Dane Bradshaw doesn't hesitate when asked to select the superior No. 1 Tennessee men's basketball team.
Now an analyst with the SEC Network, Bradshaw played everything from power forward to point guard during his four seasons with the Volunteers and was the lone senior on the 2006-07 team. He was a teammate of Chris Lofton, Wayne Chism and JaJuan Smith, who became the nucleus of the 2007-08 Vols who earned the first No. 1 ranking in program history.
The Vols were named No. 1 for a second time this week.
"It's a good question, but I've got to give the nod to this year's team," Bradshaw said. "Their consistency is just off the charts. I think people forget that the 2008 team had Tyler Smith eligible that year and J.P. Prince played well but that Chris Lofton didn't have the type of year he wanted to and rightfully so, because he was privately recovering from cancer treatments.
"Chris Lofton was not as good as a senior compared to his junior season, so when you put together the way this team is built compared to the 2008 team with an unhealthy Lofton, you've got to give the edge to this team."
The 2008 Vols had a short-lived stay at the top, following up their 66-62 victory at No. 1 Memphis with a 72-69 loss at No. 18 Vanderbilt. Tennessee would win the Southeastern Conference with a 14-2 record and was 31-4 overall before losing to Louisville in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
How would those Vols try to defeat these Vols, who are 16-1 overall and 5-0 in SEC play entering tonight's game at struggling Vanderbilt?
"They would like to speed the game up," said Bradshaw, who was a guest Tuesday of "Press Row" on Chattanooga's 105.1 FM. "They had plenty of shooters - the JaJuan Smiths and the Loftons - but they were a little unlike Bruce Pearl's earlier teams in that they didn't have to speed up and that they could win in other ways because of the length of Tyler Smith, J.P. Prince, Duke Crews and Wayne Chism.
"They could play the type of style as this year's team, but the quality of depth this year's team has and the way they get to the free-throw line and how they play for 40 straight minutes would make me go with this year's team."
While Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield continue to be the potent 1-2 punch that enabled Tennessee to share last year's SEC title with Auburn, this season's Vols, according to Bradshaw, are noticeably improved at point guard due to a more experienced Jordan Bone.
"Coming into this year, that was the biggest question mark I had with Tennessee," he said. "I wanted to be sold on him, but I had not seen enough to be sold on him. I actually picked Kentucky to win the league with John Calipari's success at point guard and the top-rated recruits they had coming in, but Jordan Bone has answered every question. He has learned how to manage the game better.
"It was sort of a blessing in disguise when Lamonte Turner, the sixth man and backup point guard, was injured earlier in the year. Rick Barnes is very tough on his point guards, and when Jordan Bone didn't have to look over his shoulder after making a mistake and had to play 30 to 32 minutes a game, I think he gained more confidence, and Rick Barnes gained more confidence in him."
Bradshaw believes Kentucky will be Tennessee's chief challenger in the race for this year's conference crown and that the SEC may not match its eight NCAA tournament representatives from last March. Where Bradshaw believes the SEC can thrive more compared to a year ago is in the NCAA event itself, adding that Tennessee, Kentucky, Auburn and LSU are capable of deep runs.
Though Bradshaw cherishes the time he spent with those who first took Tennessee to the top, he does look back at that time with humor as well.
"I was the only player who left the 2007 team, and then they get to No. 1," he said. "You want to be missed a little bit."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.