Vols-Kentucky recap, big hoops week, etc.

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from their own homes throughout the Greater Knoxville Area to discuss another huge win for Tennessee football and a huge week for Tennessee basketball.Tennessee’s 17-13 win at Kentucky was hardly a thing of beautify, and it times it was excruciating, but a goal-line stand and a clutch performance from one-handed quarterback Jarrett Guarantano helped the Vols defeat their Beer Barrel rivals to the North for the 33rd time in the past 35 years.What should we make of Tennessee’s performance in Lexington? So much of the game went so badly, and the Vols made more than a half-dozen awful mistakes that could have lost them the game, but they hung tough and found a way to win it. How should the good be weighed with the bad?There’s plenty of credit to go around for Tennessee in the toughness department, and a few players had outstanding performances, but overall it must be said that the Vols didn’t play well at all. But … a thin team found a way to win for the fourth time in five games, and a team that was 1-4 is now 5-5 and has a precious open date to get some guys some badly-needed rest.All things Vols-Cats and this week’s open date are discussed for most of the first two segments of this episode, but some time is carved out for recruiting to end the second segment for a big reason. The Vols on Sunday night got a commitment from Nate Evans, a 2021 athlete from Virginia Beach, Va., who’s really high on their big board.Football remains the main topic for the first part of the third segment, including descriptions from Grant, who was stood at field level for the goal-line stand that essentially ended the game.Conversation then shifts toward the Tennessee basketball program, though, because the Vols have a big week on the court and the recruiting trail. The Vols have two games this week — a Tuesday game against reigning Round of 32 NCAA Tournament team Murray State, and a Saturday game against Washington in Toronto — and in between they’re scheduled to sign one of the most touted recruiting classes in program history. And they’re probably not done with that ridiculous class, either. So there’s plenty of hoops to discuss, as well.The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.