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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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Jan 8, 2022; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks to forward John Fulkerson (10) during a time out against the LSU Tigers during the fist half at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 8, 2022; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks to forward John Fulkerson (10) during a time out against the LSU Tigers during the fist half at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Rick Barnes’ NCAA Tournament woes.

You can say this is no longer a factor after he just led Tennessee basketball to the SEC Tournament Championship, but it’s impossible to ignore how many issues Rick Barnes has had in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, he’s had those issues usually in tournaments in general.

Related Story. Five keys for Vols vs. Longwood. light

In his three previous trips to March Madness with the Vols, he has lost to the lower seed every time. Last year, as a No. 5 seed, UT lost to the No. 12 seed Oregon State Beavers. His first trip with the Vols to the Big Dance saw them lose in the second round as a No. 3 seed to the No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, who made the Final Four.

The best team Barnes had on Rocky Top, 2018-2019, lost the SEC Tournament Championship as the higher seed and then lost in the Sweet 16 as the higher seed. They were a No. 2 seed and lost to the No. 3 seed Purdue Boilermakers. That was forgivable, though, as they were separated by just one spot and lost in overtime.

dark. Next. Vols' toughest matchups in South Region

Barnes’ NCAA Tournament issues precede Rocky Top. He is 24-25 all time in the Big Dance, and before arriving at UT, he hadn’t made the second weekend of the event since 2008 with the Texas Longhorns. Of his 25 losses, 12 were to lower seeds. He’s only beaten a higher seed once. These March Madness issues are a concern, and it’s a reason to pause before writing off Longwood.

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