The regular season finale is coming for the No. 4 Tennessee Vols on Saturday against South Carolina and we don't have to tell you that things are going to be quite emotional. For several Tennessee playmakers, it will be their last time suiting up in front of the Knoxville faithful.
On Saturday, Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack, Jordan Gainey, Chaz Lanier, Darlinstone Dubar, Igor Milicic Jr. and Grant Hurst will all be honored. However, the celebrations aren't going to come before tip-off against the Gamecocks. Instead, they will come after the final whistle. Wait, what?
Earlier this week, Alabama did the same thing and Nate Oats continues to get bashed, as the Crimson Tide lost and the crowd emptied out for when Mark Sears and others were getting their senior night love. Is Tennessee at risk of having the same thing go down?
Tennessee will hold its senior day after tomorrow's game against South Carolina instead of before.
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) March 7, 2025
Rick Barnes: "We've got a lot this year and we really don't want to rush through it. I've always felt like, those guys, if they would like to have a chance to address Vol Nation,…
Tennessee is hosting Senior Day vs. South Carolina after the game is over
On one hand, Alabama hosted Florida, the No. 5 team in the country and things didn't go as planned for the Tide. As for the Vols, they're hosting South Carolina, the worst team in the SEC, on Saturday. Barring a major shocker, Tennessee should come out on top.
If this happens, then things will go as planned for the senior sendoff. Some fans are a bit nervous about things going south, but the Vols are going to look to make a statement and bounce back following the disastrous loss against Ole Miss earlier in the week. There are zero excuses for them in this one.
Again, something tells us the Vols will be able to take care of business and close the regular season out in style. Should that happen, the attention will quickly shift to Zeigler, Lanier and the rest of the departing playmakers. With Zeigler in particular, saying goodbye to him is going to be incredibly tough.
Don't be surprised if plenty of tears fly when Zeigler and Barnes embrace at midcourt, while the fans on hand will shower him with a ton of love. It's going to be tough seeing Zeigler and others leave the court for the last time, but there's still plenty of time left for the seniors to make UT fans proud by going on a deep run in the postseason.