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Tennessee basketball: 5 reasons Vols should win the SEC Tournament

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 02: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on March 02, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 02: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on March 02, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images for Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon
Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images for Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon /

2. The SEC Tournament is in Nashville.

Tennessee basketball lost three SEC games this year, and all were on the road. At the same time, two of them came down to the final minute, and one was in overtime. Their only other loss was in Brooklyn to the Kansas Jayhawks, also in overtime.

The Vols haven’t lost in the state of Tennessee all season. In fact, they haven’t lost in the state of Tennessee since their SEC home opener against the Auburn Tigers dating back to the start of the 2017-2018 season.

Simply put, they have a huge advantage with the SEC Tournament being in Nashville. Make no mistake about it, Nashville is Vols country. And as we mentioned on the previous slide, the game is played at Bridgestone Arena, so the Vanderbilt Commodores can’t use the Memorial Gym magic in Nashville to win either.

Related Story. Tennessee basketball week in review. light

There is no reason the Vols shouldn’t have the largest presence at this year’s tournament. Yes, people will point out the Kentucky Wildcats and their proximity to Lexington. But when UT is good, their fan base is as rabid about basketball as Kentucky’s. The same as true with the Wildcats when their team is good at football.

As a result, the Vols should have the clear advantage over any other team they play, and it should at least be neutral with Kentucky. With it being in Nashville, they should actually have the slight edge in fans, especially since they are playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

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