Tennessee basketball: Vols season was a disappointment not a failure

Despite ending in heart-breaking fashion, the 2018-19 Tennessee basketball team accomplished a lot. The season shouldn’t be considered a failure.

The 2018-19 Tennessee basketball season is over, and the NCAA Tournament is still moving on with four teams still fighting for a national championship. This isn’t the way the Vols historic season was supposed to end. Tennessee is just as good as any other team in the country, right? They should be playing for a Final Four, not Bruce Pearl and Auburn.

Anyone that calls this season a failure is merely wrong. Was it a disappointing end? Sure. But, to consider the season as a failure is beyond incorrect.

Expectations were high. Maybe too high after looking back on the season.

Tennessee had the experience, returning six of their seven top scorers from a season ago. Plus everyone thought that Yves Pons and John Fulkerson would deliver better minutes, which in my opinion they did. With all that, the Vols were ready to prove the nation wrong once more.

After spending a month at number one in the country, granted they were beating up on horrible teams, everyone thought Tennessee has a legitimate shot at winning a championship. While I won’t disagree, I had the Vols in my Final Four; they didn’t beat anyone worth mentioning in two months of basketball.

That surely stunned the growth of the team. Not being tested by tournament teams for nearly two months is not ideal for winning basketball late in the season. In fact, that could be the reason Gonzaga never wins a national championship.

Then came Selection Sunday where Tennessee received a two seed in the South Region; a region that didn’t look particularly hard. Vol fans could all but taste the crisp spring air of Minneapolis. But, as you know, the Vols couldn’t get past Purdue in a fantastic Sweet 16 battle.

Here is a question to sum up the season. Do you view the 2007-08 season as a failure?

The 2018-19 Vols ended the season with a total of 31 wins which ties a program record that was set by the 2007-08 squad. In fact, the two seasons have more in common.

Both teams started out on fire. The 2007-08 squad reached 25-2 before losing to Vanderbilt on February 26. This year’s team was 23-1 before dropping five of their 13 games of the season.

Both teams reached the number one ranking in the country even if the 2007-08 team only held that spot for just a single game. And, unfortunately, both teams fizzled out in the Sweet 16.

There isn’t a single person that views the 2007-08 season as a failure. As a disappointment, sure. But, a failure? No. And, that’s precisely the way this season should be viewed.

There are roughly 350 Division 1 basketball teams and only 68 make the NCAA Tournament. And, only 16 teams make the Sweet 16. It’s always painful losing in heart-breaking fashion, but this season wasn’t a failure. In fact, it was far from it.