Tennessee basketball is a 2-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. It is the fourth time in program history that the Vols will be a 2-seed in the tournament, and if their trend continues, this could be the year the Vols break through to the Final Four.
This is the first time the Vols have entered the tournament as a 2-seed in back-to-back seasons, and they bring a ton of momentum with them. The Vols' previous NCAA Tournament appearances as a 2-seed were in 2006, 2019, and 2024.
While Tennessee has only been a 2-seed three different times, the Vols have been trending in a positive direction since its initial appearance in 2006.
The Vols were eliminated in the second round of the 2006 tournament. Tennessee beat 15-seed Winthrop 63-61 in round one but lost 73-80 to 7-seed Wichita State.
Tennessee improved in their 2019 tournament appearance as a 2-seed with a Sweet Sixteen run. The Vols beat 15-seed Colgate 77–70, 10-seed Iowa 83–77 in overtime in round two, but lost to 3-seed Purdue 94–99 in another overtime thriller in the Sweet 16.
The Vols' 2024 run as a 2-seed has by far been the program's best run as a top seed, tying Tennessee's deepest run in the NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee opened the tournament with an 83–49 first-round win against 15-seed Saint Peter's. The Vols followed the dominant win with a 62–58 second-round win against 7-seed Texas and an 82–75 Sweet Sixteen win against 3-seed Creighton before losing 66–72 to 1-seed Purdue in the Elite Eight.
If the Vols continue this trend, they should be preparing for a Final Four run, which would make program history. Tennessee has yet to make the Final Four in its program history, but that could change this year with a favorable seeding in the Midwest Region.
Tennessee's NCAA Tournament run will begin against 15-seed Wofford. The Vols will play the winner of UCLA and Utah State with a win over Wofford. Tip-off for Tennessee's first-round game is scheduled for 6:50 PM ET on Thursday.