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Tennessee basketball: Vols’ road to Final Four in the 2022 NCAA Tournament

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee guard Josiah-Jordan James is greeted by a cheering crowd after the UT basketball team returns to Knoxville after winning the SEC tournament on Sunday, March 13, 2022.Kns Ut Hoops Return RANK 1
Tennessee guard Josiah-Jordan James is greeted by a cheering crowd after the UT basketball team returns to Knoxville after winning the SEC tournament on Sunday, March 13, 2022.Kns Ut Hoops Return RANK 1 /
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Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) and Tennessee forward Uros Plavsic (33) fight for the rebound during a basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Arizona Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021.Kns Vols Arizona Hoops Bp
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) and Tennessee forward Uros Plavsic (33) fight for the rebound during a basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Arizona Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021.Kns Vols Arizona Hoops Bp /

Potential Elite Eight matchups Part I

No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats (31-3)

Getting past Villanova will likely be the toughest test the whole tournament for Tennessee basketball, but if they do, the Vols would then face the Arizona Wildcats. They are one of three teams to beat first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd’s team, which won the Pac-12 regular season and tournament title. Doing it again, though, away from home would be tough

No. 4 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (22-9)

Big Ten teams are getting far too much love in the NCAA Tournament, but the Illinois Fighting Illini did win the conference regular season title. As a result, Brad Underwood’s team earned the No. 4 seed. They only lost to Arizona by four earlier this year, but it was at home, and they still have to get to the Sweet 16 to potentially face UT in the Elite Eight.

No. 5 seed Houston Cougars (29-5)

Kelvin Sampson’s team righted the ship of an up and down finish to win the American Athletic Conference regular season title. Assuming they survive the first-game curse of the No. 5 seed, they would then have to get past Illinois before facing Arizona. If they got past both and UT reached the Elite Eight, it would renew a former Big 12 rivalry between Sampson and Rick Barnes.

No. 8 seed Seton Hall Pirates (21-10)

Despite not winning the Big East regular season or tournament, Kevin Willard’s Seton Hall Pirates are back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2019. He hasn’t gotten them out of the first weekend in 12 years there, so them facing Tennessee basketball in the Elite Eight as a Cinderella seems highly unlikely.

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