KNOXVILLE – The Tennessee basketball teams could use a litmus test to see where they stand.
This afternoon, each program has one.
The seventh-ranked Tennessee men are in Phoenix to face top-ranked Gonzaga in the Jerry Colangelo Classic, tipping off at 3 p.m. EST at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Two hours earlier, the ninth-ranked Lady Vols face 12th-ranked Texas in Austin.
Both Tennessee teams are coming off lackluster victories with things to fix. The Lady Vols (7-0) fell behind by 20 in the second half Wednesday in what was expected to be a virtual cakewalk against Stetson, a Women’s National Invitation Tournament team last season that came to Knoxville with one win – over an NAIA program.
Tennessee rallied for a 65-55 victory but again displayed inconsistency and carelessness with the ball. The young team also had a second-half deficit against UAB before winning in overtime.