said the same thing about the UK team last year, but that was an anomaly. I fully expect UT to compete and possibly win the SEC, but its going to take those few months to gel and come together because turnover in personnel and a heavy dose of freshmen. However, sometimes you just have to wait and see.

If you were to split those non-con games you listed and get 10 or 11 wins in the SEC, you will end up ranked in the top 10 and find a 2 or 3 seed in the tourney, IMO.

Also, I know it has name value but the UCLA win will not be that great on the resume.

You and I are in agreement...

Your scenario is much more likely than mine.

My point was that with this non con schedule if what we expect about the quality of the opponents ends up being true, we would have our highest national profile in program history if we stormed through.

I would say a 3 seed is very possible with this team, and I would say the SEC East may have 3 top 3 seeds which is a pretty remarkably good year.

I have said it before but it bears repeating when we discuss seeds, the SEC should have lots more ooc wins this year than last.

Rather than a bottom dwelling LSU or SC losing to awful teams and screwing up RPI, I think at the end of December lots of teams will feel like they have a shot at the tourney including in the west. Then they will proceed to get shredded by the best east teams and will miss the tournament. Yet their victories in the earlier part of the season will not be in vain. They will make the NIT perhaps and get to develop their young players more. For my purposes, I will be very excited to see LSU win 5 more non con games, because it means that our conference RPI will be higher and all the wins that UT, UK and UF pile up in conference will help more than doing the same thing last year.

 

[Chris4Vols22]

I may be wrong, but I think our OOC schedule is a little weak compared to the past couple years. Are UConn and Pitt supposed to be better than last year? As for the NIT, I don't know what the brackets are like, but if we only played Wake out of those teams, wouldn't it not be that impressive?

BTW, MHF, very interesting post. I'm not sure if the committee would give us a #1 with 4-5 conference losses, but I'm not expecting us to have that many anyway (ok, 4 losses is kinda wishful thinking, but very possible). I would be pretty surprised if we fell out of the top 25 this season, and I'm certainly with you hoping we can be in the top 10 for the majority of the season.

 

[Chris4Vols22]

MHF, I assume you are very young or very mentally limited. Of course, if we beat all the top teams on our schedule, we will have a strong national profile. Losing 4-5 conference games would not equate in any way to a #1 seed. You continue to amaze with your youthful, mentally challenged insight into the basketball program.

I definitely know that some people are really good at pushing other people's buttons. Obviously MHF pushes yours, and I'm all for debates and expressing your opinions, but did MHF's post really deserve this response? We're just speculating and having high hopes. Were any of his ideas really that unreasonable? IMO, no. Besides this is fun!!

 

[VOLnFLORIDA]

This team does have a great opportunity. I love this scheduling because it absolutely raises the profile of the team - particularly when they win.

I think there's been too much turnover since last year, and I don't expect Hopson to all of a sudden be that player we have been waiting for. Harris might need a little bit of time to make the transition. So I don't think Tennessee will win all of those non-conference games. Going to Pitt will be very tough, and Villanova should be good as well.

we have reached a new and needed level of scheduling, but loike you said, the profile that young HS sophomores and juniors watch game after game on TV and suddenly UT becomes a large part of their decision process. I have heard from UT coaches it takes four years in advance to get top teams scheduled because they are plan so far ahead.

 

[golfballs]

I definitely know that some people are really good at pushing other people's buttons. Obviously MHF pushes yours, and I'm all for debates and expressing your opinions, but did MHF's post really deserve this response? We're just speculating and having high hopes. Were any of his ideas really that unreasonable? IMO, no. Besides this is fun!!

Good call.

BTW, Pitt is supposed to be very good this year.

 

[Chris4Vols22]

Good call.

BTW, Pitt is supposed to be very good this year.

Hells yeah! I really liked them when they had DeJuan (sp?) Blair a couple years ago. I'm glad we have some good competition!

 

[MikeHamiltonFan]

I may be wrong, but I think our OOC schedule is a little weak compared to the past couple years. Are UConn and Pitt supposed to be better than last year? As for the NIT, I don't know what the brackets are like, but if we only played Wake out of those teams, wouldn't it not be that impressive?

BTW, MHF, very interesting post. I'm not sure if the committee would give us a #1 with 4-5 conference losses, but I'm not expecting us to have that many anyway (ok, 4 losses is kinda wishful thinking, but very possible). I would be pretty surprised if we fell out of the top 25 this season, and I'm certainly with you hoping we can be in the top 10 for the majority of the season.

Uconn and UCLA are names but not great teams. Most preseason polls have Memphis Pitt and villanova all as top 15 schools.
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[LawVol13]

Duke last year had losses to Wisconsin which is a good loss but also lost to
Maryland, NC State, Georgia Tech and Georgetown which is another good loss...

If Tennessee beat all those non con teams and lost the games I listed, we would have a very good shot at a #1 seed.

There is absolutely no way that a team could lose 5 games in the SEC and be a #1 seed regardless of OOC schedule.

 

[MikeHamiltonFan]

There is absolutely no way that a team could lose 5 games in the SEC and be a #1 seed regardless of OOC schedule.

Absolute statements at this point of the year are not only premature, they are idiotic.

By March Pitt is leading the Big East, Villanova is the second best team, and UConn is 3rd or 4th. All 3 have very few losses, and Pitt and Villanova are in the hunt for a number 1 seed, but they all lost to Tennessee.

At the same time, Charlotte with their new coach Alan Jones is able to somehow defy the odds and beat back Xavier, Dayton and even Richmond (a top 25 team) to rule the A 10.

Memphis wins Conference USA easily and Pastner keeps making a case for a #1 seed, with OOC victories over Miami, Kansas and Georgetown, however they were drilled in Knoxville by Tennessee. Tarik Black and Joe Crawford and the rest of the freshman have NBA scouts salivating, but everyone watched the Volunteers hurt their feelings.

The SEC features a conference full of teams that dominated non conference. UF and UK lost 2 and 1 OOC game respectively and enter conference play both in the top 10. UGA is in the top 25 as is Vanderbilt.

Tennessee loses a close one in Rupp, another close one at home (maybe with a player injured or Hopson has the flu) and loses in Gainesville, in Athens and in Nashville. None of the games are blowouts.

Tennessee has a clear RPI case and they are a team all the pundits say no one wants to play because there is a reason they are ranked number 2 or 3 in the country.

And that is why you cannot say "No way" before the season begins.

 

[emainvol]

There is absolutely no way that a team could lose 5 games in the SEC and be a #1 seed regardless of OOC schedule.

Maryland was a "good loss," too. You are right, it's unlikely that Tennessee could be in a situation to lose 5 SEC games unless they aren't good enough to run the non-con. Further, if they lose 5 in the SEC, it's unlikely their losses will be as good as Duke from last year. They would have to lose 5 because someone is out, which the committee would take into consideration, then get said player back and win the SEC tourney to be considered for the 1

 

[emainvol]

Absolute statements at this point of the year are not only premature, they are idiotic.

By March Pitt is leading the Big East, Villanova is the second best team, and UConn is 3rd or 4th. All 3 have very few losses, and Pitt and Villanova are in the hunt for a number 1 seed, but they all lost to Tennessee.

At the same time, Charlotte with their new coach Alan Jones is able to somehow defy the odds and beat back Xavier, Dayton and even Richmond (a top 25 team) to rule the A 10.

Memphis wins Conference USA easily and Pastner keeps making a case for a #1 seed, with OOC victories over Miami, Kansas and Georgetown, however they were drilled in Knoxville by Tennessee. Tarik Black and Joe Crawford and the rest of the freshman have NBA scouts salivating, but everyone watched the Volunteers hurt their feelings.

The SEC features a conference full of teams that dominated non conference. UF and UK lost 2 and 1 OOC game respectively and enter conference play both in the top 10. UGA is in the top 25 as is Vanderbilt.

Tennessee loses a close one in Rupp, another close one at home (maybe with a player injured or Hopson has the flu) and loses in Gainesville, in Athens and in Nashville. None of the games are blowouts.

Tennessee has a clear RPI case and they are a team all the pundits say no one wants to play because there is a reason they are ranked number 2 or 3 in the country.

And that is why you cannot say "No way" before the season begins.

The scenario you present is so ridiculously unlikely that you can't possibly use it to prove other statements "idiotic." Seriously, there is no way all of that happens, and you know it as well as I do.

 

[NashVol11]

They're not going to give you a 1 seed if you lose 5 games in your own conference. Duke didn't do that.