People Like Big T Forget That Tennessee Is A Massive Failure Of A Basketball Program With Absolute Zero Success

So tomorrow is obviously Kentucky at Tennessee and because of that we had Big T write a blog about how great Rick Barnes is at coaching. I like Big T. He's a man who likes to gamble, he likes the SEC, he's a company guy, but it got me thinking, that wow, he really has done a lot at Tennessee. I mean not everyone can fail massively like he did last year during Tennessee's dream season - the same team that didn't win the SEC, didn't make it past the Sweet 16 and was the same old song and dance. 

Tennessee is a massive failure of a basketball program with zero success. Look at this: 

I'm sorry, but where are the Final Fours? There has to be one, right? Wait, you're telling me there's just ONE Elite Eight appearance in the entire history of Tennessee basketball? The same Tennessee that's the biggest school in the state with a massive recruiting base? The same Tennessee that had the likes of Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, Bernard King, Ernie Grunfeld, Allan Houston, Tobias Harris, Dale Ellis, Josh Richardson, CJ Watson, etc. The point being they've had plenty of players, they just fail as a program time after time after time after time. 

Take a look even more. One banner in a decade? A regular season conference championship when the SEC plays an unbalanced schedule? It's a good thing Tennessee fans are jazzed up about Rick Barnes because the majority of other major programs would consider this an embarrassment. 

And I'm used to this. Fans like Big T and programs like Tennessee like to take their shots at big, bad Kentucky. That's what happens when Kentucky is the gold standard of college hoops. That's what happens when they have more wins in the history of the game than anyone else to go with 8 titles and 17 Final Fours. People dream of being Kentucky. Kentucky is 155-73 against Kentucky. Frankly, I'm surprised it's even that close. 

As for tomorrow, it's all about one thing. Ashton Hagans needs to eat up Santiago Vescovi. Hagans has struggled the last few games and this is a prime chance for him to take advantage against a freshman and a team that turns the ball over on 20% of possessions. Hagans needs to create some free points early getting the steals and then just control the game. This Tennessee team stinks - shocking, I know. 

As always - fuck Rocky Top forever.