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Tennessee Vols much better in their recent NCAA Tournament appearances

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - FEBRUARY 21: Grant Williams #2 and Derrick Walker #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after a three-point basket against the Florida Gators in the second half of a game at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 21, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won 62-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - FEBRUARY 21: Grant Williams #2 and Derrick Walker #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after a three-point basket against the Florida Gators in the second half of a game at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 21, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won 62-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee basketball has an abysmal history in the NCAA Tournament. But in their recent appearances, the Volunteers have gotten much better.

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The last time Tennessee basketball reached the NCAA Tournament was 2014. That year, they backed in as a No. 11 seed, and they had to win a play-in game before upsetting the UMASS Minutemen in the first round en route to the Sweet Sixteen. They almost beat the Michigan Wolverines that year to reach the Elite Eight.

Four years before that, the Vols did reach the Elite Eight as a No. 6 seed. In that process, they upset the No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sweet Sixteen. Tennessee’s recent history in the NCAA Tournament shows that they are knocking on the door at finally making a Final Four run. However, it was not always that way.

The Vols’ first NCAA Tournament appearance on record is 1967. Tennessee basketball actually made three NCAA Tournaments before actual seeding began in 1979. And they lost their first game all three times. In fact, they had a first-round bye two of those times. As a result, it’s safe to say they lost two games as the higher de facto seed at that point. All of those were under Ray Mears.

From the time seeding began in 1979, Don Devoe’s first year, all the way through 2006, Bruce Pearl’s first year, the Vols beat a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament once: as a No. 9 seed in 1981. Now, they did win a tournament game the first five years of Devoe’s tenure, but four of those times, they were the higher seed.

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In 1989, they lost in the first round as a No. 10 seed and wouldn’t make the Big Dance until Jerry Green’s tenure. That four-year run is really what marked Tennessee basketball as an NCAA Tournament failure.

Every one of those years, they were eliminated by a lower seed in the NCAA Tournament. It was embarrassing to say the least, and by the time Green left, Tennessee had an official NCAA Tournament record of 8-13.

Heck, 2000 was the first time they ever won multiple games in the tournament, and then they blew a nine-point lead to a rebuilding North Carolina Tar Heels team. Tennessee was a 4-seed in that game, and UNC was an 8-seed.

Then came Bruce Pearl, and in his first year, nothing changed. Tennessee fell to 9-14 in the NCAA Tournament after only making the second round as a 2-seed in 2006.

Not only were they 9-14. They were 1-6 as the lower seed in the NCAA Tournament. As the higher seed, they were a mediocre 8-7. And all things neutral, they were 0-1.

But after Pearl’s first year, things began to change. Tennessee made the Sweet Sixteen his second year as a No. 5 seed. Sure, they lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in a heartbreaker that year, but they advanced beyond their projected seeding.

The next year, as a 2-seed, they came one game short of their projected seeding by losing in the Sweet Sixteen. Tennessee has either met or surpassed its projected seeding in every NCAA Tournament since.

Okay, they’ve only made four since then. But we mentioned the two times they advanced past their projected seeding. Both times they advanced two rounds past it. As a No. 6 seed in 2010, they should’ve been gone in the second round. And they should’ve been gone in the first round in 2014 as a No. 11 seed.

First round losses in 2009 and 2011 came as No. 9 seeds both times. So what does this all mean? It means the Vols are slowly getting better and ending postseason curses. Making it to Sunday in the SEC Tournament proves that.

Must Read: 5 keys for Vols in NCAA Tournament

Now, in his first year leading a team on Rocky Top to the NCAA Tournament, Rick Barnes is coaching a No. 3 seed. All of this knocking on the door has fans optimistic about a Final Four. That still seems unlikely, but NCAA Tournament confidence is greater than it ever was before.

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