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,

Tennessee (14-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) missed its first nine shots, trailed by double digits a few minutes later and never recovered. The Volunteers got bullied in the paint, outmuscled on the boards and beaten up and down the court.