The 2018 NCAA Tournament is already under way with First Four games in Dayton, but first round action will officially begin on Thursday.
Here at Southeast Hoops, we’re diving into the path to San Antonio for each of the eight SEC teams in the field.
Next up is co-regular season champion Tennessee, who has showed no signs of slowing down after reaching the SEC Tournament championship in St. Louis.
Let’s look at what could be in store for Rick Barnes’ team.
Where Tennessee stands
The Vols have won six of seven entering their first round game in Dallas, and it’s their ability to win away from home that makes them a serious threat.
Tennessee has picked up 12 wins outside of Knoxville this season, which includes victories over several NCAA Tournament teams in Purdue, Kentucky, Arkansas, and North Carolina State.
Grant Williams played well enough to earn SEC Player of the Year honors, but it’s the overall balance that makes the Vols a difficult matchup. Seven players average 20 minutes or more per game, and all can contribute in different ways.
Tennessee has proven that it can succeed when playing multiple styles, and that could be what drives this team to a lengthy run in this tournament.
Meet the opponent
Wright State finished second in the always entertaining Horizon League, which certainly surprised some people after being picked fifth in the preseason.
But perhaps no one should have underestimated head coach Scott Nagy. He led the team to 20 wins in his first season after taking South Dakota State to three NCAA Tournament appearances in his last five seasons with the Jackrabbits.
And now, he already has the Raiders dancing in his second year on the job.
How did they do it? With their defense. Wright State is 27th nationally in scoring defense (65.7 ppg) and turnovers forced (15.2), and Nagy’s squad will try to keep those trends going against the Vols, who also pride themselves on their production on the defensive side of the court.
Grant Benzinger (14.5 ppg, 37.9 percent from 3-point range) leads the way scoring-wise for the Raiders, with five other active players posting between 7.9 and 12.9 points per contest.
Potential second round matchups
The 6/11 matchup between Miami and Loyola-Chicago should be very entertaining.
Jim Larranaga’s team sports plenty of size and athleticism, which they’ll need when it comes to trying to defend one of the better offensive teams in the entire tournament.
Loyola is an excellent passing team that slows the tempo and takes great shots, and that type of team can be easy to trust in March.
Of course, what helps make the Ramblers even more difficult to guard is that they knock down shots at a very efficient rate. They enter the tournament ranked eighth in effective field-goal percentage and shoot 39.8 percent from beyond the arc, so it’s essential that Miami come out and guard right from the tip.
If the Hurricanes don’t do that, it shouldn’t be all that surprising to see Loyola reel off a convincing win in Dallas.
Region favorites
After the bracket was revealed on Sunday, it appeared that top seed Virginia had a difficult road to the Final Four with a potential Sweet 16 matchup against Arizona or Kentucky.
However, things will be even harder for the Cavaliers now that star forward De’Andre Hunter would miss the entire tournament due to injury.
So, that definitely opens things up a bit for the two Wildcats. Deandre Ayton is absolutely unstoppable when he wants to be, and Kentucky is finally putting things together after a somewhat up and down regular season.
Beyond that, you can’t count out No. 2 Cincinnati given how well Mick Cronin’s team defends. A potential meeting between the Bearcats and Cavaliers probably wouldn’t be an offense lover’s dream.
Of course, I also feel pretty confident in grouping the Vols in with all these possible region favorites as well.
Region sleepers
Aside from Loyola possibly spoiling the fun for Miami and possibly even Tennessee, you should look no further than Davidson as another team that could throw the South out of whack.
The Wildcats are stellar on offense and have the discipline to make things hard on Kentucky in that first round game in Boise.
Bob McKillop has been here before, and with a team that has size and the ability to spread the floor, he could have Davidson as the surprise of the tournament yet again.
Also, keep an eye on the winner of the 7/10 matchup between Nevada and Texas.
Both teams are well-coached and play different styles, so they could give Cincinnati a worthy challenge in round two.
How far can Tennessee advance?
Of all the SEC teams in the field, the Vols seemingly have the most manageable path to the Final Four.
But it’s not just about the path itself.
All season long, Tennessee has been one of the rare teams that you feel like you can trust on a regular basis, and the double-digit wins away from home prove that.
I love this team’s toughness, as nothing really ever seems to rattle the Vols. What’s most impressive about that they have only one senior on the roster, yet it feels like the floor is filled with seniors when it comes to decision making in key moments.
Tennessee’s road to San Antonio is far from easy, but again, it goes back to the proven success when it comes to winning games in different ways.
The Vols shoot well enough to win a high-scoring affair, and play defense well enough to win a grind-it-out type of game.
Barnes has been to the tournament 22 times as a head coach and has had many memorable experiences along the way, including one Final Four trip in 2003.
If Tennessee plays to its potential, a second trip for the veteran coach could be well within reach.
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