Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin, left, questions an official in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Xavier in Cincinnati.
Texas A&M’s Antwan Space is called for an offensive foul on Tennessee’s Armani Moore during the first half of their SEC game Saturday in College Station, Texas. The Aggies beat Tennessee for the second time this season on a long Space shot at the end of the game, this one in overtime.KNOXVILLE – With each frustrating loss by Tennessee’s basketball Volunteers this season, the grumbling from the fan base has increased in volume.
The Volunteers enter the penultimate week of the regular season with a 7-7 Southeastern Conference record and face an uphill climb to get an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, the program’s stated goal before the season, after Texas A&M completed a season sweep with an overtime win in College Station on Saturday.
While there is chatter regarding the job status of Cuonzo Martin, the Vols’ third-year coach said at his weekly news conference on Monday that he blocks it out.
“Don’t waste time and energy on it,” he said. “The next game presents itself. Move forward.
“Been doing it for years,” he continued. “For me, as a ballplayer and a coach, I’ve been consumed with what I need to do for years. If you put the work in, everything else takes care of itself. If it’s negative, I don’t consume myself with it.”