What makes March Madness special is the simple fact that anything can happen, and the unexpected is almost guaranteed. Tennessee may have had an up-and-down season, but with everything on the line, they have what it takes to put together a Final Four run. It may now be the most likely scenario for Rick Barnes this year, but Tennessee does have a shot to make it far. The unexpected always comes out in the NCAA Tournament, and let's take a look at three reasons why it could be Tennessee this March.
1. Elite PG play
Ja'Kobi Gillespie is an absolute stud and an elite guard who plays to win games in March. Having a ball handler a coach can trust in the biggest moments is a huge advantage for the Vols. Tennessee’s point guard depth behind Gillespie may be a concern, but when Ja'Kobi Gillespie is on the floor, he’s among the elite in college basketball. In crunch time, Rick Barnes can trust him to deliver and carry the Vols deep into March with the ball in his hands.
2. Tennesse can win multiple ways
Let's make it clear, Rick Barnes doesn't want to get into a track meet, but we have seen Tennessee win games that were super fast-paced like Louisville, Georgia, and Texas A&M. Plus, we know that Barnes will want to slow it down and grind it out with good defense and finishing at the basket. This team has the star power in Gillepsie and Ament to win shootouts, but also has defenders like Felix Okpara and Bishop Boswell to grind out a 65-60 type of game. They are battle-tested in a deep SEC conference, and they have all the pieces to the puzzle.
3. Offensive rebounding
Tennessee is the best offensive rebounding team in the country at 45%. The gritty and tough style the Vols play with slowly starts to wear teams down. Felix Okapra, Jaylen Carey, DeWayne Brown II, and J.P. Estrellaa have done a tremendous job crashing the glass all season long. Having a size advantage in a one-and-done game is a huge factor, as a simple bop-out and rebound in a clutch moment could be the difference in going home or moving on. As long as the Vols do a decent job converting on these boards, they will be successful.