The season is upon us, as it’s officially Selection Sunday, and Tennessee will find out who it has the privilege of facing. The Vols finished the regular season 21–10 and went 1–1 in the SEC Tournament, with a win over Auburn and a loss to Vanderbilt.
There’s no question this version of Tennessee has been up and down all year. They have the potential to make a deep run on the back of veteran point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie and future NBA lottery pick Nate Ament. However, this team is susceptible to offensive lapses and turnovers that can quickly swing a game. Rick Barnes needs to get more from this squad if he has any aspirations of making the second weekend.
The Vols have a fairly strong March Madness resume with:
Q1-A: 4-7, Q1: 6-10, Q2: 6-1, Q3: 3-0, Q4: 7-0
Net: 20th, SOS: 10th
Tennessee is likely a No. 6 seed in March Madness
According to Bracket Matrix, a consensus of the top bracketologists, Tennessee is currently sitting on the No. 6 line. The Vols had the potential to move up to a No. 5 seed, but a crushing loss to Vanderbilt, along with Wisconsin going on a big run by beating Washington and Illinois, didn’t help Tennessee’s case.
You can’t help but feel like this is where Tennessee will be placed. Almost every bracketologist now has Wisconsin ahead of Tennessee after its strong weekend. If Tennessee does end up on the No. 6 line, it will need to avoid a First Four team. There’s always one that gets hot, and Tennessee doesn’t want to run into one of them.
ESPN has Tennessee in the South region taking on No. 11 seed VCU, and potentially No. 3 seed Purdue. CBS has Tennesse in the East region as a No. 6 seed taking on the winner of a First Four matchup between Santa Clara and SMU. The Vols would potentially take on Michigan State. Fox has Tennessee as a No. 6 seed in the Midwest region, taking on South Florida and possibly Virginia in the next round. No matter how you look at it, the Vols didn't do enough during the regular season to earn a higher bid. They will have to upset a top team in the Round of 32 if they win their first game.
Either way, the Vols are limping into the tournament with an identity but also a flawed team that can make a deep run or exit in the round of 64. I don't think either result would surprise anybody.