Tennessee basketball is one of eight teams that, based on KenPom data from past champions, have a realistic shot at winning the national championship.
According to KenPom historical data, 96% of national champions since 2001 brought a top-21 offense, and 91% of champions brought a top-31 defense into the tournament. Those numbers are based on KenPom's adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.
KenPom has Tennessee as the 5th-ranked team in the country, with an offensive rating of 120.3 and a defensive rating of 89.1. That's good enough for the 18th-best offense and third-best defense in the country, making the Vols a national championship contender heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The Vols join seven other teams, including two other SEC teams, with those statistics as potential contenders for the national title.
The other schools include 1-seed Houston, 1-seed Duke, 1-seed Florida, 1-seed Auburn, 3-seed Wisconsin, 3-seed Iowa State, and 8-seed Gonzaga.
Gonzaga is the outlier based on March Madness seeding. The Bulldogs are an 8-seed, but KenPom has them ranked as the No. 9 team in the country, and they are a serious threat to make a deep run in the tournament.
Tennessee will likely have to go through Houston or Gonzaga to advance out of the Midwest Region and make the first Final Four in program history. Both teams come out of the top half of the Midwest, setting up a potential Elite Eight matchup.
Auburn and Iowa State set up a potential Elite Eight matchup in the South, while Duke and Wisconsin set up a potential Elite Eight matchup in the East.
The Vols will look to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament. They are coming off an Elite Eight run last season, hoping to advance to the Final Four this year.
Tennessee will open its NCAA Tournament run against 15-seed Wofford. The Vols and Terriers will tip off on Thursday at 6:50 PM ET on TNT. In the second round, Tennessee will face the winner of UCLA and Utah State.