Latest March Madness bracketology has Tennessee opening up tournament against a recent lightning rod of controversy
The Vols are in a logical spot to be a possible opponent for a currently undefeated team.
The end of the college basketball regular season is upon us, and the Tennessee Vols have plenty to play for. A big matchup with Vanderbilt is on deck on Saturday, and it could help the Vols in a couple of respects.
It would be a chance to clinch a double bye into the SEC Tournament quarterfinals with a win. It would also give Tennessee a shot at another resume-boosting win just a week before Selection Sunday arrives.
As things stand now regarding the latter, the Vols are projected by most as a 5 seed in the latest bracketology projections, including CBS Sports, who has the Vols as a 5 seed and lined up to play 12 seed Miami (OH) as their projected opening matchup.
CBS Sports’ latest bracketology has Tennessee facing undefeated Miami (OH) in their first NCAA Tournament game
If Miami (OH) comes to mind, it’s because they’ve been in the news lately, thanks to former Vols head coach Bruce Pearl.
The RedHawks are in the midst of a stellar season in the MAC. They’re the last remaining undefeated team in Division I at 30-0. They can wrap up a perfect 31-0 regular season at Ohio on Friday night. The RedHawks’ resume is light in the way of notable wins and their NET ranking coming into the week was 53, but perfect is perfect, and the RedHawks should be in the tournament regardless of whether they win the MAC conference tournament or not.
However, Pearl has made headlines this week when he said that Miami (OH) doesn’t deserve to be in if they don’t win their conference tournament.
“Miami (Ohio), here’s the deal — are we going to select the 68 most deserving teams,” Pearl said during a TNT Sports studio show. “Or are we going to select the 68 best teams?
“If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country. And that’s going to be a difficult choice for the committee to make.”
Pearl also went on “Wake Up Barstool” and said that the RedHawks are “not built for the grind” of a major conference like the Big Ten or the Big East.
Pearl’s comments drew some backlash publicly, including a scathing rebuke from RedHawks athletic director David Sayler.
If the RedHawks find their way in, then around the 11-12 seed lines would make sense. And with Tennessee teetering around the 5-6 seed lines for weeks now, it’s logical the Vols could be a possible matchup with them.
And in that situation, the Vols would be tasked with trying to prove their former head coach right on the court in a matchup that surely would have a lot of interested viewers.
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