That was rough to watch. On Tuesday night, No. 1 Tennessee basketball traveled to Gainesville with a chance to send a statement against No. 8 Florida. To say things didn’t go according to plan would be a massive understatement. In the end, the Gators recorded a 30-point victory.
Following that 73-43 scoreline, it feels like the roof is caving in for a lot of Vols fans. The college basketball world as a whole is dunking on Rick Barnes and his players. Yes, it was an embarrassing loss for this team. Does it mean the season is over? Heck no.
1. Tennessee won’t be able to go on a deep postseason run
Again, what are we doing here? We all knew this day was going to come, as no one expected the Vols and Barnes to go undefeated this campaign. It would have been a dream come true, but UT supporters are also realistic – it’s a long season.
2. The Vols should have never been the No. 1 team in the country
Again, another joke. With the way the Auburn Tigers have been playing under Bruce Pearl this season, yes, they are no question a stellar squad and a threat to win the natty this season. However, Tennessee was 14-0 prior to the loss to Florida, while Auburn was 14-1.
Tennessee had every right to be the top team in the nation, as they were undefeated and were operating at such a high level. Auburn will surely take over No. 1 for the next rankings and Tennessee will take a dive. With that said, don’t come at us by saying the Vols should have never been at the top in the first place.
3. Tennessee sharpshooter Chaz Lanier is ‘overrated’
Give us a break here. In the loss to Florida, superstar playmaker Chaz Lanier, like everyone else on the floor in orange, had an off night. He finished with only 10 points, which not a lot of people were expecting leading up to this primetime SEC showdown.
Throughout the year, Lanier has been arguably the best player in the SEC and one of the top ballers in the country. He was coming off a season-high 29-point showing vs. Arkansas too. Now, though, countless people are bashing him and claiming he’s overrated. Yeah, that’s not the case at all.
