Perserverence… The UT Mens Basketball Team

As the last-second desperation shot came up short and heads began to hang, I felt an overwhelming rush of gratitude for a group of young men who overcame adversity time after time in a season filled with highs and lows.

Lows coming in the form of the star player doing his best Lil (or little I guess) Wayne impersonation.  Toting handcannons and reefer on New Year’s eve in a speeding car with a teammate driving and two others in the back seat with an open bottle of liquor.  That’s four players if you’re keeping count.  All of whom saw significant amounts of game time.

Coach Pearl being left with no choice dismissed the star for the remainder of the season and levied multi-game suspensions for the rest.  Leaving him a cast of unknowns and walk-ons.

This all happening days before the number one team in the nation was to arrive in town for a little game of ball on the hill.  Unbeaten Kansas looked poised to take down all-comers this season.  Size, speed and a coach with X’s and O’s blessed on his soul, Kansas was hands down the best team to come to Knoxville in recent memory.

Under-manned and overwhelmed Tennessee looked as if it were going to be another sad victim on the way to Jayhawk glory.  The most strong-faithed Tennessee die-hards were throwing in the towel before the first whistle had even blown.  I mean this is a team of thugs, right?  Guns, weed and liquor.  This coach has lost control of his team they said.  Well they (myself being one of they) were wrong.  Coach Pearl is a wizard.  A leader of men.  A feild general in a three-ring circus known as college basketball.

Tennessee came out that Sunday afternoon with hearts as big as lions.  Hoosiers at it’s most climatic point didn’t have a thing on this holy day.  Walk-ons hitting from the perimeter like they had ice in their veins.  Twenty-two thousand strong watching as this group of young men showed us what the definition of perseverance truly is.  If your heart didn’t have that weird little nervous flinch during this game you weren’t human.  Or you were a Kansas fan which is the same thing.

Point being; UT-76  Kansas 68.

A great win at a very low point.  That is what it’s all about.  Young men stepping up and accepting responsibility at it’s highest level.  Taking pressure and making it just another word.  Giving every fan a reason to be proud even though four of their teammates embarassed the whole institution.  I’ve never been more proud of a basketball team in orange ever.

And then, low and behold, here comes Lane Kiffin and his staff of rats in what will go down as one of the lowest points in the University’s history.  Although I won’t go into that it was another moment of adversity. not just for the athletic department but for every Tennessee fan.  (ultimately it will be recognized as a blessing and we will celebrate his departure like we do St. Patrick’s day with lots of food and beer and talk of how we lucked out by USC calling him)

But coach Pearl kept his under-manned team focused and poised on what would be the most memorable season in Tennessee men’s basketball history.  An invitation to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season and an elite eight appearance for the first time in school history.

So as the last-second shot came up short and heads began to hang, I remembered that under-manned team that played David against Goliath and won.  The unknowns who are unknown no longer.  The seniors who led this team through the most unpredictable and memorable season ever.  And with my head held high I thank these young men for their hard work and the memories.     

Go Vols!

Article By: Eric Broadrick

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Posted by murfreesboronews on Mar 28 2010. Filed under Murfreesboro News, Murfreesboro Opinion, Murfreesboro Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.