Welcome to Friday!!! You've made it this far!!! Maybe it's me that's made it this far with my sanity intact.
I've purposefully stayed away from talking about this game for the past couple of weeks because I don't want to bore you plus I'm trying to fool the tricks of time. I'm really getting nervous about this game simply because it would mean so much to those people to win. Then again it would've really mattered to Georgia fans if they would've won the Natty and Bama just wouldn't let that happen. What I can't wrap my brain around is how Brady can do what he does at this age. It's disgusting. And his desire to win is insatiable.
Couple of reminders before we get into our day!!!
One...
'X' Cast Live Tonight @ 5PM: 
Tennessee Recruiting Conversation!!!! Special Live Podcast. night at 5pm Eastern time. Hope you can join us for that one.
Two:.... Tomorrow night as soon as Tennessee-Ole Miss goes final we'll be live on the air with you taking calls. The Mayor of South Knoxville Philly will be in studio once again as we no doubt toast another win.
Three: We're DOING an Awesome marathon program on Signing Day we're calling an apptacular. We're tremendously looking forward to bringing this to you. Hope you'll join us!
Orange Throat
'Basillville:
Random musings and short shots as our belief in this basketball team grows with each win:
RICK BARNES' BLUE COLLARS curb stomped another SEC opponent in LSU Wednesday night at The Thom. James Daniel continued to make a case that the III in his name stands for more than his place in the Daniel male hierarchy. D-III can be huge in March for this team.
AT THE MIDWAY MARK of the SEC hoops season, only Auburn at 8-1 looks as sturdy as the Vols, who are riding a four-game win streak and have won six of their last seven league games. Tennessee is tied for second at 6-3 with Kentucky and Florida but both the Wildcats and Gators look as wobbly as a newborn colt.
WE THINK IT IS SAFE to say John Calipari is not looking forward to the arrival of the hairy-chested Volunteers next Tuesday night at Rupp. Before that, UT must take care of bi'ness with Ole Miss at The Thom tomorrow.
TONY COMMENTED yesterday on the lack of recruiting information coming out of Jeremy Pruitt's organization. Part of that is the recruitniks haven't cultivated relationships with all of the new coaches and staffers over beers and tostada chips yet, but a bigger part is the discipline of Pruitt. In other words, he ain't playin' and he ain't spending his time dreaming up dumbass slogans and self-promotion campaigns.
VOL FOOTBALL RECRUITING GEEKS are going to need to be patient about the results. There won't be a late landslide of four and five-stars to join the Vols next week, but that also doesn't mean JP and crew will be shut out. Ultra-talented LB Quay Walker is still a real possibility although that one is a good old-fashioned dogfight with Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, etc.
IN-STATE DT D'Andre Litaker and UT have parted ways. We expect the same to happen with RB Anthony Grant.
PROMISING TIGHT END prospect Glenn Beal from River Ridge, LA might be a realistic get and he has the size they are looking for (6-5, 265) to play the position, since this head coach and staff actually think the tight end should block. Corner Eddie Smith definitely looks lost to Bama and California corner Olaijah Griffin looks like a long shot as well at this point.
WE'D LOVE TO SEE 6-3, 300-pound DT Otito Ogbonnia sign up next Wednesday and not only because his name would give Bob Kesling fits. Some insiders think the Vols misplayed the recruitment of former Knoxvillian Ryan Winkel. Word is UT wanted Winkel to blue shirt, thus counting against the 2019 number, so he was not invited for an official visit. Mississippi State and Arkansas placed no such conditions on his recruitment and the Razorbacks landed the 6-6, 290-pound OL, whose dad Bob was a standout at Kentucky and in the NFL.
Orange Throat
IGYTH'
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Throaty....
Even Rick Barnes' Violations: Shine a light on what a great guy he is!!! When's the last time you heard of a coach giving $25k to an assistant so he could get Dez Oliver up to $200k. Hey, a man's gotta make a living. When's the last time you heard of a head coach sharing the bounty with an assistant. The truth is Oliver brought in all those Carolina guys that could really play. ALL OF THEM. Plus he also landed Bowden & Fulkerson. Basically all of the guys that were heading to UNC-Charlotte. But hey, Tennessee got lucky with a bunch of those guys....I'd rather be lucky than good and this is great on Rick Barnes doing this. Put it this way, I don't ever remember a head coach doing anything close to that here in any sport. So, good for Rick Barnes.
Speaking of Pay: Rick Barnes is now underpaid for the season he's putting together. Oh, he'll get his $25K back in a big time away when this season concludes. Barnes is like 6th in the league....Cuonzo makes $1 million more than him. That's kind of a joke.
I've Never Been More Of A Clown: I totally missed on my Eagles this year and the Basketball Vols. Plus when I think about how badly I missed on the Vols in Football, I should be dragged from the line and severely beaten. I'm pretty glad to be wrong on my Eagles and the B Ball Vols.
Get A Good Look At Andy Kennedy: Because you're not going to have him to kick around much longer. It's been going on 3 seasons since Ole Miss went to the Big Dance and they want more there. Plus this year has been kind of miserable.
Click to listen to the LSU/Tenn. Garza Law Firm Tennessee Basketball Overtime
Vols Are Second At Midway Mark: And only staring up at Auburn. What a stranger than fiction year the SEC has given us thus far. The following Teams are making the NCAA Tourney from the league.
Auburn: Lock
Vols: Lock
Arkansas: Really talented
Florida: A fan base has never deserved less.
Bama: Sheesh.
Kentucky: Going to limp in. Watch and see.
All this talk about the SEC getting 8 teams is fantasy. The SEC is getting 6 teams. Watch and see. I'll believe 7 or 8 when I see it. I'm with Throaty...Tennessee is going to scare the hell out of if not beat Kentucky.
If The Vols Win Tuesday: Let's win the whole damn league while we're at it. How fun would it be to sweep those knuckle dragging, interrelated clowns. They really aren't good. Consider how poorly WVU is playing. Kentucky needed an all time comeback to get it done in this one.
Griffin’s 3 Pointers
Griffin’s 3 Pointers- Ole Miss
1. “Hottie Toddy Hot Seat?”- Even though Andy Kennedy has beaten the Vols 6 out of the last 8 matchups and he is the Dean of the SEC while in his 13th season at the helm (255-153) 62.5, is his seat getting hot? Despite last year’s run to the NIT Quarterfinals, Rebel fans are yearning for NCAA appearances although Kennedy has recorded 8 20- win seasons for the Rebel faithful. He has lead Ole Miss to only two NCAA appearances.
2. As A Team- 11-11 (4-5). 0-6 Away. Notable wins include Louisiana 94-76, South Carolina 74-69, Mississippi State 64-58, Florida 78-72, and Alabama 78-66. Losses include Virginia Tech 80-83 OT, MTSU 58-77, Auburn twice 70-85 and 70-79, Texas A&M 69-71, and Arkansas 93-97.
SEC ranked 3rd Assists- 15.3 UT ranked 1st- 16.7
SEC ranked 4th 3 Pointers Made- 182 UT ranked 7th- 172
SEC ranked 4th Points Per Game- 78.1 UT ranked 7th- 77.0
3. Who To Look Out For- Deandre Burnett- 6’2” Senior Guard- Minutes Per Game- 29.6 Field Goal %- 87-207 42.0, Three Point %- 42-105 40.0, Free Throw %- 103-123 83.7, Assists Per Game- 4.5, and Points Per Game- 15.2
Leads the team in 3 Point %- 40.0, Free Throw %- 83.7, Assists Per Game- 4.5, and Points Per Game- 15.2
SEC ranked 12th Points Per Game- 15.2
SEC ranked 4th Assists Per Game- 4.5
SEC ranked 12th Free Throw %- 83.7
Has me wanting to make something up....But it won't stop us from talking intelligently about it. 'X' is making a tremendous 2019 list that he'll be unveiling in our Signing Day Apptacular.
Littaker & Grant: Are two reasons why I LOVE the 'X' Cast...Those guys called those two situations right down the middle and things have transformed exactly as called.
We lost in football to Kensucky....I'm thinking we're sweeping them in hoops. Meanwhile MY EAGLES (NEVER HAVING WON A SUPER BOWL) get a chance to right a ton of wrongs Sunday night. Is this going to be the year? Is this really happening? What's next???? Is Tennessee going to the Final Four this year? I mean it could happen....Compare that to the statistical probability of the Eagles getting to the Super Bowl back in August. Are you kidding me?
Set a radio preset to 99.7FM/1040AM. The Tony Basilio Show is back on WJBE!!
T Mail:
'Tony,
Your dead air routine was one of the funniest things I have heard in a long time. I got a radio broadcasting degree in the 80’s and professors preached “no dead air” over and over so hearing that cracked me up!
Then you followed that up the dead air with that Titans Bill segment...Un-believable!!! I was rolling on the floor!! That is Classic.
Matt'
Matt: Thanks for recognition of the art or should I call it HIGH ART from my final couple of minutes on 1180. Dead air marred that deal so much that I figured that was the only way to go out. Actually,,,,I looked up at the clock and noticed that I was hitting the top of the hour and it occurred to me in a spur of the moment deal to go dead silent. Plus I knew Titans Bill was on hold. So, it was going to be a double whammy of wackiness. Are you feeling me?
FM....No static at all...
Go Vols, Eagles and whoever is playing the Patriots.
Tone
A New Direction At TonyBasilio.com: Here at Tonybasilio.com we’re creating a series of programming with little to mostly zero commercial sponsorship. In other words, you will be digesting the following programs in coming days with almost no interruption. This is unprecedented in the history of my business. Nobody has ever done this. Here are the offerings coming your way.
Our Family Of Offerings:
‘X-Cast: A Recruiting Podcast’: Featuring Tony Basilio & ‘X’ where we discuss the latest moves, behind the scenes machinations and all the intrigue from the world of recruiting. This will hopefully be offered twice monthly with lengths varying. If this takes off perhaps we can even do some live offerings of this show. THIS IS BEING OFFERED COMMERCIAL FREE!!!
Fifth Quarter Fan Reaction: Back for season 4. Sponsored by Marcos Garza. This year with NO OTHER SPONSORS. This will be pure content for you. I’m taking a chance here but I know you will reward me for not bombarding you with messages Vol Network style. This program will run for at least 3 hours following Tennessee Football Games. We will have new visual presentation of this feature as well that we’re investing in. Thanks to Jayson Swain for helping me with the technical side of our visual presentation.
Southeastern Sunday Night: 7p to 9p on Sunday Nights airing on Periscope/Facebook Live and other platforms including your Tony Basilio Show App. This will be a regional program that aims to keep it real. We will tell the truth on us, them and all with you. This could be a lot of fun if you help me spread the word across the region. This hopefully will turn into a free for all that is free for all. ZERO SPONSORS. COMMERCIAL FREE OFFERING.
Vol-Scars: A podcast featuring Vol Historian Tom Mattingly and Eric S where we go back in time and commemorate the painful losses in UT football history that left a mark. These shows are extremely time intensive to put together. I’ve worked all summer on these offerings and am really proud of what we’ve compiled thus far. I think you’ll really enjoy this. COMMERCIAL FREE.
Gate Twenty Won: A podcast Featuring Vol Historian Tom Mattingly where we celebrate the greatest wins in UT history in time capsule form. These are a breath of fresh air and the type of programming I’m aiming to bring to you . COMMERCIAL FREE
Chill Cast: Tell Me A Story: A podcast where I grab folks from the sports world and our community and allow them to share their stories with us. This will be done in the spirit of the
recent re-launch programs that I did. We’ll aim to go deeper here. Stay tuned. COMMERCIAL FREE.
Tennessee Basketball Overtime: Back for year 5! Immediately following Tennessee Basketball Games. A Tennessee Basketball Call-In show featuring ONLY ONE SPONSOR…GARZA LAW FIRM. Therefore we keep the conversation going without bombarding you Vol Network style. What a concept!!!!
Garza On The Law: A Podcast dealing with the legal issues that invade the sports world featuring the great Marcos Garza. We will go deeper here. I promise that you will find this interesting. Presented by Garza Law Firm.
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FAQ's Asked Of Tony Per Our Relaunch Announcement:
Q: Tony, you didn't say anything about your daily show yesterday. Will you continue to do this?
A: Absolutely. I'm looking forward to year #24 with you.
Q: Tony, you used the word 'subscribe'. What Am I subscribing too?
A: Great question. 'Subscribe' is a misnomer. What you actually are doing if you choose to help us monthly (and we need this for budgeting reasons) is actually acting as a patron. The goal is to keep the content (ALL CONTENT, from postgame offerings to various podcasts) free for all.
Q: So, if I'm not subscribing and I'm already reading this, why give?
A: Because you value the content and our contribution to the market and you want to help us keep this stuff free for everybody.
Q: Are you going to beat us up for money all the time here?
A: Absolutely not. I will bring this up a few times heading into the football season as we attempt to meet our financial goals and create new programming. I'll also mention it in the post-game format as well as the regional programming. I will not however wear you out with this. Either you feel the need to help us or you don't. This is why I'm taking today to field some question I received after day one.
Q: What happens if this doesn't generate the revenue you're seeking?
A: We will scale back our online offerings accordingly. The blog itself could even disappear. I really don't want this to happen but will be forced to spend my time in the most profitable way necessary. That's why we're having the conversation. All my cards are on the table here.
Q: Where can I find these new podcasts, like that X-Cast?
A: Click on "Podcast" wherever you see it on the site, and it will take you to our Podcast page.
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