Tennessee

Why winning SEC Tournament does (and doesn’t) matter to Tennessee basketball

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2024

Why winning SEC Tournament does (and doesn’t) matter to Tennessee basketball

More than a trophy is at stake when the Tennessee basketball team takes the floor at the SEC Tournament in Nashville this week. A No. 1 seed could be on the line for the Vols (24-7).

Some bracket experts are projecting Tennessee as a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, but such outlooks are subject to fluctuation. If the Vols bow out early in the conference tournament, they could surrender the inside track to a top seed. If they cut down the nets Sunday in Nashville, that likely would cement a No. 1 seed for Tennessee.

But, to what extent does that even matter?

On this edition of “The Volunteer State,” Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel’s Mike Wilson discuss the importance (or lack thereof) of the SEC Tournament for Tennessee.

Here’s why this event does and doesn’t matter to the Vols.

Why the SEC Tournament matters to Tennessee

1. A No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament unlocks a better shot at the Final Four. The Vols have never reached a Final Four. They’ve also never been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Rick Barnes’ best team before this season was the 2018-19 squad led by Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield. That team earned a No. 2 NCAA seed and lost to No. 3-seed Purdue in the Sweet 16. Three of the four No. 1 seeds reached at least the Elite Eight that year. Statistically speaking, a No. 1 seed has nearly twice the probability of reaching the Final Four as a No. 2 seed. It pays to be a No. 1 seed, and winning the SEC Tournament should help Tennessee secure a spot on the 1-line.

TENNESSEE BASKETBALL: How important is an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed to Vols? Rick Barnes isn’t sure

BRACKETOLOGY: Where Tennessee basketball stands in updated March Madness bracket predictions

TOPPMEYER: What Geno Auriemma would say about Dawn Staley’s undefeated quest with South Carolina

2. Best to avoid Purdue, UConn and Houston. Three of the four No. 1 seeds aren’t up for debate. Purdue, UConn and Houston have been the nation’s best teams throughout the season. Best to avoid them for as long as possible. A No. 1 seed means Tennessee would avoid each member of that trio until at least the Final Four.

3. Trophies are neat. Winning the SEC Tournament isn’t the ultimate prize, but it still counts as an achievement for a program that has won the conference tournament just once from 1980 through present date. That occurred in 2022.

Why the SEC Tournament doesn’t matter to Tennessee

1. Momentum from a conference tournament crown is mostly a myth. UConn won last season’s national championship after losing in the Big East Tournament semifinals. Of the last five teams to win the SEC Tournament, only one advanced beyond the Sweet 16. When Tennessee won the SEC Tournament in 2022, it lost in the NCAA’s second round. As we’ve established, a No. 1 NCAA seed means there’s plenty to play for in Nashville. Just don’t confuse SEC Tournament success as relevant momentum for the Big Dance.

2. Need some extra rest? Tennessee could win three games in as many days … or, it could lose early and rest those legs for the NCAA Tournament. While not a terrible strategy, here’s a better idea: Do enough in Nashville to secure that No. 1 NCAA seed.

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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist and a published author. Mike Wilson hasn’t authored any books, but he covers the Vols with award-winning coverage for the News Sentinel. You can subscribe to read all their coverage, or check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. They also host the acclaimed “SEC Football Unfiltered” podcast.

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Tennessee

4-Star Safety Adryan Cole Enjoying Communication with Tennessee’s Staff

Published

8 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

4-Star Safety Adryan Cole Enjoying Communication with Tennessee’s Staff

Tennessee is looking to land another top 10 recruiting class in 2027. With multiple top targets all across the country, high on the Volunteers, there will be a good chance for it.

4-star Adryan Cole is one of those players. According to Rivals Industry, he ranked as the 20th-best safety in the country, the 24th-best player from Georgia, and the 214th-best overall player in the country. The safety from Douglas County High School in Douglassville, Georgia, has Tennessee amongst the top schools on its list, along with Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, LSU, Miami, Indiana, and Ole Miss.

Cole spoke with Vols on SI to see where Tennessee stands and what he likes about the Volunteers.

Adryan Cole on Tennessee Football

Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel walks off the field followed by his security detail after the win over UAB in an NCAA college football game on September 20, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With all the defensive back coaching changes, there is a lot of uncertainty with some of the top defensive back prospects in the country, like Cole. However, Tennessee has done a great job of letting Cole know that he is wanted in Knoxville.

“The communication has been great, they have been calling me and facetime me 2-3 times a week every week. They just let me know that they want to get me up there and develop me.”

He does not have a visit set yet, but he is in the process of scheduling one and cannot wait to see a few things. He was at Georgia Tech this past weekend and has a visit scheduled to Ole Miss from June 19th-21st.

“I want to see the environment, I want to see how they coach their players, and I want to see how they (players and coaches) work together on the campus.”

The Volunteers are looking at a lot of the top defensive backs in the 2027 class, and landing Cole would be a huge recruiting win for them.

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NC State advances past Tennessee, 76-61

Published

20 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

NC State’s NCAA tournament started about as well as possible, with the Pack making its first eight shots from the floor on the way to taking a 19-4 lead. Zoe Brooks and Zam Jones had the offense rolling in those first five minutes—Zam played with her hair on fire from the start and ended up with one of the best performances of her career.

The Wolfpack needed it, too. The Volunteers responded well after their rough start and kept within striking distance but still found themselves down 11 at halftime. Tennessee created a lot of second-chance opportunities for itself throughout, and State ended up very fortunate that the Vols didn’t shoot better.

Things got tenuous very quickly in the third quarter, as the Pack started cold from the field and lost Brooks to a foot injury midway through the period. Wes Moore didn’t have any details to share after the game, but Brooks was obviously in a lot of pain. It’s more than a little worrying that the injury didn’t appear to have anything to do with contact, and she didn’t roll an ankle, either. But it’s not a knee injury, at least.

After Brooks departed, Tennessee pulled to within 48-46, and the game appeared to be turning in a bad way. Zam Jones had the answers, however, knocking down a critical three to calm the team down and making four free throws in the final minute to extend her team’s lead back to nine heading into the fourth. Tennessee would get no closer.

Zam was a menace throughout—en route to 30 points, she drew 12 fouls and shot 13 free throws. Led by those efforts, NC State went to the free throw line 20 times in the second half, which helped the Pack continue to put points on the board even when the shots weren’t falling, especially in the third.

That was a big difference in the final result—NC State leaned heavily on opportunities it created off the bounce, which led to 25 free throw attempts (and 21 makes). Tennessee’s M.O. is threes by the bushel and it ended up with 36 three-point tries in this one—but the Vols made just seven of them, and shot just six free throws.

While the Vols were dominant on the glass, State was just a lot more effective in the paint: the Pack made 57.5% of its twos, while the Vols made just 45.9%. So, in the end, State was able to weather its worst defensive rebounding effort of the season without all that much trouble.

It’s an excellent win and it would be really encouraging if it didn’t have Zoe’s injury hanging over it. NC State’s task now is beating No. 2 Michigan on its home floor Sunday, and maybe having to do it shorthanded.

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Nate Ament NBA mock draft projections with Tennessee basketball in March Madness

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Nate Ament NBA mock draft projections with Tennessee basketball in March Madness

PHILADELPHIA – The 2026 NBA Draft will likely be loaded with standout freshmen, and Tennessee basketball is happy to claim one in Nate Ament.

The 6-foot-10 forward has arguably been the best player for the No. 6 seed Vols (22-11) heading into March Madness.

They’ll need him at his best to make a deep run in the men’s NCAA Tournament, which begins at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia against No. 11 Miami of Ohio (32-1) on March 20 (4:25 ET, TBS).

Ament has not declared for the NBA Draft, but the All-SEC forward is a projected lottery (top 14) pick. He could be Tennessee’s first lottery pick since Marcus Haislip went to the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 13 pick in 2002.

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Where is Nate Ament from?

Ament is from Manassas, Virginia, 35 miles west of Washington, D.C. He went to Highland High School and was a five-star prospect. He committed to Tennessee on April 20, 2025, choosing the Vols over offers from Texas, Louisville, Kentucky, Arkansas and Duke, among others.

How tall is Nate Ament?

Ament is 6-foot-10, 207 pounds. He’s added 20 pounds since arriving at Tennessee.

How old is Nate Ament?

Ament is 19 years old. He was born on Dec. 10, 2006.

Nate Ament stats for Tennessee basketball

Ament averaged 17.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals throughout 31 games. He shot 40.5% from the field and 33.1% from 3.

Nate Ament 2026 NBA Draft projection

Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Ament’s NBA Draft projection has settled around the back half of the lottery. Draft analysts were initially concerned with Ament’s slow start, but his emergence throughout SEC play points to a higher professional ceiling.

USA TODAY’s Bryan Kalbrosky has the lowest current projection on Ament, slotting him at No. 11.

The Athletic, ESPN and CBS have the freshman going off the board at No. 9.

How did Nate Ament play this season?

Ament’s season, much like the Vols as a whole, has been marked with inconsistency. He started Tennessee’s non-conference schedule strong with six straight games scoring 15 or more points.

He hit an early wall against tougher competition, beginning with Houston where he shot 1-of-9 in a 76-73 win. In a nine-game stretch from the Houston win into early conference play, Ament averaged 11.9 points on 36% shooting, and shot 22% from 3.

Ament’s 17-point performance in the Vols’ 91-67 loss at Florida on Jan. 10 ignited a 13-game stretch where he was one of the top players in the country. He jumped up to 21.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Ament shot 43% from the field and 39% from 3-point range.

Ament’s progression slowed after Feb. 24 when he sprained his ankle in a loss to Missouri. He played briefly in the next game against Alabama before missing the final two games of the regular season. Ament returned in the SEC Tournament, where he lifted the Vols to victory over Auburn with 27 points, then had a 1-of-13 outing the next day in a loss to Vanderbilt.

What was Nate Ament’s injury?

In the first half of Tennessee’s game at Missouri on Feb. 24, Ament jumped up for a rebound and came down awkwardly on his right ankle. He left for a few minutes but finished the game.

The freshman started against Alabama on Feb. 28, but only played 11 minutes before injuring his knee and re-aggravating the ankle sprain in a loose ball scrum. Ament missed Tennessee’s final two regular season games at South Carolina and against Vanderbilt with a right high ankle sprain.

He returned against Auburn in the SEC Tournament on March 12. Ament led the Vols to a 20-0 run to beat the Tigers in the second round, 72-62. In the quarterfinals on March 13, though, Ament didn’t have the same success. His 12 points included 10 free throws in a 75-68 loss to Vanderbilt.

Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com

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