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

By Billy Williford

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 16: Jordan Bone #0 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after 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)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 16: Jordan Bone #0 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after 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) /
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 09: Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

No.1 – Get Jordan Bowden going

Obviously for Tennessee to win a National Championship they have to be clicking on all cylinders. That goes for any team in the country; every guy has to show up because winning six games in a row is not an easy task.

As for the Vols, they need Grant Williams to play like the back-to-back SEC Player of the Year. Tennessee needs Admiral Schofield to play like a senior leader and mimic the games against Gonzaga and Memphis. Of course, there is the importance of Kyle Alexander which we mentioned earlier. And, you can’t forget about how much Jordan Bone means to this team.

However, the unsung hero could be Jordan Bowden. In fact, when Bowden is balling so are the Vols.

This season has been a bit of a rollercoaster for the junior guard. A staple in the starting lineup last season and even the beginning of this year’s campaign, Bowden moved to the bench when Lamonte Turner was out with a shoulder injury. And, it appears like it was the right move from Rick Barnes.

Bowden started SEC play penciled in as SEC Sixth Man of the Year. He began the conference slate with back-to-back 20-point plus performances against Georgia and Missouri. He added a 19 point game against Arkansas and 16 a few other times against South Carolina and Texas A&M.

Next. 5 reasons Vols are a lock for the Final Four. dark

A stat to keep in mind while keeping up with the impact Bowden is having on the game is the Vols are 13-1 when he scores at least 12 points this season.

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