Tennessee basketball: 5 keys to help Vols have success in NCAA Tournament

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 16: Jordan Bone #0 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the 82-78 win over the Kentucky Wildcats during the semifinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 16, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

No.5 – Play with an underdog mindset

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or Josh Dobbs to know that this year’s Tennessee basketball team plays better with an underdog mindset. A perfect example is when they took on No.1 Gonzaga in a “neutral site” game in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Tennessee had nothing to lose, and it showed with how aggressive and free they played. They didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but that had more to do with Gonzaga’s impressively tough defense. However, the Vols ran their offense and finished the game with 22 assists with just seven turnovers.

Another game you can point to was the most recent affair against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament. While some people were picking Tennessee, it almost felt as if the Vols were underdogs. At least it seemed like they played disrespected.

In the four-point win, Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield (Peanut Butter & Jelly) scored a combined 41 points on 8-for-18 shooting from inside the arc. They also shot a combined 10-for-13 from the free throw line.

Think about their losses this season. The Vols went into Rupp Arena as the No.1 team in the nation and got whipped. In the last game of the regular season, Tennessee went into Auburn as the favorites and lost by four points. Even in the SEC Championship Game after being Kentucky, most people thought the Vols were the favorite, but they lost by 20 points.

If Tennessee plays with the energy as if they were the underdog, they aren’t many teams that can stop them.

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