Man how times have changed.

I’m perusing the sports page this morning and see that the Wildcats were involved in an upset last night. Only they were the unranked slobs pulling off the upset against No. 24 Tennessee 92-72 at Knoxville.

Tennessee? Men’s basketball? Being upset? This is supposed to be a football school.

Coach Bruce Pearl has done a great job in turning the Volunteers (10-4) into one of the top teams in the Southeast Conference and the nation. Last season after a two-day stint at No. 1, there was even talk about a national championship.

Kentucky (13-4) on the other hand has struggled since winning the school’s last national championship under Tubby Smith in 1998. The Wildcats, with seven national titles and have been a NCAA tournament and top 25 fixture since the 1930’s, have fallen off the map in recent years.

The win against Tennessee was impressive and may be a sign of normalcy as the Wildcats try to regain its national swagger.

Junior guard Jodie Meeks scored 54 points, breaking Dan Issel’s 39-year-old school record of 53 in the win.

Man. Talk about your Bizaro World. Tennessee is now a men’s basketball power while its traditional national power football team struggles and loses to teams like UCLA.

Kentucky basketball is down and the football team is playing in bowl games every year now.

What’s next? The Arizona Cardinals going to the Super Bowl?

Post from: EveryJoe

Things sure have changed at Kentucky and Tennessee

From the Associated Press via ESPN.com.

I’ve already ordered a t-shirt.

Team manager starts ‘Outlive’ program

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Former Tennessee guard Chris Lofton quietly went through cancer treatments during his senior season last year, while forward Tyler Smith’s father died from complications of lung cancer.

Brooks Savage saw how cancer affected his teammates and wanted to do something about it.

So the Vols’ graduate manager came up with the business plan for Tennessee’s “Outlive” program, a drive to raise money to support cancer programs and screenings, and showed it to Tennessee director of basketball operations Ken Johnson.

Now with help from coach Bruce Pearl, the school is selling Outlive T-shirts for $15 each at Knoxville-area sporting goods stores and at UTsports.com to raise money for cancer prevention programs at the University of Tennessee Medical Center Cancer Institute.

More than $10 from each sale will go toward the programs and screenings.

“I just kind of came up with this idea after being inspired by those stories,” Savage said, “and just felt this was a good way for the people in our program and our community to make a difference.”

Pearl is hoping fans who come to the Florida game on Jan. 31 will wear the shirt, giving the Vols’ arena a whiteout effect during the nationally televised game.

“We want to encourage our Tennessee fans to really step up like they always have, and I think we can make a great statement on Jan. 31 to the nation and do an awful lot of good here at home with the awareness that this thing is going to create,” Pearl said.

Lofton’s testicular cancer was discovered during a routine drug test required by the NCAA and caught early enough that, with treatment, he made a full recovery.

In 2008, the American Cancer Society estimated that more than 1.4 million new cases of cancer would be diagnosed in the U.S. and 560,000 people would die.

“The way to most quickly and easily improve those statistics is by early screening and prevention, and that’s what this is about,” said Dr. Dan Green, a radiation oncologist at UT Medical Center.

Post from: EveryJoe

Vols Start Program To Outlive Cancer

Pearl is another very good if not great coach who got the raise and promotion he deserves. He led his team to the number one ranking last season (although it lasted as long as it did to write this post). Tennessee won the South Eastern Conference and reached the regional semifinals. The Tennessee men’s program still has a long way to go, but it is starting to come out of the shadows of its better-known women’s program.

I hate beating a dead horse, but remember, this is the same Bruce Pearl who all but accepted the Indiana University job in April. He even called it his “Dream Job,” and now he accepts an extension to stay at Tennessee?

According to reports, “should Pearl, 48, leave Tennessee in the next year, his buyout would cost $2.5 million – a figure that will decrease incrementally over the next four years to $1 million.”

I just don’t get Athletic Directors and university presidents who lock coaches into long term contracts when the lure of better jobs and the NBA is as strong as it is to the players they coach.

Post from: EveryJoe

Now It’s Bruce Pearl’s Turn

It was nothing that simple.

Tennessee’s Lofton quietly faced and beat cancer

A few days after the 06/07 season, Lofton was diagnosed with testicular cancer. A secretive surgery was planned. Besides some family members, the Tennessee coaching and training staff and a few select others, nobody knew. Not a single teammate knew about his cancer until towards the end of the 07/08 season. Lofton wanted the season to be excuse free. He felt it was better for the team to be that way.

The often weak and energy-less Lofton still managed to go for 15.5ppg last year. However Chris and the coaching staff were continually hit with questions as to why he was struggling, why he was a little off.

But the few all knowing did their job.

Props to all of the people who respected Lofton’s wishes. Not an easy thing to do I assume, whether you’re the coach, the trainer or a family member.

Lofton is now cancer free and back on the road to regaining his basketball prowess he had prior to his senior year.

As for Lofton’s NBA aspirations…

Don’t count on Lofton’s name to be called on draft night.

Don’t count on him to give cancer as an excuse.

Do count on him to play in the NBA one day.

Post from: EveryJoe

Chris Lofton’s victory