Two questions the Vols must answer in the SEC Tournament
The No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers enter this week’s SEC Tournament on a positive note after downing No. 15 Arkansas in Knoxville on Saturday. Although Tennessee has impressed down the stretch with wins over premier SEC programs, there are still lingering questions about this team as they begin postseason play on Friday. The Vols’ win streak […]
The No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers enter this week’s SEC Tournament on a positive note after downing No. 15 Arkansas in Knoxville on Saturday. Although Tennessee has impressed down the stretch with wins over premier SEC programs, there are still lingering questions about this team as they begin postseason play on Friday.
The Vols’ win streak currently sits at four games while the team has rattled off nine wins in its last 10 games. By finishing second in the SEC, the Vols secured a double bye in this week’s SEC Tournament taking place in Tampa Bay. They are set to face the winner of Mississippi State and South Carolina – two teams Tennessee notched wins against in February.
Thompson Bowling Arena has provided one of the best home-court advantages in college hoops this season. The Vols posted an unblemished 16-0 record at home, highlighted by wins over Kentucky and Auburn in late February.
However, Tennessee is just 7-7 in games away from TBA this season. Big wins on neutral sites over North Carolina and Arizona highlight the Vols’ work away from home outside of SEC play. Despite the recent success, it was not all that long ago when Tennessee dropped three road games in the month of January. The worst of which came in the form of a 28-point loss to Kentucky, which Tennessee would later avenge.
Part of the Vols’ struggles away from home can be attributed to poor execution from the free-throw line. Vols fans were reminded once again of the team’s inability to consistently take advantage from the stripe after going 20-30 (66.7%) at the line, narrowly escaping a ferocious Arkansas comeback.
In fact, Tennessee ranks 10th in the SEC in free-throw percentage, checking in at 71.7% on the year. The four teams that have performed worse from the foul line are Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, and South Carolina – none of which are in line to make the NCAA Tournament.
It’s no coincidence that a team that struggles from the free throw line also has trouble on the road. Whether it’s inexperience or a lack of concentration, knocking down freebies can be the difference between a deep run in March and an early exit.
What makes the Vols’ numbers at the line all the more frustrating is that Kennedy Chandler, who is shooting 35.8% from three on the season, is just a 60.7% foul shooter. Head coach Rick Barnes prefers to go to Chandler in late-game situations, but the freshman point guard will have to turn it around from the charity stripe if the team is to make a deep run in the Big Dance.
Projected as a 3-seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest installment of Bracketology, Tennessee still has time to strengthen its tournament resumé. Matched up with Kentucky in the semifinals, Tennessee could sneak into a 2-seed with a win over the Wildcats and a strong showing in the SEC Championship Game.
Featured image via Randy Sartin – USA TODAY Sports
