Wiedmer: Vols not done just yet

Tennessee's Devon Baulkman (34), Derek Reese (23), and others cheer during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Auburn in the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, March 9, 2016. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Tennessee's Devon Baulkman (34), Derek Reese (23), and others cheer during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Auburn in the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, March 9, 2016. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
photo Mark Wiedmer
NASHVILLE - If Holy Cross can do it, why not Tennessee?

In case you missed it while you were watching the Volunteers obliterate Auburn 97-59 in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament on Wednesday night, Holy Cross went from a 5-13 Patriot League regular-season mark that included zero road wins to four straight road wins in the league tourney, capped by a victory over Lehigh in Wednesday's conference title game.

So the Crusaders - whose overall record is 14-19 - are automatic qualifiers to the NCAA tournament, which means the Vols (who currently stand 14-18 overall) only need four more performances like the Auburn game to join Holy Cross in the Big Dance.

As the late, great Harry Caray might say, Holy Cow.

Not that the Big Orange Nation should necessarily start planning for an extended stay in the Music City, despite the brilliance of the Vols' opening win.

In fact, by the time you read this UT's season could be done, since its reward for terrorizing the toothless Tigers that ended after 10 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday night was to return to Bridgestone today for a mid-afternoon tip against Vanderbilt.

For those with short memories, the Vols lost at home to Vandy by 14 points in January with since-injured leading scorer Kevin Punter still averaging 34 minutes and 22 points a night. Without Punter at Vandy, UT fell by 17 points just nine days ago.

But despite entering this game on a four-game losing skid, the Big Orange looked anything but lost or defeated against Auburn and former UT coach Bruce Pearl.

They jumped to leads as high as 22 points, then went to the locker room at halftime with a 44-25 advantage. Less than eight minutes into the second half that lead had swelled to 66-33.

And thanks to the SEC's wise decision to make the game a general-admission affair with tickets discounted to $15 each, the crowd was not only close to 10,000 (9,787), but predominantly UT Orange and vocal. It was surely the best opening-night crowd since the league expanded to 14 teams four years ago and the tourney format grew to five days.

But however loudly and lustily "Rocky Top" roared through the crowd, it couldn't top the music being played out on the court by this UT team that has seemingly instantly morphed - for at least one night - from Vanishing Vols to Vaporizing Vols.

There were the 22 points, four rebounds and five assists from iron man Armani Moore, who has remained the one player Rick Barnes has been able to count on for all 32 games to date.

But there were also 17 points off the bench from Detrick Mostella. And 16 from Devon Baulkman. And 12 from freshman Admiral Schofield.

And all of it couldn't help but make you wonder how this team could lose four straight - even without Punter - when it had earlier come from 21 down to beat Kentucky, bludgeoned LSU, whipped Florida and thumped South Carolina.

Is there a tougher team with a losing record to figure out than Tennessee?

"We're capable of scoring points," first-year head coach Rick Barnes said. "We've proven that in the past."

But the Vols hadn't done much of anything in their past four games after beating LSU in the first contest after Punter was lost for the season. Those four straight defeats came by an average of 17.5 points.

Yet they have succeeded in March before. Just two years ago they reached the Sweet 16.

"I thought back to my sophomore year, when we made the tournament," said senior Derek Reese of that 2014 run. "I wanted to experience that one more time."

They're guaranteed to experience at least one more game, even if the Vanderbilt tip was scheduled to start but 16 hours after the Auburn game ended.

Said Barnes of today and beyond, "It's really about how long you want to continue to play."

Judging by the Auburn game, the Vols would like to continue playing quite a while longer.

Maybe long enough to meet Holy Cross in Dayton, Ohio, in a play-in game.

Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.

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