I said prior to the game Saturday that it really didn’t matter that much. Hopefully Gary will back me up on this. The truth is the loss shouldn’t hurt the Tigers too much in the polls or in seeding. If it does then something stinks in Denmark. The Tigers SHOULD still be a number 1 seed if they win out. I have no reason to think otherwise. For that matter given the landscape the Tigers could STILL be the #1 overall on selection Sunday. Teams like UT, Kansas, UCLA, UNC, and Duke still have to play tough games. The Tigers could very well be the only team with one loss at season’s end. They will be the only team in the country without a loss outside the top 5 in rankings or RPI. I think they will have made their case quite well for that top spot by finishing the season and conference tournament with a 33-1 record.

Did I want the Tigers to win? You damn skippy. But I wasn’t so tied up in this that I think the season is lost. Nor do I think it shows the Tigers are a paper Tiger. The truth is the Vols are a pretty good team. The Tigers didn’t make the shots at the end to win the game. It happens. There is a reason no team has gone undefeated over the past 32 years.

Does the Vols win mean they’re a better team? Nope. If you use that logic then Wake Forest and Miami are better than Duke. Are Kansas State, Oklahoma State or Texas better than Kansas? It just means they were better that night. The test to prove who are the better teams comes next month in places like Little Rock, Houston, and San Antonio.

I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman who works in basketball here in town prior to the game. We both agreed that if it was physical on the block and they let it go then it favored the Vols. They let a lot go (and I’m not saying that’s wrong either) and it made a difference. The human element is why games aren’t called the same every night. And quite honestly, it would be kind of boring if they were.

I do have one question about the end of the game regarding a move or no move by Cal. Why didn’t he call a time out and set up a play with 15 seconds left on the clock? I’m not basketball expert nor do I play one on TV but it seemed like the thing to do. You set up the play and play for the final shot. The Vols outrebounded the Tigers so getting off a shot and hoping for a rebound was just that, a hope. So why didn’t we just hold it and shoot to win it or lose it at the buzzer? And have CDR shoot it. But what do I know, I live in Mississippi.

I have not looked at anything sports related since the final buzzer Saturday night. I avoided ESPN, the CA, message boards and anything that might discuss the game. I was pretty upset primarily because I simply hate losing. So you can imagine what the start of football season did to me. I even woke up Sunday morning pondering what we should have done differently. In the end I decided EGBOK.