Tennessee Vols handed a present on Tuesday night that could help them achieve one of their 2026 season goals
The Vols saw a very favorable turn of events take place.
The Tennessee Volunteers’ chances of locking down one of the SEC’s coveted double byes in the conference tournament took a gut punch last Saturday night.
The Vols led for almost all of their matchup with Alabama before fading down the stretch and losing 71-69 to the Crimson Tide. The win locked up a double by for the Tide and pushed the Vols down to sixth and below Kentucky and Missouri on tiebreakers. With Nate Ament ailing and out of action, the prospects of getting a double bye seemed bleak.
Then, Tuesday happened. The Vols went to Columbia, South Carolina and won in convincing fashion against the Gamecocks 78-59. While South Carolina is in the basement of the SEC at 3-14, any road win is a good won, particularly given how the Vols faded with Ament out in the second half on Saturday.
And, just as importantly, the Vols got some major help above them in the standings.
Kentucky and Missouri both lost on Tuesday and dropped below the Vols in the SEC standings
The Wildcats went to Texas A&M and looked strong out of the gate. However, they wilted late in the first half in the midst of a 27-3 run by the Aggies that effectively buried the Wildcats by the halftime whistle. A&M would go on to win 96-85.
Missouri went on the road to Oklahoma, who came into the game with a losing SEC record at 5-11. The Sooners controlled the game from the start, leading by nine at the half and cruising to an 80-64 win.
The Wildcats and Tigers now sit a game behind the Vols for the fourth seed in the SEC now, and both have tough games on Saturday. Kentucky hosts national title contender Florida, and Missouri welcomes Arkansas to Columbia. Neither game will be easy.
Speaking of not easy, Tennessee will host Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon. The Vols got by the Commodores 69-65 last month in Nashville, but it remains to be seen if Rick Barnes will have Ament at his disposal, and the game could be particularly tough to get without him.
But the Vols are back in position to win and get that fourth seed and double bye. And after Saturday, that’s all they could ask for.
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