Here’s a fun exercise for evaluating a sports team. Imagine if someone approached you the day before it started and asked you what the minimum result would be for you to be satisfied. For Tennessee basketball, entering the year with a No. 6 ranking meant the expectations were fairly high. Most would agree that Elite Eight was a very realistic goal, though a Sweet Sixteen appearance would not be a failure. Showing some sort of improvement from the previous season was essential. A Final Four—or even a championship appearance—were also on the table.
Yet here we are, sulking in misery two weeks after an overtime loss to a 3-seed, thanks in part to a bogus call.