The Volunteers haven't cracked the rest of the south like Kentucky and Florida. But recruiting in the state got tougher last spring when Memphis hired John Calipari. Getting a player out of Memphis will be nearly impossible if Calipari wants him. To get Tennessee's name into households around the south, or for that matter in Chicago or Los Angeles, it might take a Final Four appearance or a national title. Anything to get an edge would help the Vols.
Some teams are national like Kansas and North Carolina.
Some people know what we're about and know the color of our uniforms. But we can't just be ranked in the top 25. But doing it isn't that easy. The pressure is on the staff to continue to stock the talent pool. The top point guard, Jonathan Hargett, who is originally from Tennessee, has had eligibility issues bouncing to the now defunct Emanuel Christian High in Durham, N.C., to National Christian High in Virginia before reportedly committing to West Virginia.