They played their final Southeastern Conference basketball game of the year in the University of Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday afternoon, the home team beating Florida 65-54 after trailing 14 in the opening half.
But was this comeback merely another Tennessee Tease, yet another example of why the Volunteers have become the Dr. J and Mr. Hide of SEC hoops?
Or is the Big Orange finally ready to become the NCAA tournament threat it has occasionally hinted it is when it isn’t playing as if it doesn’t deserve to reach March Madness?
We may somewhat know the answer to that this week, when the SEC tournament gets underway inside Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Having earned the No. 4 seed, the Vols won’t play until Friday, when they will face the winner of a second-round contest between Florida and the winner of Wednesday night’s Vanderbilt-Texas A&M game.
Win that one and the Vols will likely play top-seeded Alabama in a semifinal on Saturday, when we should begin to find out which Tennessee team – Dr. J or Mr. Hide – will reach the NCAA tournament the following week in Indianapolis.