Episode 157: No. 1 Vols still chasing history

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a week that featured double-digit wins over Missouri and Florida and the challenging stretch run coming in the next few weeks. Saturday’s 73-61 win over Florida extended Tennessee’s program-record winning streak to 18 games, and the Vols controlled most of the game — as they did in Tuesday’s win over former Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin and his Missouri Tigers. There’s plenty of Tennessee basketball to discuss at the moment, and this episode hits on several of those important topics: Yves Pons’ injury and the timetable for his return, the strong play of junior guards Jordan Bone and Jordan Bowden, Tennessee’s businesslike mentality, the Vols’ room for growth, Tennessee’s improving defense and the Vols’ tough four-week schedule to end the regular season. As well as Tennessee has played so far this season, Kentucky and LSU are still only one game behind the Vols in the standings. And Tennessee still has three games against those two teams, with two coming on the road. The Vols also road trips to face Auburn and previously-ranked Ole Miss, and a previously-ranked Mississippi State visits Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee’s best basketball is still ahead of it, according to coach Rick Barnes, and the Vols probably need to take things up a notch in order to secure a second consecutive SEC championships. But how important is the SEC championship when you’re also firmly in the mix for an national title? That’s an interesting question, and it’s also tossed around in this episode