Recapping the journey for the 2008 UT men’s basketball team is a bittersweet enterprise. Pardon the clich’e, but when looking for an adequate comparison, “a roller coaster ride” is really the first thing that comes to mind. Somewhere between the elation of beating the number one team in country on their home court and the disappointment of the inability to make an Elite Eight appearance, optimistic fans have come to grips with the reality of our basketball program.
This team was very good when it played well, and average when it did not. On a hot shooting night, the Vols could play with anyone. When the shooting went cold, more often than not, the rebounding and the defense followed suit. In college basketball world that is the malady of most teams on the cusp of elite status.
In a tourney where four have proven themselves as unanimous elites, there is a common thread among those particular teams. They all have something they consistently do well, even on poor shooting nights. Bruce Pearl would be well served to pay attention to that fact.
Going into his fourth year, Bruce is no longer saddled by the remnants of the Buzz Peterson regime. When he hits the court next year, he will do so with “his players”. It will be a team full of athletes recruited to suit his up-tempo style of basketball. That should equate to having more playmakers that can create their own shots and fewer defensive liabilities.
There is no doubt that Bruce is just what the doctor ordered for the Knoxville faithful. Part snake oil salesman and part coach, Bruce has resurrected a dead program. He is the Don King of the college basketball world. The fans are interested, the team is fun to watch, and the expectations are sky high. The disappointment over a sweet sixteen loss is very telling in that regard.
Pearl has created these wonderful expectations. Unfortunately for Pearl a coach cannot simply “self promote” a team to a Final Four. After three years of the thrill ride, it is time for the salesman to continue maturing as a college basketball coach. He has the ability, he has the talent, and hopefully he has a plan.
Bruce Pearl may not be the greatest thing since sliced bread. There are a even few active coaches that may have gotten more out of the Vol’s basketball team this year, but I do think this team is still on the assembly line. Maybe in 2009 we will see the “perfect beast”. Perhaps next year we will all bear witness to a basketball team that has stabilizing guard play, and the talent to survive and thrive even on poor shooting nights. If so, when March Madness begins again the Volnation just might be celebrating its first trip to the Final Four.
2 responses to “Guitar Shots To The Head: Building the Perfect Beast”
Lex, another FANTASTIC read. Can I deduce that you would feel offended if a co-fan used CBP’s resume to discredit his worth as a coach?
Not at all Breaker. I do think an elite coach could have gotten more out of the talent on this team.
The reality of the situation is that this is Tennessee, and Pearl’s promoting is a necessary ingredient for the typical Tennessee fan’s involvement in the program.
You have to give him tons of cred for beating Memphis, but you also have to give a realistic assessment of his ability to prepare a team for tournament play. A 19 point loss in the sweet 16 should be considered a setback. His resume requires a deeper tourney run. I think he has it in him.