The other shoe fell for Tennessee this evening, and it didn't bring good news. The Vols endured 48 hours of intense speculation after losing to Alabama 58-48 in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Friday. The wait ended in disappointment on Sunday.

The Vols waited in vain as 68 teams heard their names called and now will have to settle for a berth in the NIT field which will be announced later tonight.

Tennessee endured a similar fate last year, falling short of earning a bid after a late season run. That one felt like more of a long-shot though. Tonight's snub will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of coaches and fans alike for a variety of reasons.

That's because Tennessee's resume´, when compared with fellow bubble teams seems to compare favorably to say the least.

It's all subjective, and let's be clear, the Vols put themselves in peril by failing to close the deal on Friday against Alabama. However, if you look at the credentials of the presumed 'last four teams' in the field, LaSalle, Boise St., MTSU and St. Mary's, it's not hard to make the argument that the Vols' body of work was just as deserving of a bid.

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