Now don’t get me wrong, I really like Bruce Pearl. I think the man is awesome when he yells across the court for the entire game, sweats through expensive suits and paints his chest orange for Lady Vols’ games. Bruce has true passion and an excellent nose for the game of college basketball. All that being said, how does Bruce not have his team ready to play? This was the classic “trap game.” You have a very talented opponent in their house just after you got done wiping the floor of with an in-state rival the University of Memphis who was ranked #1 at the time, and all this equals: DISASTER! I know this and so does
Bruce Pearl
27 February 2008
23 February 2008
After witnessing Tennessee Volunteers defeat the number one ranked team in the nation the Memphis Tigers, it is crystal clear what this game meant: Memphis is one of the most overrated number one team. Sure, they had the second best RPI in the nation, but they just were not that good. They have not been tested at all while they faced Conference USA teams. Sure they defeated USC, UCONN, Arizona, and Gonzaga, but that was all in the start of the season when those teams were slow out of the gate. After those uplifting victories, Memphis has not been tested at all by facing mediocre teams in CUSA. While watching them face Tennessee, it was clear who was the better team. In one of its biggest games of the season, it struggled because this team has not faced this kind of atmosphere all season. The players seemed rattled by the atmosphere and there was sloppy plays everywhere. From bad shots, passes, and turnovers, it was a display that showed Memphis is not considered one of the best teams in college basketball. Even though Tennessee was horrible at times, they were able to overcome their struggles, and the crowd. They were able to prevail. Memphis shot too many threes and played selfishly as they tried to drive it to the basket when other players were open. Memphis is not a considered a national champ, but rather a national flop.
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