Damn

Tennessee always seems to find a way to win in the final moments, but tonight Steven Hill and the Hogs stunned the Vols 92-91.

It has been a bad weekend for the Tennessee Volunteers. UNC came from behind to defeat Virginia Tech, UCLA won the Pac-10 tournament, Memphis won the C-USA tournament and Kansas advanced to the finals of the Big 12 tournament. That probably means no #1 seed for the Vols unless the committee is especially impressed with the Volunteers' regular season.

I'm going to be completely honest with you right now - regardless of whether the Vols won or lost this game, I was prepared to ask the following question:

Did we peak three weeks ago?

The Vols have not looked impressive, especially on the defensive side of the floor, in the last few weeks. Frankly, the defense has been terrible. The press is non-existent and the live ball turnovers are a thing of the past. Beyond that, they cannot get a stop and a rebound. Arkansas scored at will after falling behind by nine, just like South Carolina scored at will yesterday.

The Vols don't look like the same team that was so hungry a few weeks ago, especially off the bench. The only thing the subs contributed tonight was fouls.

Finally, the point guard position continues to be the Achilles' heel of the squad. Ramar cannot pass the basketball, especially on the fast break. He can get to the rim and draw fouls, but his inability to pass is a real problem in transition. Jordan Howell's shooting slump appears to be back after a brief reprise. There is no production from the point at all right now.

Would I have written this if Steven Hill's jumper rimmed out? Yes. This team does not look like a Final Four contender right now. Bruce Pearl knows it too. I don't envy him because the answers are going to be tough to come by. Does he re-commit to the press? Does he toy with a zone defense? Does he shorten the bench even more than he already has? Does he give Josh Tabb and, gulp, Ryan Childress more looks?

There needs to be a solution quick because the Volunteer ship is taking on water right now.

Thoughts:

* Tennessee ran the exact same play it used to beat USC against tonight to get the lay-up for JaJuan. Personnel were in different spots, but the play was the same. The first option is the back pick that was wide open tonight.

* Wayne Chism screwed up on Hill's jumper. I watched the replay several times hoping for a different result (never changed) and Chism messed up. With the ball dead on the wing, why was he playing behind the post instead of denying the pass? I know Hill is not much of an offensive threat and being behind gave him better rebounding position, but in that situation he needed to front Hill or at least not get pinned so deep. On the replay, it is clear that Chism was not expecting a post-entry in that scramble as he was looking out at the perimeter when the pass was made. A quick lapse in concentration and Tennessee is heading home.

* Did the change of venue have any impact? No. Did the lack of a crowd? Yes. I was there yesterday - it would have been 70/30 Tennessee at the least. The Vols' fans traveled to Atlanta to see a championship and would have been in full force in the Dome.

* Tyler Smith is the heart and soul of the team. Someone told me yesterday that Tyler promised Pearl two years. Let's hope so. He had a great game tonight - the Dunk, the 3's...huge.

* What was up with JaJuan and Pelfrey? I don't know what started it, but Pelfrey ought to be above engaging in trash-talking with a player. The cameras clearly caught him mouthing, "Shut the f*ck up" at JaJuan in one exchange. Classy, Coach.

* Just looked at the box score. Here are the stats for the Vols' bench:

60 minutes
6 points
4 assists
13 fouls

Meanwhile, Arkansas got a double-double from Charles Thomas off its bench (24 points).

Hello, #2 seed! Hopefully we'll get to stay on this side of the country as a #2; I figured we were heading to the Midwest as a #1. Would the committee set up a rematch with Memphis?