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UT looks to show doubters they deserve No. 2 seeding
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
GREENSBORO, N.C. Dane Bradshaw's mother left a message on his answering machine earlier this week that probably summed up what every Tennessee basketball fan was thinking before the season.
"She just said, 'I remember when you thought you might never get to the NCAA Tournament, so enjoy it,' " Bradshaw recounted.
Not only are the Vols here, but they're a No. 2 seed.
Imagine the money you could have made in Las Vegas had you made that bet back in November.
"I don't think it's a surprise to us," senior point guard C.J. Watson said. "We knew we were good enough to be here. I don't know if we knew we were good enough to be a 2 seed. But we knew going into the season that we were good enough to go to the tournament."
The debate over Tennessee's surprising No. 2 seed won't go away, and the Vols' players seem to be soaking up every bit of it.
"We've been hearing a lot of stuff about how we're the weakest No. 2 seed ever, just a whole bunch of stuff," Watson said. "That's just going to give us more motivation to go out there and win the game."
The truth is that a No. 2 seed three weeks ago wouldn't have raised as many eyebrows. The Vols were coming off a thrilling win at Florida and were sporting a 10-1 record in the SEC.
The only problem is that they haven't been the same since.
"My message to this team has been simple: Let the chips fall where they may and go be that team that won at Texas, won at Kentucky and won at Florida," Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl said. "I know it's still there. Let's see it."
The Vols (21-7) face a No. 15-seeded Winthrop team today at 1:40 p.m. in the first round that is anything but happy just to be here.
This is Winthrop's sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament in eight seasons under Coach Gregg Marshall, and the Eagles (23-7) have yet to advance.
They feel like this might be their best chance yet.
"There's no doubt in our minds that we can play with the best teams in the country if we play well," said Marshall, interviewed for the UT coaching job when Buzz Peterson was hired in 2001.
The Winthrop players are well aware that a growing list of prognosticators are picking them to pull off the upset, which would be only the fifth time since the tournament expanded in 1985 that a No. 15 seed had beaten a No. 2 seed.
Sophomore point guard Chris Gaynor says the game will come down to the final five minutes.
"I don't think the Tennessee coaching staff looks at it as a 2 vs. 15," Gaynor said. "It's pretty much a 7 vs. 8 or something like that."
The Vols averaged 81.3 points this season, but the last time they scored 80 or more was a 105-89 win over Auburn on Feb. 15.
The Eagles have led the Big South Conference in defense all eight seasons Marshall has been there. They allowed more than 80 points only once this season, and that came in a 98-97 double-overtime victory over Northern Illinois.
"We've got to be physical, create some offense with our defense and keep them off the boards," said Pearl, whose club has struggled in its half-court defense.
The Vols aren't taking for granted being a part of the NCAA Tournament.
But the Vols also don't want to be remembered as the team that overachieved all season long, only to whiff in the postseason. Their 79-71 loss to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament last Friday was their worst effort of the season.
"We're really enjoying this whole experience, but we're not looking at it as a vacation," Bradshaw said. "If we really want to enjoy it, we'll win a few games and go down in history."
By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer
GREENSBORO, N.C. Dane Bradshaw's mother left a message on his answering machine earlier this week that probably summed up what every Tennessee basketball fan was thinking before the season.
"She just said, 'I remember when you thought you might never get to the NCAA Tournament, so enjoy it,' " Bradshaw recounted.
Not only are the Vols here, but they're a No. 2 seed.
Imagine the money you could have made in Las Vegas had you made that bet back in November.
"I don't think it's a surprise to us," senior point guard C.J. Watson said. "We knew we were good enough to be here. I don't know if we knew we were good enough to be a 2 seed. But we knew going into the season that we were good enough to go to the tournament."
The debate over Tennessee's surprising No. 2 seed won't go away, and the Vols' players seem to be soaking up every bit of it.
"We've been hearing a lot of stuff about how we're the weakest No. 2 seed ever, just a whole bunch of stuff," Watson said. "That's just going to give us more motivation to go out there and win the game."
The truth is that a No. 2 seed three weeks ago wouldn't have raised as many eyebrows. The Vols were coming off a thrilling win at Florida and were sporting a 10-1 record in the SEC.
The only problem is that they haven't been the same since.
"My message to this team has been simple: Let the chips fall where they may and go be that team that won at Texas, won at Kentucky and won at Florida," Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl said. "I know it's still there. Let's see it."
The Vols (21-7) face a No. 15-seeded Winthrop team today at 1:40 p.m. in the first round that is anything but happy just to be here.
This is Winthrop's sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament in eight seasons under Coach Gregg Marshall, and the Eagles (23-7) have yet to advance.
They feel like this might be their best chance yet.
"There's no doubt in our minds that we can play with the best teams in the country if we play well," said Marshall, interviewed for the UT coaching job when Buzz Peterson was hired in 2001.
The Winthrop players are well aware that a growing list of prognosticators are picking them to pull off the upset, which would be only the fifth time since the tournament expanded in 1985 that a No. 15 seed had beaten a No. 2 seed.
Sophomore point guard Chris Gaynor says the game will come down to the final five minutes.
"I don't think the Tennessee coaching staff looks at it as a 2 vs. 15," Gaynor said. "It's pretty much a 7 vs. 8 or something like that."
The Vols averaged 81.3 points this season, but the last time they scored 80 or more was a 105-89 win over Auburn on Feb. 15.
The Eagles have led the Big South Conference in defense all eight seasons Marshall has been there. They allowed more than 80 points only once this season, and that came in a 98-97 double-overtime victory over Northern Illinois.
"We've got to be physical, create some offense with our defense and keep them off the boards," said Pearl, whose club has struggled in its half-court defense.
The Vols aren't taking for granted being a part of the NCAA Tournament.
But the Vols also don't want to be remembered as the team that overachieved all season long, only to whiff in the postseason. Their 79-71 loss to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament last Friday was their worst effort of the season.
"We're really enjoying this whole experience, but we're not looking at it as a vacation," Bradshaw said. "If we really want to enjoy it, we'll win a few games and go down in history."
