Did we finish 10-6 in the league? How did those guys do that? Are we six days away from selection Sunday? They say time flies when you’re having fun. The last leg of this season has rolled.

We had an awesome time Saturday. Thanks to Pate, Bill Seaton, Hardee’s, Chariots of Hire Brock, Beano and Philly and the Williams folks! What a great time we had. Got to meet and get to know a bunch of new people and kick it with some old friends. Hard to beat. Kind of like UT in Athens.

Barring a miracle for somebody in the SEC Tourney, the SEC is poised to get only 4 teams in the NCAA Tourney. I’ve got Florida, Vandy, UT & UK in. Everybody in the west has to have a great showing in the tourney to merit a spot. How comical was Joe Dean yesterday in predicting that Misssissippi State will get to the conference final? Hey Joe, where’d you go with that gun in your hand? Mississsippi Mistake? You’ve got to be kidding me.

OK: It’s officially time for us to win a couple of games in the SEC Tourney. We are the ONLY team who has never….NEVER…been to Saturday in the SEC Tourney. That comes to an end this year in Atlanta! Why? Because we will be there courtesy of Pools by Heritage at the American Patriot Getaways booth where we broadcast all week long from fanfare.
Here’s The Good On UK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have to applaud Kentucky for really competing yesterday on the road at Florida. So much for winning one from the Tubber. Noah can really play when he gets motivated. Don’t rule out a Gator surge in March. Do rule out UK getting to the Sweet 16. Do rule out Tubby being in Lexington next year if that occurs. Don’t rule out Kentucky going after a league coach after the season if a vacancy comes to fruition. Are you ready? Here are UK’s top 2 targets to replace Tubby……………Billy The Kid & Villanova’s head man. Sources tell me that both will listen although Nova’s Pitino look-a-like is much more likely to jump to the Bluegrass.



From John Clay in Lexington’s Herald Leader Today:
Case in point: Just over two minutes left, Gators up 16, Joakim Noah is called for fouling Bradley as the Cat guard was launching a three-point shot from the right wing. Noah didn't like the call. He said something to the official. Bradley said something to Noah.

"I just can't stand that," Bradley said later. "He acts like such a tough guy, but he forgets that I'm from New York too."

By the time Noah had reached the lane to line up for the rebound, he was still mouthing at Bradley. The first free throw went down. Noah was still mouthing. Finally, official Ted Valentine stopped play and walked all the way over to the Florida bench and said something to Coach Billy Donovan.

"He told me to take (Noah) out, just get him calmed down for a minute," Donovan said. "I think Jo would be the first person to tell you his emotions get the best of him sometime."

This, remember, is the samez Joakim Noah who earlier this week referred to Kentucky as "the Kitty-Cats."

But that's not what bothered Bradley.

"It just frustrates me that as the point guard I'm the one who had to say something to him," he said.

So you're upset one of your other teammates didn't say something first?

"Yeah," he said. "The good thing is now we've got the SEC Tournament. It's a new season."

Truth be told, this Bradley-Noah thing goes back.

"I'm his daddy, that's my son, why is he talking to me like that?" joked Noah afterward. "When your son starts talking bad at you, that's not right."

It's not a rivalry, Bradley said, but the two did play each other "a bunch of times" in AAU ball and "I guess what I said to him hurt him a little more. I guess this was a little payback for him because we killed them back then."

The Gators are doing the killing now. Florida shot 69.6 percent the second half. Noah threw down four dunks the second half on the way to a 17-point, 10-rebound afternoon. UK's post players (Morris and Lukasz Obrzut) combined for two rebounds in the game.

When victory was secured and Donovan emptied his bench with scrubs, er, subs, "That hurt my heart," said Bradley.

"The tradition here (at Kentucky) is that we were making everybody back down. We've got to get back to being the intimidators."

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Now To Our New Hardee's Promotion!

Can you say National Championship Games Tickets? Can you say huge prizes?


Peace

Tony B









Mike Hugenin: Orlando Sentinel W/ Some Great Nuggets!
The NFL needs to get over itself. The league is seeking to trademark the phrase "The Big Game," because some companies are using that verbiage instead of paying the NFL to be able to use "The Super Bowl" in ads. California-Stanford and Harvard-Yale use "The Big Game" to describe their annual season-ending rivalry games -- and both those rivalries have been around far longer than the Super Bowl (heck, far longer than the NFL, for that matter). "How sad that a league as successful as the NFL would try to trademark such an extraordinarily common phrase," Stanford radio play-by-play man Ted Robinson told The Los Angeles Times.

Boise State QB Jared Zabransky will be the cover boy of EA Sports' "NCAA Football" video game later this year.

Of Louisville's 12 games next season, half will be on Saturday. Four will be on Thursday and two on Friday. "We don't have a lot of say-so in the matter," Louisville AD Tom Jurich told the Louisville Courier-Journal, referring to the power of TV (i.e., ESPN) in determining teams' schedules.

The sense is burning stronger than ever! Despite the win last night, Tubby's days are numbered barring a strong tourney run. Two names have surfaced as leading candidates! In time I will reveal them to you.

TB

Just when you think you’ve seen it all from UT hoops!

Did Bruce Pearl just pull that off.

Did he endow a scholarship for a player currently on scholarship? What an honor!
Dane Bradshaw deserves it. And what a night for him. So great to see his family there. He is Tennessee sports. Kudos to Buzz Peterson for recruiting and signing him. Chris Ferguson told me when they signed him that he was four tool guard….He was right and more!!!

Did Bruce Pearl attract Dick Vitale to Knoxville?
Vitale, despite the shoddy treatment from the shameless News-Sentinel crew, proclaimed midway through the first half the following. ‘This is the first time I’ve been in this barn in sometime. You can bet I won’t be away as long next time. In fact, Mr. Nessler we’ll be back here next year.

Did Bruce Pearl succeed in Turning UT hoops back to the 70’s?
Tennessee ran the table for the first time at home since ’76.
Tennessee has had the most unforgettable home nights since those days with the King Ceremony and that raw emotion/circus that was February 27th, 2007. It was a night when Pat Summitt showed another side of her self that we’ve never seen. She let her hair down and had some fun with the whole thing. Really neat to see her embracing the overpowering aura that is the magical fun of Bruce Pearl. Tickets were going outside for $200 on the lower level. It was truly unbelievable. He has made UT hoops the ‘in’ thing.
Peyton Manning was there giving his blessing along with a couple of Colts Teammates.
Phillip Fulmer even showed up to witness the coronation of King Bruce.
Consider what UT hoops was 24 short months ago when Buzz Peterson was ushered out the door and look at them now. We have never nor will we ever see the likes of Bruce Pearl again. Enjoy this and savor this because it is truly special. The 21 wins and the second straight tourney appearance are one thing. 3 of 4 wins over Florida (who own the rest of the league) is another. But the life and unstoppable force that has become UT basketball is the ultimate proof of the power of Pearl.

In a sense, the Florida game was an afterthought. Sad as that is to say. In the moment I was longing for something more subtle and worthy of a program that has ‘been there before’. But the truth is that in hoops, we haven’t so why not have a hall of fame coach parading around as a cheerleader along with a galaxy of Tennessee stars at courtside to take in a spectacle that would make Vince McMahon blush. At the end of it all today as I write this, I’m proud of UT and last night.

I TOLD YOU SO:

I hate to tell you but I made a couple of predictions yesterday at Office Furniture Outfitters on the Fuller Group Edge.

1) Tennessee would roll last night.
2) Dane (Can’t score on Paris Hylton) Bradshaw would score double figures.

Job well done, TB. Job Well Done.

Sincerely,

Mike Griffith


Emotion-filled UT rolls over Florida
Lofton scores 21 as Manning, Summitt see Vols win easily
Florida might be the defending national champion and bursting at the seams with future NBA talent.

But it's doubtful that the Gators ever really had a chance Tuesday night in one of those emotion-soaked evenings the Big Orange Nation would love to bottle up and save forever.

The Vols, sprinting off to a 27-point lead early in the second half, held off the No. 5 Gators 86-76 in one of those games that had a little bit of everything.

Chris Lofton, who led the Vols with 21 points.

A raucous crowd of 24,047 at Thompson-Boling Arena was treated to Pat Summitt donning a Tennessee cheerleading outfit and leading fans in a rendition of Rocky Top. Senior forward Dane Bradshaw was honored in a moving pregame ceremony, and even former football great Peyton Manning was in the house. He spoke to the Vols' players and coaches prior to the game.


The Vols (21-9, 9-6 SEC) led by 27 points four minutes in the second half on Bradshaw's 3-pointer from the corner. Florida made a couple of runs, but could never get closer than eight points.

The Gators (25-5, 12-3) have lost three of their last four games and turned the ball over 20 times. The Vols have now forced 70 turnovers in their last three games.

"I think we figured it out a few games ago," said JaJuan Smith, who hounded Florida point guard Taurean Green into a nine-point, five-turnover performance. "We're going to get to where we want to go with defense."

Peaking at the right time

Tennessee has won six of its last seven games and finished its first unbeaten season at home since the Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld-led 1976 team went 13-0 at Stokely Athletic Center.

Bradshaw finished with 10 points, his SEC-high, and also pulled down six rebounds and handed out five assists.

In vintage fashion, he came up with a key steal on a hustle play in the final minutes when it looked like the Gators might have one last gasp.

"This is not goodbye Dane, thanks for the memories," Pearl said. "We said thanks to Dane and his family. But we're not ready to reflect on anybody's career, because we're not done yet."

Summitt cheers men on to victory

Pat Summitt might be a Hall of Famer, but she's not above having a little fun.

The legendary Lady Vols coach contributed to what was already a festive environment Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena by donning a Tennessee cheerleading outfit and leading the sellout crowd in a rendition of Rocky Top.

Summitt and her coaching staff made their much anticipated appearance during the first timeout of Tennessee's 86-76 win over No. 5-ranked Florida. She also participated in a cheerleading stunt with the rest of the Vols' cheerleaders, as Lady Vols assistants Dean Lockwood and Holly Warlick helped prop her up.

"I usually wear warm-ups," Summitt joked.

"I didn't get a chance to see it, but America got a chance to see a side of Pat Summitt that they probably haven't seen since eighth grade," Pearl said. "That's the way Pat is. Pat is a lot of fun to play for. She can be demanding and tough. But she's as kind and as sweet a person as I know, and she didn't disappoint."

Dane's night:
It was a night to remember for senior forward Dane Bradshaw. He was honored in a moving pre-game ceremony and was accompanied by his entire family. Pearl and his wife, Kim, officially announced a $100,000 donation to endow a scholarship in the name of Dane Bradshaw.

"Dane embodies everything that is good about intercollegiate athletics," Pearl said. "He has helped bring credibility back to Tennessee basketball, both on and off the court."

Bradshaw admitted that he was almost overwhelmed by it all and the rousing ovation he received from the fans prior to the game.

"I was sitting there after hearing what all was going to happen and thought, 'If we lose this game, they're going to say we had too many distractions going on,'" Bradshaw said. "It was like a circus. You had my ceremony and then Pat doing her thing and Peyton Manning.

"But it was just a magical night. I don't think there will ever be a Senior Night as unique as this one."


Manning's talk:
Pearl said Manning's pre-game talk to the team was simple.

"He talked about his year and the difference it made and how all those years that he played and how he continued to learn and grow," Pearl said. "But what he learned most about this year and the championship year is that you've got to trust your teammates and rely on each other."

"I thought our team trusted each other (Tuesday night). The effort we brought, making the extra pass, the spacing … was something special."

Pearl thanked Manning for being a part of the win and being there for his team.

"It's a pretty strong family here," Pearl said. "How can you lose when you've got that kind of family support?"

Free-throw woes: The Vols would have put the game away earlier, but couldn't make their free throws down the stretch.

Uncharacteristically, Chris Lofton was just 5-of-10 from the line.

"That's bad, hard to even talk about," Lofton said.

SEC honors UT's Parker, Summitt
The Tennessee women's basketball team added to what was already a banner year in the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday.

Lady Vols sophomore Candace Parker was named SEC Player of the Year by a vote of the league's coaches, and Coach Pat Summitt received SEC Coach of the Year honors for the seventh time.

Parker, who led UT to a 14-0 conference record and scored a league-best 20.6 points per game, becomes the first Lady Vol to win the award since Chamique Holdsclaw in 1999.

"It's a huge honor to be mentioned in the same breath (as Holdsclaw)," Parker said. "That's one of the reasons I came to Tennessee, to play amongst the best every day in practice and also be compared to the best every day."

UT's Alexis Hornbuckle joined Parker on the first team, along with Vanderbilt's Carla Thomas and Dee Davis.

Cutcliffe: Thumbs up to no-huddle progress
Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said Tuesday that he's been pleased with the progress in the Vols' no-huddle attack.

The offense has worked almost exclusively in the no-huddle during the first week of spring practice and has had surprising success with it to this point, Cutcliffe said.


"I think it has been really good from an execution and understanding standpoint," he said. "There are a few little kinks that you have to work out. But to be honest with you, I have been amazed at how our players have adapted to it."

Quarterback Erik Ainge said the offensive changes have made spring practice more fun.

"There's something new, and it brings a new energy to all the offensive guys," Ainge said. "We're just out there having fun right now."

Receiving praise: Cutcliffe said many of UT's young receivers have showed significant improvement.

In particular, Cutcliffe commended sophomores Quintin Hancock and Slick Shelley, both of whom saw minimal playing time last year.

"I think we have gotten better," Cutcliffe said. "We had a good meeting (Monday) with the quarterbacks and receivers. We are not there by any means, but we have made progress. …

"(Receivers coach) Trooper Taylor does a great job. He starts right off the bat with expectations. Even though we have lost a lot of production, he is not being soft with those guys."

Great Scott: Fulmer said rising sophomore Chris Scott, the early favorite to be the Vols' starting left tackle, isn't quite ready to lock up a spot in the lineup.


criticism as Kentucky has stumbled through what even their athletics director acknowledges is a disappointing season.

Disillusionment among UK fans has been so prevalent that athletics director Mitch Barnhart felt compelled to release a statement on Monday, a day after the Wildcats (19-9, 8-6 SEC) blew a late lead and lost at Vanderbilt.

"Kentucky basketball is important to all of us who are a part of the Big Blue Nation," Barnhart said in the statement. "I know that the fans, coaches and players are disappointed with the results of the season up to this point, but it's important to wait until the most critical part of the season is complete before reviewing the program.

"Our fans' lofty expectations for this program, which I share, have not changed. However, history tells us that the college basketball season can change quite a bit between February and March. If the close games we've lost in February become victories during the tournaments, then this team has a chance to play up to its potential, which is what all of us as Wildcat fans want."

It's hard to imagine Smith leaving against his will. The former Georgia coach (1995-97) has won or shared five SEC regular-season league championships and five SEC tournament titles. Meanwhile, he's won 70 percent of his NCAA tournament games, including a national championship with the Wildcats (1998).

And making a coaching change would be an expensive proposition for Kentucky. Smith is contracted through the 2011 season, is due to receive $1.5 million longevity bonus in April and the school is obligated to pay him $1 million for every season left on his contract if he is dismissed, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The longtime blue bloods complain that Smith is no longer luring top talent to Lexington. Kentucky reportedly passed on Tennessee's Chris Lofton, Florida's Corey Brewer and Vanderbilt's Derrick Byars, the leading candidate for SEC player of the year this season.

Georgia coach Dennis Felton believes the rest of the league has simply caught up.

"I think it has everything to do with the strength of the conference and the growth of all the other programs in the conference," Felton said. "There was a time when Kentucky was the only program within the conference that really invested in basketball. That's not the case anymore."

Smith was asked on the SEC teleconference Monday if he felt like he was having to keep the wolves at bay.

"Well, they're always out there," he said. "The only way you can keep them away is to win. Certainly losing four out of five doesn't help. But, you know, we've played some tough teams. Alabama and Tennessee and Vanderbilt are three of the tougher places to play in this league. We've been in the hunt. We just haven't been able to finish those games."

That was the case again this past Sunday. The Wildcats led Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium for all but the last 26 seconds. But a series of breakdowns in the final seconds, including the inability to rebound a missed Vandy free throw and a turnover on its final possession, led to Kentucky's demise.

"It's been one of those seasons where we felt good about things," said Smith, whose team is 0-6 against Top 25 opponents. "But it's just like the loss to Vanderbilt. We're just finding ways to lose instead of finding ways to win."

In all likelihood, the Wildcats will make their 16th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. But just making it into the NCAAs is not good enough at Kentucky.

"There's still work to do," Smith said. "... I think we're one of the top 64 teams in the country, certainly, yes. But we've got a lot of games to play and a lot of work to do before then."

Kentucky will get no sympathy from Georgia, which is trying to scratch and claw its way to its first NCAA bid since 2002. The Bulldogs (17-10, 8-6) already have beaten the Wildcats once this season, winning 78-69 in overtime in Athens.


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Q&A With Dennis Felton:
So I posed those very questions to Georgia coach Dennis Felton to see what he thinks about the situation.

See what y’all think …

Q: Do you think you’ve done enough to this point to warrant an NCAA tournament bid? A: No.

Q: Do you think a 9-7 SEC record should be good enough to get you in? A: Yes.

Q: Based on the strength of the league this year? A: Well, just based on everything. The strength of the league has something to do with it, but just the strength of our resume. We’d be 9-7 in the league and we’d have 18 wins against a good non-conference schedule. I’d think that puts us in. And we would have proved ourselves worthy all over again without Mike [Mercer]. All that.

Q: Do you believe a team with a lack of a recent NCAA tournament tradition would need to do something more to get noticed and get back into the minds of the committee members? A: The committee insists that is not the case. I have no way of telling you for sure. I don’t know because I’m not on the committee, but it insists that has nothing to do with anything.

Q: Do you think a win at Kentucky would be an attention-grabber? A: Absolutely.


FSU doesn't grant release to Warren

The freshman tight end wants to transfer to Tennessee.
By BOB THOMAS, The Times-Union
Florida State freshman tight end Brandon Warren, who left school Feb. 2 with the intention of transferring, will not be released from his scholarship by the school at this time.

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden confirmed the school's stance Tuesday regarding the Alcoa, Tenn., native, who has expressed his desire to transfer to nearby Tennessee.

Bowden, who returned to town this week, declined to comment on the matter, citing student privacy rights.

Warren made nine starts for the Seminoles as a freshman, collecting 28 receptions for 301 yards and a touchdown. It was the most productive season for an FSU tight end since Melvin Pearsall, who had 31 receptions for 326 yards and three touchdowns in 1997.

Teammates and school officials said Warren had been battling homesickness since his arrival at FSU. Late in the football season, Warren revealed that his mother, Deidre Warren, had undergone surgery to remove a cancerous kidney and that he would consider returning home to Tennessee at the end of the semester.

But Warren returned to school, only to leave less than a month into the semester. He has since withdrawn from school.

According to FSU compliance director Brian Battle, Warren can appeal, in writing, to gain his release. That appeal would be heard by a committee headed by faculty athletics representative Joe Beckham.

If the appeal is denied, Warren would be forced to pay his own way to a school of his choice and sit out one season.




Peace

TB