Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes (5) pulls down a rebound against Mississippi Starte in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Starkville, Miss., Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014.
SEC
Southeastern ConferenceKNOXVILLE – Tennessee’s basketball Volunteers boarded the bus to Atlanta for the Southeastern Conference tournament Wednesday afternoon riding a four-game win streak that includes the last three wins by a combined 93 points.
Yet they don’t have history on their side.
It’s been 35 years since Tennessee last won the event, when coach Don DeVoe and top scorer Reggie Johnson led the Vols to a 75-69 overtime win against Kentucky in 1979. It’s been a run of frustration, futility and quick exits for the Vols since that triumph in Birmingham.
This group is hoping to change that.
“We have to understand that our history is against us, because as Vols we normally don’t do good in the SEC tournament,” All-SEC post player Jarnell Stokes said before hopping on the bus. “I grew up as a Vol fan. I know that, so I definitely want to be the person to break history. That’s what I came here for.”