When Bruce Pearl was fired at Tennessee in March 2011 and subsequently hit with a three-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA, there was no guarantee he'd ever coach at the high-major level again. I mean,

The SEC is looking like an early-season powerhouse, with six teams in the top 10 of Monday’s AP Top 25 poll. But only one unbeaten remains — top-ranked Tennessee, which ships its 14-0 record down to the swamp against a formidable foe in No. 8 Florida.

Tennessee basketball had its worst offensive game in Rick Barnes' 10 seasons, but Barnes' main concern was elsewhere in the 30-point loss at Florida.