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Tennessee basketball’s five underachieving teams similar to 2020-21

By Caleb Calhoun

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: (L-R) Scotty Hopson #32, Brian Williams #33 and Steven Pearl #22 of the Tennessee Volunteers sit on the bench late in the second half before losing to the Michigan Wolverines 75-45 during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 18, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: (L-R) Scotty Hopson #32, Brian Williams #33 and Steven Pearl #22 of the Tennessee Volunteers sit on the bench late in the second half before losing to the Michigan Wolverines 75-45 during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 18, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Jan 4, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; SEC logo on the floor at Thompson-Boling Arena before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and LSU Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; SEC logo on the floor at Thompson-Boling Arena before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and LSU Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

4. 1982-1983 (Don DeVoe)

20-12 (9-9); NCAA Tournament Second Round

In the early years of Don DeVoe, Tennessee basketball hadn’t missed a beat from the Ray Mears days. Entering his fifth year, DeVoe had already won the SEC Tournament Championship and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in history. He had never missed the NCAA Tournament and was on the heels of winning the regular season SEC Championship in 1982.

With the return of four starters, including All-American Dale Ellis for his senior season, expectations were sky-high, and this team started the year ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll. A 7-0 start got them to No. 8 nationally. However, after a loss on the road to the No. 15 ranked UNLV Rebels, everything began to change.

UT collapsed in SEC play. They only went 9-9 in the conference, with a win over the Kentucky Wildcats, who were also ranked No. 15 at the time, as their only highlight. Similar to 2008-2009, they did make a run in the SEC Tournament before losing to the Georgia Bulldogs, but finishing the regular season 9-10 was a major disappointment.

By Jan. 17, UT was out of the top 25, only returning one more week in February. As a No. 8 seed, they did win an NCAA Tournament game against the Marquette Golden Eagles, but they lost in the second round to the Louisville Cardinals. For a team returning so much talent, that was a letdown. It also signaled a downward shift, as DeVoe wouldn’t make the Big Dance again until 1989.

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