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Tennessee Basketball: 3 reasons why Vols will be tourney team in 2019-20

By Andrew Clark

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 09: Lamonte Turner #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers defends KeVaughn Allen #5 of the Florida Gators at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 09, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 09: Lamonte Turner #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers defends KeVaughn Allen #5 of the Florida Gators at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 09, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 28: The Tennessee Volunteers huddle prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers during the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 28: The Tennessee Volunteers huddle prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers during the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

2. The benefit of the SEC

Many fans think the SEC is not on the same level as the ACC when it comes to basketball. However, both conferences have had similar success with at-large bids the past two seasons. For the past two years, eight SEC teams have qualified for the national championship. To believe Tennessee will be at the top of the SEC come conference tournament season is unrealistic, however, if the SEC keeps winning as many at-large bids as it has in recent years (which seems likely with the strength of the 2019 recruits) Tennessee should be well within the conversation.

The addition of Josiah Jordan-James to the upperclassmen in the squad is the biggest positive for the Volunteers. Kentucky and Florida had impressive recruiting classes. Both the Gators and the Wildcats may take some time to adjust, with so many freshmen entering their teams. Both are still going to be near the top of the standings in the SEC.

Georgia was able to land No. 2 prospect Anthony Edwards. While Edwards is a boost for the Bulldogs, Tom Crean’s Bulldogs went 2-16 in conference play last season and it is hard to imagine Edwards giving them enough of a bump to be a contender to win the SEC. Expect them to finish close to Tennessee, with a ceiling in the 3rd or 4th seed behind Florida, Kentucky and Auburn.

Aside from a season-ending injury early for any of the starters, Tennessee can easily remain relevant and steal a game off of a top team in the division, boosting their resume come tournament time. Many fans may talk themselves into Georgia, Auburn and LSU all being better squads, but even if that is the case and Tennessee finished sixth in the SEC, that has been good enough to make the National Championship for the past two years.

Now, in non-conference play, Tennessee may struggle. They have games against Washington, Florida State, Memphis and Kansas. Two of these games will be at Neutral sites (Washington is in Toronto for the Naismith Classic, and the Florida State game is in Niceville, Florida for the Emerald Coast Classic). Only the Memphis game will be a home game for the Volunteers, they will likely have to win three of the four to stay in the conversation going into conference play.

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