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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

The Rearview
2008-03-26 03:38:00
In all the basketball talk the past couple of weeks, a strange thing occurred. Spring practice started. Doug and Justin were kind enough last week to give some perspective on key players going in to 08, and it seems they are pretty spot on, based on some of the early returns after a couple of practices. But in reading a few articles by Drew Edwards found on GoVolsxtra.com, I found a few excerpts that stood out to me.

The Halfcourt Trap
2008-03-22 04:14:00
The Halfcourt Trap Vol. I, No. 32. Ahead of an early flight to Birmingham, here are the Trap’s postseason awards and some news and notes. 1. Player Of The Year: Michael Beasley. I am amazed at the number of analysts who openly admit Beasley is the best player in America, then say they are voting for Tyler Hansbough. It’s akin to voting for Al Horford instead of Kevin Durant last season. It’s also illogical. Honorable Mention: Hansbrough, Chris Douglas Roberts, Kevin Love. 2. Coaches Of The Year: I could not, to my own satisfaction, choose between Keno Davis and Matt Painter. Thus, they share the title. What Davis accomplished is admirable, but Painter won big in a major conference with a team filled with freshmen and sophomores. Honorable Mention: John Calipari, Bruce Pearl, Jim Calhoun. 3. All Americans: Beasley, Hansbrough, CDR, DJ Augustin, Eric Gordon. Honorable Mention: DJ White, Kevin Love, Tyler Smith, Jamont Gordon, Shan Foster. 4. SEC Openings: The media h...

Guitar Shots To The Head: Behind The Curtain
2008-03-20 18:46:00
Just a few weeks ago the national media descended on Memphis to market what was the highest ranked regular season basketball game of the year. The media machine was in full force, and Tennessee and Memphis did not disappoint. If only for one night Tennessee (of all places in these United States) was the center of the basketball universe. Now one question remains. What were the members of the NCAA selection committee watching when all this was going on?
More About: Guitar , Shots , Head

The Rearview: 3/17
2008-03-18 02:39:00
But the bright spot is that today is also ?The Day of the Bracket?. Everyone frantically printing brackets and trying to figure out who is going to be this year?s George Mason. It really is a good time of year. For all those teams that made it through the long 30+ game regular season, now it?s just 6 to go.

The VolNation Interview with Charlie Spoonhour
2008-03-12 19:21:00
This edition of the VN Interview is one of my personal favorites. Charlie Spoonhour is one of the finest gentlemen in the game, as well as one of the sport’s sharpest observers. Thanks to UNLV SID Andy Grossman for helping facilitate the interview. Hope you enjoy. 1. On The MVC Finalists: Drake-”People spent all winter trying to figure out how they were doing it.” Coach Spoonhour stated that the Bulldogs have “better athletes”, especially on the perimeter, than most people assume. Illinois State-”I hope they get in. 2 1/2 months of good work shouldn’t be wiped out by a bad game in the final.” He was effusive in his praise of Tim Jankovich and Osiris Eldridge. 2. Top National Contenders: “Tennessee, Memphis, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Texas, and Kansas.” Coach Spoonhour said he has seen Tennessee “4 or 5 times” and is really impressed that they “play really hard and together.” 3. College Basketball&...

Guitar Shots to The Head: Green Light!
2008-03-11 05:22:00
Long before the SEC athletic directors realized the revenue potential of March Madness my grandfather sat me down and unwrapped the great mystery of sports in the south. Before soccer moms and the three point shot, in every southern state, save Kentucky, he explained to me that there were two sports that mattered. The first was football and the second was spring football.
More About: Guitar , Green , Shots , Light , Head

The Halfcourt Trap
2008-03-11 05:22:00
The Trap is preparing for a week spent glued to the conference tournament action that serve as the prelude to March Madness. Here's what's on my mind:
More About: Basketball

Five Vols to watch this spring
2008-03-09 00:18:00
As spring practice nears, football fans tend to salivate. Everybody wants to know about which player looks the best, which looks the worst and who's going to start. Well, here are some names to keep in mind. These are some guys that you can expect to hear a lot of good things about:
More About: Watch , Football , Spring

Tennessee vs. South Carolina preview
2008-03-07 23:59:00
Sunday will be senior day for three Tennessee Volunteers: Jordan Howell, Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith. The ceremony for these three will take place before the 2:00pm start, so be sure to get to Thompson Boling Arena early to show your support.
More About: Basketball , Preview , South , South Carolina

Tyler Smith and Dan Werner Video
2008-03-07 18:48:00
I see I'm not the only one who thought that was one mean look from Tyler Smith in Wednesday's game against Florida. I hadn't noticed that JaJuan Smith had a hold of Werner from behind, holding him back. That could have turned ugly.
More About: Video

Coffin?s Corner: March 6
2008-03-07 02:24:00
We are just a few days away from the beginning of Spring practice, which, for a lot of us, is the beginning of the football season. Daily practice reports, injuries, and endless speculation will begin the countdown to the greatest time of the year. Spring practice always provides promising news about our guys, so I'm going to list five kids who need to have great springs to help our chances in the fall.
More About: Football , Corner , March , Coffin

Vols are SEC Champions!
2008-03-06 07:39:00
After beating Florida 89-86 on Wednesday night, Bruce Pearl said it best when he reminded everyone that we are champions and fans should take the time to enjoy and appreciate what this team has accomplished. After all, these 'outright' championships don't come around often. It's been 41 years since the last one and you can never count on the next one coming any time soon.
More About: Champions

Tennessee Florida Preview
2008-03-04 21:33:00
Tennessee travels to Gainesville on Wednesday night looking to clinch at least a share of the SEC title with a victory. The Vols also have the opportunity to get their school record 27th win on the season. One more than the 1999-2000 team which finished 26-7 on the year.
More About: Basketball , Preview , Tennessee , Florida

The Halfcourt Trap 3/4
2008-03-04 07:19:00
The final week of regular season combat will find The Trap in New York for West Virginia-St. John's on Saturday and at TBA Sunday for Tennesse-South Carolina. I must commend the schedulemakers in college hoops. They've set up a tremendous close to conference hostilities. Here are six of the best storylines:

The Rearview: March 3rd, 2008
2008-03-04 01:44:00
Roy, I don?t know who Number 1 is either??..It?s fitting that my 2nd stab at this occurs the week No. 1 is in now in our rearview?..
More About: March , 2008

Guitar Shots to The Head: The Parallel Universe
2008-03-03 20:20:00
I can rest easier in Lexington today after the Vols held on to defeat the Cats Sunday in TBA. As always a win is a win, and like most of you I feel incredibly honored to watch this basketball team continue to make history. The fact that I now expect a win when the Wildcats visit Knoxville speaks volumes about how far our program has come.
More About: Basketball , Universe , Guitar , Shots , Head

Ernie Grunfeld honored and Vols win
2008-03-03 08:07:00
Sunday was a great day for Tennessee basketball. It was senior day for Chris Lofton, Tennessee's all time leading three point shooter. Ernie Grunfeld was in town having his #22 jersey retired and lifted to the rafters of Thompson Boling Arena. Former Vol greats Bernard King and Allan Houston were back in the arena to watch Tennessee play one of it's top Eastern Division rivals. And most importantly, Tennessee beat Kentucky 63-60.
More About: Basketball

Tennesee and Kentucky preview
2008-03-01 20:46:00
Some people feel as if this game has lost some of it's luster with the season ending injury to Patrick Patterson. But I believe no matter what the other circumstances may be, it's Tennessee and Kentucky with the SEC Championship on the line. This game is big and it's important for Tennessee to get back on the winning track after a tough loss to Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.
More About: Basketball , Preview

Guitar Shots to the Head: The Quotable Bruce Pearl
2008-02-26 21:41:00
I have been a Lexington resident for nearly eighteen years now. For the majority of that time entering the stretch run of the college basketball season meant only one thing. Listening to the pundits talk about where the Cats will be seeded. That was until Bruce Pearl picked up the Orange blazer.
More About: Basketball , Guitar , Shots , Head

The Rearview 2/26
2008-02-26 21:26:00
Greetings from the West Coast. As I flew in to Los Angeles last night, it was the first time I've ever seen smog at night. Though it is a nice break in the winter to enjoy some Southern California 70 degree weather in February, there's a part of me, wait, a large part of me that wants to be at home listening to, and reading, all the sure to be hoopla surrounding our basketball program
More About: Basketball

Tennessee and Vandy Preview
2008-02-26 07:01:00
It hardly seems possible that it could be time for the Vols to play another basketball game already. I've not had enough time to finish gloating over the win over Memphis and the #1 ranking in both polls.
More About: Basketball , Preview , Tennessee

Monday aftermath
2008-02-26 00:50:00
As you can imagine, there has been some great discussion and celebration posted in the message board today. Collectively, it may be the best mood I've seen around here in quite some time. I thought I would point out a few of the more interesting threads and links from the day.
More About: Basketball , Monday

The Halfcourt Trap 2/25
2008-02-25 21:00:00
The Trap hits Sin City for the crucial Mountain West tilt between UNLV and San Diego State, before returning to Knoxville for the renewal of hostilities between Tennessee and Kentucky. Here are this week's topics of hoops interest:
More About: Basketball

Tennessee and Memphis highlights
2008-02-24 22:18:00
Tennessee and Memphis highlights.
More About: Tennessee , Highlights

#1 in Tennessee and #1 in the nation
2008-02-24 06:50:00
Straight from the front page of ESPN.com.
More About: Tennessee , Nation , The Nation

Game On. Tennessee and Memphis.
2008-02-23 23:01:00
ESPN Game day is on site in Memphis and just about every major media outlet is talking about tonight's clash of #1 vs #2. Get ready for some Tennessee basketball.

The Halfcourt Trap
2008-02-21 20:46:00
This week the Trap is still coming to you from Knoxville, ahead of next week's quick trip to the spiritual homeland of Las Vegas. The preliminaries are over. Each team has essentially wrapped up their conference crown. It's time to let the ESPN hype machine wash over us all until 9 PM EST Saturday night. This game has about 1,220 storylines. Here are the six that intrigue me the most.

Guitar Shots to the Head: From Capitol Hill
2008-02-20 18:08:00
What do Bill Belichick, Roger Clemens and Phil Fulmer have in common? Right now all three have off the field problems that aren?t going away anytime soon. Between the tapes the drugs and the DUIs all three men find some of their lifetime achievements and their public perception being called into question. Oh, yeah, and one more thing. All three men have better approval ratings than the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.
More About: Guitar , Shots , Head , Hill , Capitol Hill

Guitar Shots to the Head: The Threshold of Hope
2008-02-13 01:19:00
The hat racks are getting full around here. In the near future this UT football program, and more notably the head coach and his crew may not have anything left to hang their hat on. In the last few years traditional team strengths that symbolized and defined the Volunteer football team are on the wane right now. It is one thing to have a poor season. Ceasing to do what you have historically “trademarked” is another thing altogether. A quick look at this football team will tell you exactly what I mean. The defensive line: no unit on the field is more accountable for stopping the spread than the DL. If they are getting blown off of the ball, there is little hope for the linebackers to use their athletic ability to make a play. For the last two years the Vols have had serviceable linemen. Demonte Bolden has shown glimpses of brilliance, but still takes plays off here and there. Defensive line struggles are a new, very ugly phenomenon for Phil and crew. The offensive line...
More About: Guitar , Shots , Hope , Head

The Halfcourt Trap
2008-02-12 07:39:00
The Halfcourt Trap Vol. I, No. 27 This week, The Trap makes a stop at the American Airlines Arena to check out AI and ‘Melo against the revamped Heat, then heads to Knoxville for the SEC showdown between Tennessee and John Pelhrey’s Hogs. Before I delve into the substance of this week’s column, congratulations are in order for two Trap favorites. Last week, Gary Williams won his 600th game and Tim Floyd collected career victory number 300. Well done, gentlemen. Now, on to this week’s topics: 1. Notre Dame and UCONN meet this week in a matchup of the two hottest teams in the Big East. The Irish won the battle in South Bend earlier this season. The winner here stays right on the heels of Georgetown for conference supremacy. 2. Memphis begins a very dangerous three game stretch against Houson Wednesday night. The Tigers’ battle against Tennessee on the 23rd is getting immense hype. However, if the Tigers fail to focus against the Cougars, or at UAB or Tula...