Ray Glier

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - We know enough about North Carolina to consider the Tar Heels worthy of the Final Four, as long as Ty Lawson comes back healthy.

Kansas, we’re figuring, will be in range of the national championship, too.

Duke is back to being Duke and UCLA has a superstar in Kevin Love to go with solid parts.

There are challengers galore coming in from the margins and saddling up for a ride to San Antonio: K-State, Louisville, UConn.

But what of the two teams in Tennessee, Memphis and the Vols, who play each other Saturday as 1 vs. 2?

They are captivating ball clubs that will worry your team in March. But how much should you worry lined up against these guys?

You should worry, but you shouldn’t fear.

You can argue all you want that Tennessee is legit, but the Vols have a significant flaw and it is half-court defense. You can argue all you want for Memphis, but the Tigers have a significant flaw and it is shooting.

Tennessee vs. Memphis is 1 vs. 2, but it is not necessarily a national championship preview.

The Vols can look disinterested in half-court defense. It’s their style, I guess. They get it and go. It’s as if defense gets in the way of the fun.

Florida shot 54 percent from the field against UT and still got thumped by 22 points, 104-82, which shows how remarkable the Vols are with the ball.

It also showed how unremarkable Tennessee is defending the dribble, which is what Memphis does very well. Again and again, Florida kept running high-ball screens with the center and it always created dilemmas on the backside for the Vols.

Gator guards wheeled to the basket for a layup or dished to forward Marreese Speights who had 23 points, nine above his average.

I’m impressed with Tennessee, but I have to kick the tires.

Florida beat up the Vols’ press, too. The Gators handle the ball better than the national champions of a year ago and they managed some easy shots in transition.

No. 2 Tennessee is not a fake. It is off to the best start in school history because it has depth and coach Bruce Pearl really knows his stuff and should not be styled as a circus act above basketball coach.

Tennessee is going to make a run at the national title, but I want to see a succession of stops in hand-to-hand battle inside the two-minute mark before I’m sold. Help on the drive should not arrive as the ball is being laid off the glass.

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Even Tennessee’s JaJuan Smith said after the Florida game that half-court defense is the weakest part of Tennessee’s game.

Of course, the Vols could just out-score you, and the hell with defense.

Tyler Smith, a transfer who plays the power forward, but wheels and deals like a small forward, goes for 13 a game and has an NBA future. Chris Lofton shoots, JaJuan Smith scores, and points come in a hurry.

Tennessee can play 12 guys and run at you and wear you down. Florida stayed close and then the Gators legs gave out in the last eight minutes.

The Vols are so good with the ball they had just nine turnovers in a breathless pace with Florida. They made 13 of 29 three-pointers and just kept coming and coming. Inside, outside, the Vols have a lot of resources….on offense. On defense, they have to get better.

I like Memphis. The Tigers rebound, defend, pass, attack. Just watch Saturday at how resourceful these Tigers are when they get buckets after their own missed free throws.

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But the bricks? The Tigers are ranked 209 among 328 teams in three-point shooting.

They are lucky to be undefeated. They lost Saturday at UAB, but the officials blew a call to save an unbeaten season, so this shouldn’t even be No. 1 vs. No. 2.

Tennessee will be good enough on defense to get on the doorstep to the Final Four because of all of its offense.

Memphis’ defense is so stingy, and the Tigers are so relentless off the dribble, the Tigers are going to roll some teams in March.

But, for now, the game Saturday is simply for bragging rights over the state, not over the rest of the country. Two talented clubs are still behind Carolina, Duke, UCLA, and Kansas in the national championship race, no matter what the current rankings claim.

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