The Tennessee Volunteers have finally arrived to the postseason and are set to take on the Auburn Tigers in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
Just in time for the conference tournament, the Vols announced that star freshman Nate Ament was ready to turn after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Alabama Crimson Tide just a couple of weeks ago.
Also read: Rick Barnes made a convincing case for Nate Ament's injury being a good thing
Now, Ament and the Volunteers have the perfect opportunity to not only get their feet set in the postseason, but to also send the Tigers packing for (possibly) the rest of the year.
Tennessee can spoil Auburn, Steven Pearl's dreams for Big Dance
After the Tigers lost to the Crimson Tide in their final regular-season game of the year, Auburn's hopes for a spot in the NCAA Tournament fell into even more dangerous territory, with ESPN's Joe Lunardi having them as the last team into the field of 68.
Despite their beyond-disappointing 17-15 overall record (including the first-round win over Mississippi State), head coach Steven Pearl genuinely believes his team belongs in the NCAA Tournament.
A resounding defeat at the hands of the Volunteers could crush those hopes before they even take root in the minds of anyone who isn't on the Tigers' staff or roster.
With Ament back in the lineup (whether he's starting or not), Tennessee is nearly back to full strength, like when the team easily defeated Auburn in the regular season. When they first met, Ament led the team with 22 points and 8 rebounds when the Vols beat the Tigers 77-69.
Source: Tennessee star freshman Nate Ament is expected to play against Auburn today in the SEC quarterfinals. He’s listed as questionable. There’s no certainly how many minutes he’ll go, but the expectation now is that he’ll play. pic.twitter.com/3m3wenxqZv
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 12, 2026
The Vols are already favored to win the matchup, with the odds leaning in their direction by 5.5 points. With Ament clocking even a few minutes, those odds would have to lean further in Tennessee's direction.
No. 5-seed Tennessee and No. 12-seed Auburn are scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 12, and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.