Tennessee Volunteers
SEC (21-12, 11-7)
It seems like every time Tennessee is ready to string together a few wins, they get upset or fail to get that big road win. Throughout the regular season, the Volunteers never won more than four games in a row. That does not bode well for a deep tournament run.
Big Wins: 11/29 vs Xavier (64-49), 12/30 Virginia (87-52), 3/8 Missouri (72-45)
Bad Losses: 1/11 Texas A&M (56-57), 2/5 at Vanderbilt (60-64), 2/22 Texas A&M (65-68)
Coach: Cuonzo Martin (3 seasons at Tennessee)
Why They Can Surprise:
Upperclassmen Jordan McRae, Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon have proved to be a nice trio for Coach Cuonzo Martin to build around. McRae is one of the most dynamic scorers in the SEC and he has only failed to reach double digits in the scoring column a handful of times this year. McRae can completely take over a game and he will almost always keep shooting even if he is having an off night. Against Florida, Tennessee scored just 41 points and McRae went 1-15 from the floor. Those types of games are few and far between for McRae, but this team will not beat quality opponents when he makes one shot. Stokes, a 6-8 forward, is good for a double-double just about every game. He is also, arguably, the best shot blocker on a team that has a roster full of players who are a threat to block a shot or two. Maymon is a beast on the glass, especially on the offensive end. He averages about ten points per game and does a good job using his girth to create space for himself.
Why They Can Disappoint:
McRae is a dangerous three-point shooter, but that is about it on this team. Wing Josh Richardson does so many things, but most of his offense comes from attacking the basket. Point guard Antonio Barton can keep the opposition honest as a threat to hit the long ball. But more often than not, points are tough to come by for the Volunteers. They have the ability to grind out wins, yet they will need to find a way to score in bunches if they want to get a couple wins in the postseason.
Probable Starters:
Antonio Barton, Senior, Guard, 7.5 ppg, 2.1 apg
Jordan McRae, Senior, Guard, 18.6 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.0 bpg
Josh Richardson, Junior, Guard, 9.2ppg, 1.3 apg
Jarnell Stokes, Junior, Forward, 14.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Jeronne Maymon, Senior, Forward, 10.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Armani Moore, Sophomore, Guard, 3.0 ppg
Derek Reese, Sophomore, Guard, 2.6 ppg
Darius Thompson, Freshman, Guard, 2.7 ppg, 2.5 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.5 (136th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 61.8 (18, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.7 (153, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.1 (64, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.0 (191, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.2 (178, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.2 (134, 4)
Rebound Margin: 8.8 (3, 2)
Assists Per Game: 12.9 (157, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.5 (32, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NIT First Round loss to Mercer
2012 NIT First Round win over Savannah State
2012 NIT Second Round loss to Middle Tennessee
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Michigan
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over San Diego State
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Ohio
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Ohio State
2010 NCAA Regional Final loss to Michigan State
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Oklahoma
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over American University
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Butler
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Louisville
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Long Beach State
2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Virginia
2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Ohio State
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
