The CheckerBoard

If only this headline applied to football... I guess will have to do for now. Ha!

Agreed. It was the best game I've ever been too. Great effort and great crowd, except for the four older people behind. I don't think they stood or ever uncrossed there arms.

Great win. Wish I could have been there, but having to get at 4:30a it just wasn't possible. I felt like going down the stretch in these last 4 games, they could afford to lose 1 and still have a shot at the touney if they made a good showing in the SECs. I still think that to be true, but I believe now that this team could possibly run the table. Wed night won't be easy as UGA beat us on our home floor and has confidence that they can beat us. Win out, secure a top 4 seed in the SEC tourney and win 1 or 2 games there, this team will be in the NCAAs

I missed out on my treadmill run, only logged 7 miles..The Vols sure picked up the pace though..Great win, and don't look now UT just showed up on the NCAA tourney radar...GBO!!

We owe GA. Let's get em on Sat.

It's hard to believe this is the same team that I was watching early in the year and was literally pulling my hair out at the way they played!!
GREAT improvement no doubt. This is the way I expected them to play all year.
Let's win out and we will give someone a run for their money in the NCAA's. Watching other teams in other conferences you see the difference in SEC defense's.

GO BIG ORANGE!

On McRae as first team All-SEC, I agree with Wes that he pretty much has to be at this point. Not sure there are 4 players playing better than him in the conference. Plus, no disrespect to him, but the SEC is lacking in star power since UK has been down so that helps his chances too (Noel probably would have been if he wasn't injured).

On first team you probably have some combination of Marshall Henderson, Caldwell-Pope, Pressey, Elston Turner, Releford, McRae, maybe even Stokes. I'm probably forgetting someone, but bottom line is that there's not really a lot of consensus first-teamers at this point, so if the Vols finish at this pace I could see one and maybe two of them getting first team.

Sometimes, yes. The AP is a little stricter on that, but the coaches All-SEC team is all over the place. Look at last year's first team from the coaches. 8 players - only 1 true point guard and only two post players. 5 wings/shooting guards. If McRae doesn't slip in to an 8 player first team, it would be a crime.

Bradley Beal, Florida
Kenny Boynton, Florida
Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
Dee Bost, Mississippi State
Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State
John Jenkins, Vanderbilt
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt

The "true starting five" first team might actually help Stokes make it though. There's not a lot of great post players in the SEC this year with Noel out, and it would be hard to deny the league's leading rebounder.

I made sure to wear every orange piece of clothing I could find today