All for Tennessee
Fansided

March Madness 2022: Five reasons Tennessee basketball will make the Final Four

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee forward John Fulkerson (10) walks through the student section after winning the final regular season game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, March 5, 2022. Tennessee defeated Arkansas 78-74.Utark0305 2191
Tennessee forward John Fulkerson (10) walks through the student section after winning the final regular season game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, March 5, 2022. Tennessee defeated Arkansas 78-74.Utark0305 2191 /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Mar 13, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes reacts during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes reacts during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Weak field in the South Region

In addition to being battle-tested, Tennessee basketball has a very favorable field to reach the Final Four. The first weekend is incredibly favorable, as the Vols face the Longwood Lancers in the first round and then either the Colorado State Rams or the Michigan Wolverines in the second round. UT couldn’t ask for much more.

For context, national media has a consensus out that Michigan and Juwan Howard don’t even belong in the tournament. However, as a No. 11 seed, they are actually favored over Colorado State, the No. 6 seed, which shows how weak that matchup is.

Meanwhile, the Vols’ resume includes no losses below Quadrant 1, and not one team that beat them this year is out of the top 25. As a result, they should be a lock to make the Sweet 16 already, and that’s half the battle to reaching the Final Four.

Now, going beyond that is tricky, as they may have to beat Arizona twice in a year or find a way to beat the No. 2 seed Villanova Wildcats, who blew them out in November. However, this is where you count on March Madness to happen. Either the Vols pull off such an upset or one of the teams loses ahead of time. Both things are possible and together are more likely than both advancing.

Home/Vols Basketball