Tennessee
Tennessee basketball ranked No. 6 overall in March Madness Bracket Preview Show on CBS
Tennessee basketball is ranked No. 6, according to the “March Madness Bracket Preview Show” on CBS. That slots the Vols as a projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“I look at this and I like Tennessee,” CBS analyst and former Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “I am thinking this is a little bit of an eye-test by the committee because they could be a Final Four team. They are rated high here.”
Purdue was the No. 1 overall seed followed by UConn, Houston and Arizona. North Carolina was the No. 5 overall seed followed by the Vols, Marquette and Kansas. The bracket preview put UT in the Midwest Region in Detroit with Purdue as the top seed, Baylor as the No. 3 seed and San Diego State as the No. 4 seed.
“Tennessee is definitely strong and we will continue to look at them through this process,” said Charles McClelland, the chairperson of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee
Selection Sunday is March 17.
Tennessee was ranked No. 11 in the initial rankings in 2022. It landed as a No. 3 seed. The Vols were the No. 9 seed in the primary rankings in 2023 and were a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee has made five straight NCAA Tournaments. It has never been lower than a No. 5 seed in those appearances.
What is Tennessee basketball’s NCAA Tournament resume?
Tennessee has a 4-5 record in Quad 1 games, a 6-1 record in Quad 2 games and a combined 8-0 record in Quad 3 and Quad 4 games.
Tennessee has a pair of standout road wins at Wisconsin in November and at Kentucky in February. UT also topped Alabama by 20 in January and beat Illinois in December for a pair of strong wins. The Vols also hold victories against Syracuse and N.C. State in neutral-site matchups.
UT has five Quad 1 losses to Kansas, Purdue, North Carolina, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. The first three are all projected top seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and MSU and Texas A&M are projected to get in. It also has a Quad 2 loss to South Carolina.
Where Tennessee basketball is in NCAA Tournament projections
Tennessee is widely projected to be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Vols as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Regional, which runs through Detroit. He has UT facing No. 15 seed Colgate. No. 7 Colorado State and No. 10 TCU are a potential second-round opponent in the Charlotte opening weekend.
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm likewise has Tennessee as a No. 2 seed in Boston’s East Regional, but against No. 15 Oakland. Either No. 7 Florida Atlantic or No. 10 Virginia would be a second-round opponent if UT advances. Palm has UT opening in Memphis.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
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One of the Tennessee Titans’ biggest bright spots across the 2024 season was the emergence of rookie defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, who burst onto the scene as an instant impact player on the team’s front seven during his first year pro.
And now, as he enters his sophomore campaign, Sweat is clearly feeling both confident and excited for the season ahead, ready to make a big jump from his year one efforts.
“I’m very excited to go into my second year,” Sweat said during Titans OTAs. “I feel a lot more comfortable playing this game, especially in my second year in this league. I’m ready. It’s going to be good, man.”
Sweat was the Titans’ 38th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Texas and came out of the gates as one of the best rookie contributors on Tennessee’s otherwise bumpy season.
Through 17 games and 16 starts, Sweat put together 51 combined tackles, four TFLs, along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery, both of which came from Tennessee’s Week 13 contest vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.
And now heading into year two, Sweat has the outlook for another impactful season on the horizon. He’ll be starting on the Titans’ defensive front once again next to Jeffery Simmons and Sebastian Joseph-Day, but will look to be a part of a much better pass rush and run defense than their season prior. In 2024, Tennessee was ranked top ten in the NFL for rushing yards allowed, and in the bottom three for sacks, pressures, and hurries.
For the Titans to lift above their three wins from last season, it’ll likely have to come with a much more consistent force in their front seven across the year ahead. But, with a young, imposing presence like Sweat preparing for a big year two, it could make life a lot easier for Tennessee within their defensive trenches.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Expert opinion: Arkansas reporter previews super regional vs. Tennessee
Tennessee baseball and Arkansas are set to meet in Fayetteville for a spot in the 2025 College World Series.
Before the super regional gets underway this Saturday, I spoke with HawgBeat publisher Kyle Sutherland to get his thoughts on the matchup.
Here’s what he said.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
What’s it been like for Arkansas since the Tennessee series?
“About as good of a rebound that you could ask in the regional after a one-and-done showing in the SEC Tourney. Mistakes early did them in against Ole Miss, then they outscored North Dakota State and Creighton, twice, 26-6 that included 10 total HR in a complete performance across the board.”
Do you think it plays into either team’s favor that there’s a recent meeting late in the year?
“Of course anytime you have previously played, especially within a couple of weeks, you’re going to know some things about each other but feel like both are really just more concerned about doing what they do best.
“One thing that I will be watching, I don’t feel like Liam will have two tough outings in a row. Especially with how he looked on Monday night.”
How big of an advantage will Arkansas playing at home be?
“Arkansas’ record at Baum-Walker speaks for itself, but despite that or DVH’s advantage record-wise over Tony V, you have to throw all of that out of the window when two great teams are fighting for a trip to Omaha. Plus, Tennessee is trying to defend its national title and Arkansas wanting to end that run in front of the home crowd adds to the spice.”
Is there any extra buzz about it being Arkansas’ year with it already being the highest seed left?
“For the fans, no question about it. I am sure in the players’ minds there is maybe a little bit too with all that is up for grabs, but successful teams focus solely on the next pitch and I think that is what you have with both of these clubs.
“But as far as the hype for Arkansas, I think most fans are not going to be fully satisfied until they win the big one. Literally everything else has been accomplished and three other SEC programs winning their first ever national title since the 2018 debacle just adds to the frustration.”
Who are the hot hands in the postseason for the Hawgs?
“C Ryder Helfrick (.545 BA, 3 HR, 4 RBI) got MVP of the Fayetteville Regional and six other Hogs were selected to the All-Tournament team. SEC Player of the Year SS Wehiwa Aloy hit two HR, plus RF Logan Maxwell and 2B Cam Kozeal also hit two over the weekend.
“Frankly, it’s hard to find a weakness. Leadoff LF Charles Davalan has been huge all year, even 9-hole CF Justin Thomas Jr. hit a HR over the weekend and has been pretty good covering center. Then you look at pitching, the bullpen has been nails but starting wise past Zach Root and Gage Wood it’s shaky.”
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