Tennessee Basketball: USA Today doesn't think very highly of Vols
The Tennessee Vols, by virtue of their victories against Colgate and Iowa, are one of 16 teams that still have a chance to win the NCAA championship after the tournament's first weekend of action. Tennessee didn't exactly play their best basketball during the tournament's opening weekend. The Vols only beat Colgate by seven and they […]
The Tennessee Vols, by virtue of their victories against Colgate and Iowa, are one of 16 teams that still have a chance to win the NCAA championship after the tournament's first weekend of action.
Tennessee didn't exactly play their best basketball during the tournament's opening weekend. The Vols only beat Colgate by seven and they needed overtime to get past Iowa, after blowing a large first half lead.
But despite their struggles in the first two rounds, the Vols are still a very dangerous team. Their regular season resumé can't be ignored because of a weekend where they didn't play their best basketball.
Unless you're USA Today, who seems to be putting a lot of weight into what transpired this past weekend.
USA Today re-ranked the remaining 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament and they have the Vols at No. 15.
Here's what they have to say about UT and their title hopes:
The Volunteers avoided one of the biggest meltdowns in NCAA tournament history, letting a 25-point lead slip away vs. Iowa but winning in overtime in the second round. SEC player of the year Grant Williams had six points and an assist in OT. But in postgame comments, Admiral Schofield aptly summed up why the Vols are so low on this Sweet 16 list: "The way we started the game, that's the team we win (with). The way we finished the game, we can't have that."
I'm not saying Tennessee should be in the top five after their performances against Colgate and Iowa, but I also don't think it's fair to put them below a No. 12 seed (Oregon) that had the luxury of facing a No. 13 seed in the second round.
And I also think it's crazy to have the Vols at No. 15 and Kentucky at No. 7 after the Wildcats barely skated by Wofford (UK didn't have PJ Washington, but they still should've cruised in that game, just like the Vols should've cruised against Iowa).
Ultimately these rankings from USA Today are pointless, but it's still intriguing to see how quick the national media is to discount the Vols after a less-than-stellar weekend.
This Tennessee basketball team is at their best when they play with a chip on their shoulder.
Perhaps USA Today's "diss" will help wake them from their slumber.
Featured image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
