March Madness is here, and all the highs and lows from the season are behind Vols fans. Rick Barnes faces the challenge of preparing the team for do-or-die games, where there’s absolutely no margin for error. Tennessee is a polarizing team this tournament, as many think they could in round one, and some think they could make it out of the Midwest Region.
One of college basketball's most famous pundits, Andy Katz, thinks Tennesse could make a real splash this March. Katz has the Vols as one of his dark-horse Final Four teams, along with Vnasderbilt, UCLA, and Wisconsin.
.@TheAndyKatz drops his dark horse Final Four 👀
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2026
Let us know who's making that dark horse run in YOUR bracket: https://t.co/Jt9eXr7MVr pic.twitter.com/DWX7g7nGXp
Making the case for Tennessee to the Final Four
Make no mistake, there is a reason the Vols are a No. 6 seed. They lost too many games against mediocre teams, and they made their own bed with their up-and-down play this season. However, this team truly does have the potential to make a run to Indianapolis. Some Vols fans might think Katz is crazy, but let me make the case.
It's hard to ignore the fact that almost every March, most teams that make a big run have a seasoned point guard running this show. Tennessee has that in Ja'Kobi Gillespie. Plus, Tennessee has another star in freshman forward Nate Ament, who is capable of scoring 25 on any given night. The Vols are one of the best defensive teams in the nation, and they can lean on their grit and rebounding to win these big games. We've seen them do that before. When the Vols are on, they have the potential to beat any team in the country.
With two elite scorers and a roster full of capable defenders and rebounders, Tennessee has the pieces to succeed. The challenge will be managing the basketball and converting second-chance opportunities, two areas that have consistently slowed them down this season.