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March Madness: Five toughest matchups for Tennessee Vols in South Region of 2022 NCAA Tournament

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee guard Kennedy Chandler (1) attempts a shot while defended by Arizona guard Justin Kier (5) 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
Tennessee guard Kennedy Chandler (1) attempts a shot while defended by Arizona guard Justin Kier (5) 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 /
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Feb 12, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Christian Horned Frogs head coach Jamie Dixon during the first half talks with his team during a time out in the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Christian Horned Frogs head coach Jamie Dixon during the first half talks with his team during a time out in the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

4. TCU Horned Frogs

No. 9 seed; 20-12

The TCU Horned Frogs’ opening opponent, the No. 8 seed Seton Hall Pirates, almost made this list. After all, Seton Hall has an adjusted defense rating of 93.5, which is good for No. 26 in the nation, and they are the No. 8 seed while TCU is the No. 9 seed.

However, TCU gets the nod. For starters, their adjusted defensive rating is slightly better at 93.3, good for No. 24 in the country. With longtime coach Jamie Dixon at the helm, that’s not shocking, as their style of play could give plenty of teams lots of trouble.

Beyond just their analytics, though, if the Vols played TCU, it would be in San Antonio. At that point, the Horned Frogs could have home-court advantage, and UT still hasn’t proven itself to be great on the road. They didn’t score any top 25 wins on the road this year, so if they did meet TCU in the Sweet 16, it could be tough.

That home-court advantage is what puts them ahead of Loyola-Chicago despite Loyola-Chicago having a bit higher of a defensive rating than them. TCU being a No. 9 seed and up here, though, shows you the weakness of the field. Talk about a lucky draw for the Vols, and this bracket is ripe for March Madness upsets.

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