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March Madness: Remembering Vols 5 Sweet 16 games this century

By Caleb Calhoun

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 27: (L-R) J.P. Prince #30 and Duke Crews #32 of the Tennessee Volunteers sit on the court in the final minutes against the Louisville Cardinals during the 2008 NCAA Men's East Regional Semifinal at Bobcats Arena on March 27, 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Cardinals defeated the Volunteers 77-60. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 27: (L-R) J.P. Prince #30 and Duke Crews #32 of the Tennessee Volunteers sit on the court in the final minutes against the Louisville Cardinals during the 2008 NCAA Men's East Regional Semifinal at Bobcats Arena on March 27, 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Cardinals defeated the Volunteers 77-60. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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4. 2010 Sweet 16

(6) Tennessee Volunteers beat (2) Ohio State Buckeyes

Final Score: 76-73

The only win in the Sweet 16 of March Madness that’s on here, it’s the greatest NCAA Tournament run the Tennessee Vols ever had. But what was so great about it was the fact that it was able to be a revenge game as well.

For context, Bruce Pearl’s fifth team was lucky to be where it was. Midway through the year, their best player, Tyler Smith, was dismissed from the team due to an arrest that resulted in three other players on the team getting suspended. During those suspensions, they managed to upset the No. 1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

After everybody but Smith came back, they upset the No. 2 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. But their resume only earned them a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Still, after beating San Diego State, they got a break by being able to face the Ohio Bobcats, who upset the Georgetown Hoyas in the first round, in the second round. They won that one.

Up next was a game against No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes, the program that delivered them a heartbreaking loss in the Sweet 16 three years earlier, and future No. 2 NBA Draft Pick Evan Turner. Pearl’s veteran, defensive-minded team had even more magic here.

J.P. Prince showed his defensive skills by frustrating Turner all night. Wayne Chism, the winningest Vol in history, had one more amazing win in him. And as a team, the Vols managed to stay in the game all the way until the end.

With a three-point lead, the Buckeyes went for the tie late. Turner missed his first three-point attempt. But an offensive rebound landed the ball back in his hands. He went up again, but as time expired, Prince got a clean block. The Vols held on 76-73 for what was their first and remains their only win ever in the semifinals of March Madness.

They lost by one in the Elite Eight to the Michigan State Spartans in a heartbreaker, and the Bruce Pearl barbecue drama story broke in the offseason. But at this point, Rocky Top could not have been higher on the coach who took them to new heights.

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