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March Madness 2022: Five reasons Tennessee Vols could lose to Longwood Lancers in NCAA Tournament

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 11, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler (5) looks to pass the ball in the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Amelie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler (5) looks to pass the ball in the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Amelie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee guard Victor Bailey Jr. (12) congratulates Justin Powell (24) as he goes to the bench during the NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and UT Martin Skyhawks in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.Kns Vols Utmartin
Tennessee guard Victor Bailey Jr. (12) congratulates Justin Powell (24) as he goes to the bench during the NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and UT Martin Skyhawks in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.Kns Vols Utmartin /

4. Lack of depth

Okay, this is maybe a bit of an exaggeration. Tennessee basketball goes seven-deep, and the Vols are capable of going nine-deep if they decide to give Victor Bailey Jr. and Justin Powell more minutes. Still, losing Olivier Nkamhoua for the season hurt, and what they can do is irrelevant. It’s about what they have been doing.

Playing seven guys isn’t going to give you much of an advantage over a mid-major team in March Madness, and this is the type of advantage powerhouse programs usually have. However, in this case, Longwood is the team with the surprising amount of depth.

The Lancers have nine players averaging over 14 minutes a game to the Vols’ eight, they have six players averaging over 20 minutes a game to the Vols’ five, and they have eight players averaging over 19 minutes a game to still the Vols’ five averaging over 15 minutes a game. Simply put, they’ve got the depth advantage here.

Barnes didn’t play Powell at all in the SEC Tournament, but he should probably turn to him for more minutes when March Madness arrives. His shortened rotation could get tiring after a while, especially when you play a gam every other day. Simply put, this is a big deal.

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