We are just days away from the biggest basketball game in Tennessee Vol history this Saturday against the #1 Memphis Tigers. It isn't a tournament game and it isn't for our post-season life or anything, but #1 vs. #2 against one of our biggest basketball rivals? Have we ever had anything like this happen in men's basketball?
I can't fathom that it is actually going to happen. This is so far removed from my wildest basketball dreams that it feels phony. If the Vols win on Saturday, they will be the #1 team in the country.
Are you kidding me?
Vols Better Not Look Ahead
Unless Charles Barkley and Wesley Person are suddenly found to have some eligibility, there is no way the injury-depleted Auburn Tigers will challenge the Vols tonight. Right?
Well, probably right. This is an SEC contest. The Vols have found that even the lowly (LSU, Georgia) show up for conference games. And if there was ever an opportunity to look ahead, this would be it. With Memphis waiting this weekend, the Vols could easily have their focus elsewhere.
Even if Tennessee does not show up in full form tonight, it still ought to handle the War Eagles. Auburn lacks depth and true SEC talent on the floor right now with its injuries, so expect Tennessee to slowly pull away even if the Tigers keep it close for a while.
Drunk Punters
This has been a forgettable off-season for the football Vols and Coach Fulmer. Arrests, incidents and suspensions involving a wide variety of players and even recruits. The cherry on top was Sunday's arrest of punter Britton Colquitt for DUI. Colquitt not only was driving drunk, but also left the scene of an accident after running into a parked car. Colquitt's scholarship was taken by Phil Fulmer and he has been suspended for the first five games of next season. Five is also the number of times Colquitt has been cited for alcohol-related crimes.
Question - why wasn't he just kicked off the team?
To makes matter worse, but also more funny, Colquitt spoke to elementary school graduates of the DARE program about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. The police chief has publicly apologized for allowing Colquitt to give this speech. I guess LaMarcus Coker and Leonard Little were already booked.
There are calls for Fulmer's head based on the last six weeks of off-the-field activities. In all, eight Vols have either been arrested or disciplined for this non-sense. On one hand, I agree that Fulmer is where the proverbial buck stops and he must take some responsibility for the actions of his players. On the other hand, I have serious problems with firing the coach for the decisions guys are making off-campus in the off-season.
It will be interesting to see where this goes. Fulmer has always been an "in-house" discipline guy, but these public problems demand a public punishment or he risks being viewed as an enabler of the actions (which he just might be). Here is hoping Fulmer is not becoming Bobby Bowden.
Good Ole Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee
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