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NCAA Tournament 2021: Tennessee basketball’s five keys

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 12, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks in a huddle during the first half against the Florida Gators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks in a huddle during the first half against the Florida Gators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee forward John Fulkerson (10) holds his head after an injury during the second half of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament game against Florida at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 12, 2021.Ut Fla Sec 031221 An 032
Tennessee forward John Fulkerson (10) holds his head after an injury during the second half of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament game against Florida at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 12, 2021.Ut Fla Sec 031221 An 032 /

1. Get healthy

Obviously, the main story here is John Fulkerson, who is day to day after a head injury last week knocked him out of the SEC Tournament. If he can’t go for the NCAA Tournament, Tennessee basketball will be in trouble.

However, Fulkerson isn’t the only player whose injuries have caused the Vols problems this year. In fact, almost all of their injuries can be traced back to missing a player. Each of their first three losses came mostly without Jaden Springer, who left five minutes into the January game against the Alabama Crimson Tide and missed their road losses to the Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers.

Against the LSU Tigers, Yves Pons was just recovering from an ankle injury and couldn’t get his typical elevation under the basket. That limited a huge part of the Vols’ game, which is playing dominant interior defense and getting back in transition.

Josiah-Jordan James was then absent in their loss to the Kentucky Wildcats and played while battling a wrist injury in their loss to the Florida Gators. Then Fulkerson was out when they lost to Alabama last weekend. Simply put, UT only has one loss all year at full strength, and that was 52-50 at the Ole Miss Rebels and Kermit Davis’ complex zone defense.

dark. Next. Five reasons Vols could reach the Final Four

A limited amount of games over the past three weeks should have helped everybody except Fulkerson return to 100 percent. If Fulkerson is good to go, then the biggest key for the Vols in the NCAA Tournament will be to stay healthy. Right now, it’s to get healthy, and that centers on Fulkerson, but there’s nothing anybody can do except wait.

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