The CheckerBoard

Sadly, if he's bad next year, fans will start to chant about a return of Bruce Pearl... I don't agree with that, but you all know as we'll as I do that you can bank on it happening if next year isn't above average.

Well at least this is only the second time this week that we have barely been able to keep it watchable against a team that will struggle to make the tournament. And that defense that is used as a spin machine talking point every time we lose might as well put on a Notre Dame jersey

A lot of things happened to help us get to number 2 last year, including some help from other teams.

Right now we just look like a big number 2 on the court.

Yeah I agree but we also did beat Florida two times and almost ran them out of the "O" Dome and also be Vandy one out of two times. In any instance a win at Alabama and a win at Kentucky and nobody is saying anything negative. It just takes a couple good games to get you rolling in basketball.

Agree to disagree. I'm not saying Martin will be the guy long-term. He has to prove it, and like you always remind us, he hasn't done it yet. So I'm not trying to pump up Martin here.

I'm just saying, unless this team finishes at the bottom of the SEC next year, I see him getting at least four years. Here's my line of thinking.

- This isn't UNC or Duke where a three year tourny drought would be an embarrassment to the program. The Pearl era was an anomaly There will be a group of people who have higher expectations and less patience, but not like we have for UT football.
- Basketball is not the money-maker that football is. The athletic department can endure a few sub-par years in basketball and be ok.
- With a brand new football coach and a second year women's basketball coach, Dave Hart is not going to be jumping at the chance to fire another coach.

You're certainly entitled to want him to be fired. If we fall short next year with Maymon, Hubbs, and Stokes, then absolutely he will be on the hot seat and could be gone the following year. I'm just saying I can't see Hart doing it next year unless they are an absolute disaster on the court.

I think it's premature to talk about him being on the hot seat though it's troubling to see how we have regressed. Having Stokes, Hubbs, and Maymon playing together next year - I don't see a scenario where we don't make the tournament. As of now, 2/3 of those players are not playing now and we will be a totally different team when they are.

If we don't win with that kind of talent and a roster of primarily Martin's recruits? Thats a totally different story. But one that we will have to simply wait for.