Vols look to be in but need to recover from late stumble

KNOXVILLE — Two weeks ago, I think most University of Tennessee men’s basketball coaches, players and fans would have taken a 3-1 record in the Volunteers’ final four regular-season games.

So, from that standpoint, the Vols took care of business.

But the loss was Alabama.

At home.

That’s no typo.

Yes, the Vols followed their best stretch this season — a home win against Mississippi State, and victories at Florida and South Carolina — by stinking up Thompson-Boling Arena in Sunday’s loss to the Crimson Tide.

No offense to the Tide, who are playing much better the past few weeks, but UT shouldn’t have lost that game on its own floor. And it will cost the Vols, who probably need two wins in this week’s Southeastern Conference tournament to get back where they were — fighting for a top-five seed in the NCAA tournament.

UT’s No. 23 RPI, No, 2 strength of schedule and overall body of work virtually ensures a single-digit NCAA seed, but the Vols might have forced themselves into a nightmare second-round scenario against a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. That game could very well be played in close proximity to the campus of the higher seed, too.

Then again, the Vols could refocus, run through the SEC tournament and put themselves in position for a nice NCAA run. Who knows what to expect from them at this point, though? Coach Bruce Pearl admittedly doesn’t. And if not him, then who?

Here’s a silver lining for the last weekly addition of the “Bubble Watch” blog: The SEC tournament is in Tampa this season, which means it’s not in Atlanta, which probably means the Vols have a better chance to succeed.

The Georgia Dome won’t be a House of Horrors, as it’s been for both UT basketball teams and the football Vols for 10-plus years.

If you don’t think the Georgia Dome gods have cursed UT, remember what happened when the Vols beat South Carolina in a quarterfinal last season. A tornado ripped through downtown Atlanta hours later and rocked the Dome, ripping holes in the roof and spitting metal projectiles near the court (and inches from my head) during the Alabama-Mississippi State game. If the Georgia Dome gods don’t get the Vols, they’ll torment the masses.

The tournament moved to Georgia Tech, where the Vols were promptly upset by Arkansas in a thrilling semifinal. Traditional order was restored, and UT unhappily bussed back to Knoxville.

Several UT teams have fared better in Tampa. The Vols split two Outback Bowls, and they’d have been 2-0 if not for Arian Foster’s fourth-quarter, goalline fumble in 2007. The Lady Vols basketball team won its eight national championship last year on the same St. Pete Times Forum floor that will host this week’s men’s tournament.

Anyway, here is this week’s bubble breakdown:

Resume in brief

RECORD = 19-11, 10-6 Southeastern Conference.

POLLS = Unranked.

RPI = No. 23 (out of 343 teams), RealtimeRPI.com

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE = No. 2.

KEN POMEROY RANKING = No. 38.

Great wins (top 25 RPI)

No. 24 Siena (neutral site)

Good wins (26-75 RPI)

No. 30 Marquette (neutral site)

No. 49 Georgetown (neutral site)

No. 50 South Carolina

No. 48 Florida

at No. 48 Florida

at No. 50 South Carolina

OK losses (top 75 RPI)

No. 34 Gonzaga (neutral site)

at No. 40 Temple

at No. 8 Kansas

No. 34 Gonzaga

No. 7 Memphis

No. 37 LSU

at No. 64 Auburn

Bad losses (sub-75 RPI)

No. 80 Kentucky

at No. 81 Ole Miss

at No. 80 Kentucky

No. 111 Alabama

Terrible losses (sub-150 RPI)

(none)

Mediocre wins (sub-75 RPI)

No. 190 UTC

No. 145 UT-Martin

at No. 171 Middle Tennessee State

No. 200 UNC Asheville

No. 125 Belmont

No. 263 Louisiana-Lafayette

at No. 188 Georgia

at No. 85 Vanderbilt

at No. 143 Arkansas

No. 188 Georgia

No. 85 Vanderbilt

No. 83 Mississippi State

On the horizon

SEC tournament (quarterfinal vs. No. 85 Vanderbilt or No. 111 Alabama)

Bracket projections

Joe Lunardi, ESPN.com — No. 6 seed, West Regional

Andy Glockner, SI.com — No. 8 seed, South Regional

Frank Burlison, FoxSports.com — No. 7 seed, East Regional

Jerry Palm, CollegeRPI.com — No. 6 seed, West Regional

Read Tuesday’s Times Free Press for more UT coverage, and e-mail Wes Rucker at wrucker@timesfreepress.com.