Gameday on Rocky Top

Here’s our list of games worth watching this week, specifically curated for fans of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Monday

The week’s action tips off tonight with No. 15 Kansas at No. 16 Kansas State. We’re rooting for the Jayhawks there.

Tuesday

Tuesday features four games that matter to Vols fans. No. 3 Duke takes on No. 20 Virginia Tech, and No. 5 North Carolina takes on Syracuse, who’s one of Duke’s Quadrant 2 losses.

More importantly, the two teams currently tied with Tennessee for first place in the SEC are on the road against conference foes. No. 4 Kentucky travels to Arkansas (SECN at 9:00) and No. 13 LSU travels to Texas A&M (ESPN2 at 9:00). At this point, we want both of those teams to lose to give the Vols the edge in conference standings. Neither of them will fall out of Quadrant 1, so losing won’t Tennessee’s resume or opportunity going forward.

Wednesday

Tennessee travels to Ole Miss at 7:00 on the SEC Network Wednesday night. The game provides the Vols with an opportunity for a valuable and much-needed Quadrant 1 win.

No. 2 Virginia and No. 8 Houston are both also in action, although neither will likely lose. Future Vols opponent Auburn also travels to Georgia, and we’re rooting for Auburn there, as they’re no real threat to the SEC race or to Tennessee’s seeding.

Thursday

On Thursday, No. 9 Michigan and No. 1 Gonzaga both play teams they should beat, but at this point in the season, you never know.

Full college basketball TV schedule

And here is the full searchable college basketball TV schedule for this week:

In our four-factor preview of the Tennessee-LSU game, the numbers suggested that there were two primary keys to the game: defend without fouling, and rebound on both sides of the floor.

In one sense, the Vols lost the game 82-80 at the moment normally-reliable Lamonte Turner launched a three-point attempt too early with the score tied and the clock winding down, setting the stage for a possible LSU rebound and fast break and a Grant Williams foul to prevent it. English professors everywhere are tearing up at the previous sentence, but it all happened so incredibly fast that the situation calls for a run-on. Instead of Tennessee getting the last shot, LSU not only got the ball last, they got it at the free throw line.

But the game came down to that last play because Tennessee failed at one of the primary keys of the game, despite doing a good job at the other. Plus, they were once again uncharacteristically sloppy in the turnover department.

Effective Field Goal Percentage

Heading into the game, we said that the numbers showed a distinct advantage for Tennessee on both sides of the ball when it came to shooting percentage. That was indeed the case, as the Vols shot 44.8% from the field and 36.4% from the arc while holding LSU to 38.5% and 32%.

This was Tennessee’s primary advantage, and they made sure it mattered during the game.

Turnover Percentage

Here’s what we said about turnovers in our game preview:

This game appears to feature a team in Tennessee that is good at protecting the ball going up against a team in LSU that is good at forcing turnovers, while on the other side of the ball, LSU likes to give it away but Tennessee doesn’t do much to force the issue. Hopefully, the Vols’ offense will be more in synch and will not give the game away by giving up too many turnovers on offense.

Well, pfffft. We’ve been saying for a few games now that “Tennessee has been uncharacteristically sloppy in recent games,” and unfortunately, despite the season-long numbers, we might have to stop qualifying this as uncharacteristic. The Vols were again sloppy with the ball, doubling up the Tigers on turnovers 14-7. Give some of that credit to LSU, but this is becoming a disturbing trend.

Offensive Rebounding Percentage

After looking at all of the numbers, we concluded that one of the keys to the game was keeping LSU off the offensive glass, and the team actually did a decent job of that.

Tennessee held LSU to its average of 13 offensive boards, an accomplishment for a team that isn’t very good at keeping opponents from getting their own misses. Meanwhile, the Vols had 13 o-rebounds of their own. This was one of the keys to the game, and Tennessee did a good job executing.

Free Throw Rate

Unfortunately, an even bigger key to the game was keeping LSU off of the foul line, and the Vols failed in that department. The Tigers are averaging 24.2 trips to the foul line per game, and they got there 31 times against the Vols. Tennessee only got to the line 16 times.

Prior to the game, Tennessee’s defensive free throw rate was No. 182; it’s now No. 195.

In a two-point game, getting to the line 15 more times than your opponent makes all the difference.

Tremont Waters did not play with an illness. Tennessee held Naz Reid to a single point – one overtime free throw – and 0-for-9 from the floor. The Vols also were even with LSU on the offensive glass at 13 each, though the Tigers only had 11 until back-to-back offensive rebounds led to the tying bucket in the final seconds of overtime. The Vols held LSU to 38.5% from the floor, their fourth-worst performance of the season.

But the Tigers got to the line 31 times, hitting 24 of them. Tennessee went just 12-of-16. It was enough to keep things close throughout, and when the Vols missed opportunities to win at the end of regulation and the end of overtime, one more whistle with 0.6 seconds left as Grant Williams and Ja’vonte Smart collided gave the Tigers two more free throws and the win.

Jordan Bone had bad luck at the end of regulation, slipping and falling on the run in the final seconds. Lamonte Turner took a bad shot with too much time left on the clock at the end of overtime…but, to a degree, if you’re going to live with Lamonte Turner as the Vols did at Rupp Arena last year, sometimes you’re also going to have to die with him.

The refs were the story for their constant use of lengthy video replay to confirm calls that seemed obvious. But the fouls are the real truth of this loss, an all-too-common thread in Tennessee’s defeats:

• Kansas: KU 22-of-34 (64.7%), UT 12-of-17 (70.6%)
• Kentucky: UK 23-of-33 (69.7%), UT 14-of-18 (77.8%)
• LSU: LSU 24-of-31 (77.4%), UT 12-of-16 (75%)

Those three represent the only times this season the Vols sent the opposition to the line 30+ times, but two of them included overtime. The more jarring stat is the difference: Kansas +17 attempts, Kentucky +16, LSU +15.

Tennessee still has the nation’s second-best offense in KenPom after this one. It may very well be that the best way to stop Tennessee’s offense is to get to the line, prevent transition, and get a shorter rotation in foul trouble.

All that said…Tennessee is 24-3 with losses to Top 15 teams, two in overtime. But if you’re looking for a blueprint to give yourself a chance to beat the Vols in March? To me, it’s a convincing one.

Smart had 29 points, but shot only 9-of-22 from the floor. Some of his finishes you have to tip your hat to. The bigger problem was his ability to penetrate at will, which most often got him fouled (9-of-10 at the line) or created better chances for offensive rebounds even when he missed.

Thankfully the Vols have an extra day before going to Oxford, because Grant Williams played 40 minutes, Schofield and Turner 39. Tennessee did not use Jalen Johnson today and put Derrick Walker on the floor for only three minutes. Both teams looked exhausted down the stretch; the Vols had their chances and didn’t take advantage, and LSU did on that last whistle.

It’s tough to judge just how well Tennessee defended LSU without Waters, but overall defense (now 40th in KenPom) continues to need improvement to get to a championship level. But unless the Vols figure out how to defend without fouling against teams with penetrating guards and bigs who can clean it up behind them, they’re going to be in for more of a fight than we bargained for if they catch a bad match-up in the tournament.

Tennessee, Kentucky, and LSU will now be tied at 12-2 atop the league standings. Duke’s loss and Zion Williamson’s injury this week should separate Virginia and Gonzaga atop the bracket. The Vols can still get back to the front of the line in the league and for a one seed by beating Kentucky next Saturday. But first they’ll go to Ole Miss to face another NCAA-bound team.

Nothing is easy from here. Keep getting better.

It’s Gameday on Rocky Top, with No. 5 Tennessee (24-2, 12-1) traveling to Baton Rouge to take on No. 13 LSU (21-5, 11-2).

Here’s the Gameday Gameplan for Vols fans. Where and when to find the Vols game on TV, what other games to watch, and what to listen to and read as you wait for kickoff.

When is the Vols game, and what TV channel is it on?

Here are the particulars for today’s Tennessee game:

• Tipoff: 12:00
• TV: ESPN
• Official video streaming: Watch ESPN
• Official audio streaming: Vol Network
• Live stats

The best other games for Vols fans to watch today

Here’s our list of games to watch today and tomorrow, curated just for Vols fans:

And here’s the complete list of today’s games in case you’re looking for something else:

GRT game-week audio

Here’s Will’s regular Friday appearance with Josh Ward and Will West on WNML’s Sports 180:

Pre-game prep

And in case you missed any of it, here’s some additional reading material to get you game-ready:

• Tennessee-LSU four-factors preview: defend without fouling, get the board
• Here Comes The Money
• Tennessee-Vanderbilt four-factor review
• The Vols Still Make Their Own Fate

Here’s our list of games worth watching this week, specifically curated for fans of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Saturday

The big event for the day for Vols fans, of course, is Tennessee traveling to Baton Rouge to take on LSU at noon on ESPN.

How much attention you put on other games during the Vols game is up to you, but while the Vols are playing, we’re also wanting Louisville to upset Virginia. I’m also rooting for Auburn to upset Kentucky because the Wildcats are currently a threat to our 1-seed.

Duke, Gonzaga, and Houston are all in action this afternoon as well, so we’re wanting them to take a loss. Why do we care about Houston, which is only ranked No. 9 in the polls? Because they are No. 4 in the more-important NET Rankings.

We also want Florida to beat Missouri to remain a Quadrant 1 opponent for the Vols, and we’re rooting for prior opponent Kansas (one of the Vols’ only two losses) over Texas Tech.

Florida State and North Carolina could be fun as well, although it likely won’t impact the Vols very much.

Sunday

Sunday, we want Michigan State over Michigan, beause the Wolverines are more of a threat to displace the Vols on one of the top seed lines.

Full college basketball TV schedule

And here is the full searchable college basketball TV schedule for this weekend:

The No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers travel to Baton Rouge to take on the No. 13 LSU Tigers on Saturday at noon on ESPN.

As we did with the last two games, let’s take a look at the teams’ respective four factors numbers, first as a straight-up comparison and then in the context of their opponent.

Four Factors: Straight-Up

Effective FG%

• Tennessee 56.1 (No. 12) (down from 56.5 (No. 8))
• LSU 52.7 (No. 93)

Prior opponents:

• Vanderbilt: 50.3 (No. 198)
• Kentucky: 52.8 (No. 93)

Conclusions: Its recent shooting woes notwithstanding, Tennessee is generally a much better shooting team than LSU, and the Tigers are about as good shooting the ball as is Kentucky.

Turnover %

• Tennessee 15.9 (No. 23) (down from 15.8 (No. 21))
• LSU 19.0 (No. 196)

Prior opponents:

• Vanderbilt: 19.9 (No. 255)
• Kentucky: 18.5 (No. 158)

Conclusions: The Vols protect the ball better than the Tigers, which are somewhere in between Tennessee’s last two opponents in that category.

Offensive Rebound %

• Tennessee 31.8 (No. 74) (down from 32.0 (No. 66))
• LSU 37.4 (No. 6)

Prior opponents:

• Vanderbilt: 28.6 (No. 178)
• Kentucky: 38.3 (No. 3)

Conclusions: LSU, which is essentially as good as Kentucky at getting offensive rebounds, has a distinct advantage over the Vols in this category.

Free Throw Rate

• Tennessee 35.3 (No. 127) (down from 36.0 (No. 107))
• LSU 39.8 (No. 29)

Prior opponents:

• Vanderbilt: 44.8 (No. 7)
• Kentucky: 41 (No. 22)

Conclusions: The same can be said for free throw rate, that LSU is essentially the same team as Kentucky. Fortunately for the Vols, Vanderbilt is even better at getting to the line than either team, and they struggled against the Vols this week.

Those are the straight-up comparisons of the teams’ respective averages in the four factors, but what about the fact that those numbers are impacted in any given game by the opponent?

Four Factors: Opponent impact

Effective FG%

When Tennessee has the ball

Tennessee’s EFG% is 56.1 (No. 12), while LSU’s defense against that is 50.9 (No. 183). Both Vanderbilt and Kentucky were better equipped to negatively impact Tennessee’s efficient shooting, so with that, the extra focus, and the extra rest this week, I’m expecting the Vols to shoot much better this weekend than they have the last couple of games.

When LSU has the ball

LSU’s shooting offense is 52.7 (No. 93), while Tennessee’s shooting defense is 46.9 (No. 31). The Tigers shoot better than Vandy, but with the Vols’ shooting defense improving this week, LSU could struggle a little more than usual.

Conclusions

Tennessee’s usually potent offense shouldn’t be troubled too much by LSU’s defense. On the other side of the ball, LSU’s offense — which is fine but not elite — will find more resistance than usual from a Tennessee defense sporting a renewed focus.

Turnover %

When Tennessee has the ball

Tennessee’s turnover % is 15.9 (No. 23), while LSU’s turnover defense is 21.6 (No. 37). The Vols have been uncharacteristically sloppy the past couple of games, and LSU could have some say about the Vols continuing that trend tomorrow.

When LSU has the ball

LSU’s turnover % isn’t great at 19.0 (No. 196), but Tennessee’s turnover defense isn’t much better, also at 19.0 (No. 158).

Conclusions

This game appears to feature a team in Tennessee that is good at protecting the ball going up against a team in LSU that is good at forcing turnovers, while on the other side of the ball, LSU likes to give it away but Tennessee doesn’t do much to force the issue. Hopefully, the Vols’ offense will be more in synch and will not give the game away by giving up too many turnovers on offense.

Offensive Rebounding %

When Tennessee has the ball

Tennessee’s OR% is 31.8 (No. 74), while LSU’s defense in that category is 31.0 (No. 286). So, the Vols aren’t especially good at this usually, but LSU may make it easier.

When LSU has the ball

LSU’s OR% is 37.4 (No. 6), while the Vols’ defense in that category is 30.3 (No. 260). This is the biggest statistical advantage in the game, and it belongs to LSU.

Conclusions

Tennessee will likely have more offensive rebounds than usual in this game, which is a good thing, but the numbers say the Vols are going to have real trouble keeping the Tigers from getting their own offensive rebounds. LSU’s shooting percentage isn’t scary enough to put all of the defensive energy into making them take tough shots. It might make more sense to devote marginally more energy to boxing out and preventing offensive rebounds.

Free Throw Rate

When Tennessee has the ball

Tennessee’s FT Rate is 35.3 (No. 127), while LSU’s defense against that is 34.1 (No. 207). Good news, this is more like Vanderbilt than Kentucky. Of course, the Vols didn’t really get to the line very much at all against Vanderbilt. Perhaps that will change against LSU.

When LSU has the ball

LSU’s FT Rate is 39.8 (No. 29). Tennessee’s ability to keep opponents off the foul line is 33.0 (No. 182). That, of course, is not very good at all, but it improved this week with an emphasis on doing so.

The bad news is that Kentucky dominated Tennessee in this category. The good news is that the Vols nullified an even bigger advantage for Vandy in the last game.

Conclusions

Tennessee’s offense should be able to get to the line against LSU. The real question is the extent to which LSU will be able to do the same. We said prior to the Vanderbilt game that this area was going to be a real challenge for Tennessee but would also be a point of emphasis. That turned out to be the case, and the vulnerability was nullified. That should be the game plan again tomorrow. Defend without fouling, get the rebound.

Summary and Score Prediction

Tennessee’s biggest advantages in this game appear to be shooting offense and its own offensive rebounding. LSU’s biggest advantages appear to be its own offensive rebounding and getting to the line.

The goals for the Vols, then, should be to maximize their advantages in shooting and rebounding when they have the ball and to turn up the defense without fouling on the other end.

KenPom has Tennessee winning this one 81-79.

Go Vols.

Here’s the best way I know to describe what’s no longer on the horizon, but finally here:

Tennessee (24-2, 12-1) has played eight games against KenPom’s Tier A, representing a Top 50 opponent when adjusting for location. Half of those came in the non-conference (Louisville, Kansas, Gonzaga, Memphis). Both games against the Gators are now Tier A after Florida’s win at LSU, as were the trips to South Carolina and, of course, Kentucky. That’s eight of Tennessee’s 26 games.

The Vols are about to play five Tier A opponents in a row.

Tennessee has played seven games against teams currently in the Bracket Matrix. Three of those came against Alabama and Florida, currently two of the last four in.

The Vols are about to play five teams seeded eight or better in a row.

Of Tennessee’s 12 SEC wins, 10 came by at least 11 points. Adjusting for location, KenPom projects the Vols to beat LSU by one, Ole Miss by four, Kentucky by three, Mississippi State by nine, and lose to Auburn by one.

Everything is different from here on out. Every night will be a challenge, every win a good one by any margin. The next five games and the SEC Tournament are the dress rehearsal for the NCAA Tournament, and the Vols are still fighting for one of its top seeds.

A year unlike any we’ve seen so far now faces its toughest test. Let’s see what Tennessee has left to give.

DaCoachO Doesn’t Care For DaNoonTipoff

LSU shares the same strength of schedule issues as Tennessee, with a less murderous finish. After tomorrow the Tigers face Texas A&M, then back-to-back road trips to Alabama and Florida, then finish with Vanderbilt. The loss to the Gators midweek helps, and they could easily fall again in Tuscaloosa or Gainesville…but you want to stay ahead of this team in the standings, given what Tennessee has left.

Their road to 11-2 in conference play is paved with points: in 10 of their 13 contests, LSU has scored at least 80 points, and cracked 90 three times. The Tigers also beat Kentucky with just 73 points. The footrace works both ways: LSU has three overtime wins in league play, plus the OT loss to Florida. They also fell to Arkansas in an absolutely bananas game 90-89.

So tomorrow they’ll face the only SEC offense better than their own: the Tigers are 11th nationally in offensive efficiency, but the Vols still trail only Gonzaga in that department. The Zags have an offensive rating of 127.9, topped only in the KenPom era by the 2015 Wisconsin team that beat Kentucky.

The Tigers get it from a David-and-Goliath combo of 5’11” Tremont Waters and 6’10” freshman Naz Reid. Waters puts in 15.7 points and 5.9 assists per game; he’s also seventh nationally at creating steals. Reid gets 13.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and is a sneaky good three point shooter (38.1%). LSU has other double-digit scorers in guards Skylar Mays (an 86% free throw shooter) and Ja’vonte Smart, but a huge percentage of their offense runs through Waters and Reid.

LSU is going to run, and they’re going to attack the rim and the offensive glass. They lead the SEC in both offensive rebounding percentage and free throw rate. And when it goes the other way, they’re going to attack the ball: the Tigers are fourth nationally at creating steals.

But if you can get past all the havoc – which is considerable – their defense is vulnerable. The Tigers are sixth in the SEC in defensive efficiency, but dead last (and 277th nationally) in two-point field goal percentage allowed. And the Vols have been excellent from inside the arc, shooting 57.1% on the year: sixth nationally, best in the SEC.

The win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday was a Cuonzo Martin special: we didn’t make shots, but everything else was there. Tennessee’s defensive efficiency went from the mid-50’s to the low-40’s, a great sign for this team’s championship potential. Against a team as good as LSU, the Vols will need to make more shots, of course. But the defensive performance against the Commodores made me feel better about Tennessee’s ceiling.

It’s easy to oversimplify this game and say Tennessee needs Jordan Bone to outplay Tremont Waters, and Grant Williams to outplay Naz Reid. But after Tennessee had its worst game of the season on so many levels at Kentucky, the Vols can be more than just the same team from Lexington that happens to make more shots. Against a team that goes so hard to the offensive glass, we’ll see what Tennessee learned in the toughness department. But it’s not just an intangible, as three of LSU’s five losses came when teams beat them at their own game: Florida State had 19 offensive rebounds, Houston 17, and the Gators 14, the three highest totals the Tigers have allowed all year.

The Kentucky game was bigger on a national level, but for the whole of the season this is one of the most important games left. For Tennessee to remain in control of its own destiny in the chase for a number one seed, this is a big one to get.

High noon, ESPN. Go Vols.

After Tennessee’s 58-46 win over winless-in-the-SEC Vanderbilt last night, you could see what looked like disappointment on the faces of the players. Beat writers were bracing for head coach Rick Barnes to express his own frustration in his post-game press conference.

But Barnes actually seemed pleased and unperturbed, as if he was grading based solely on his own narrow criteria. Last night’s game was an opportunity for the Vols to get hyper focused on the things they needed to fix about themselves, and when you look at those things, then yes, last night was encouraging.

Effective Field Goal Percentage

Tennessee’s offense is one of the best in the country in EFG%, but the Kentucky loss Saturday shined a harsh light on a concern that had been overshadowed by the team’s historical win streak: The Vols’ defensive EFG% is not good enough to enable the team to reach its ultimate goal for this season.

Kentucky shot 54.7% from the field and 38.5% from the arc against the Vols last Saturday. Against Vanderbilt last night, the Vols’ defense held the Commodores to 32.1% from the field and 30.4% from the three-point line. That’s still too high from three, and the offense had another off-shooting night, but Rick Barnes wasn’t concerned about the offense as much as he was pleased at the defensive success. Vandy’s 46 points was the lowest total for a Tennessee opponent since the first game of the season against Lenior-Rhyne.

Turnover Percentage

Tennessee had a significant advantage in the turnovers category heading into the game last night, but they failed to make anything of it. Vandy had 12 turnovers, but the Vols were uncharacteristically careless with the ball and gave up 11 themselves. This, along with the shooting troubles, is probably a big reason why they couldn’t put the game away until late.

Offensive Rebounding Percentage

We expected the Vols to have a slight advantage in rebounding last night, and they did, but it was indeed only slight. Tennessee had 9 offensive rebounds but only held Vandy to 8. On the defensive side, the Vols had a 31-25 advantage.

Consider this a mild success, although I wonder if they weren’t hoping for better.

Free Throw Rate

Vanderbilt’s biggest advantage on paper heading into the game last night was in its ability to get to the free throw line. This had to have been a major area of emphasis for the Vols, as it was one of the many things that killed them against Kentucky last weekend. The Wildcats went to the line 33 times to Tennessee’s 18. Vanderbilt’s resume in this category is actually better than that of Kentucky.

But last night, the Commodores only got to the line six times. That’s a huge success for the good guys, especially when you combine it with the improved defense. If you can defend that well without fouling, you’re in good shape.

With 111 entries, all of them updated since the Kentucky game, the Bracket Matrix still has Tennessee as a one seed. And it’s fairly comfortable: the Vols are the last one seed with an average seed of 1.22, and Kentucky is the first two seed with an average of 1.88. Say what you want about the AP poll, where the Vols dropped from first to fifth, but the vast majority of bracketologists still like Tennessee on the top line.

It will be interesting to see what the committee ultimately does with Nevada and Houston, the only one-loss teams left in college basketball. But the four favorites atop the bracket – Duke, Virginia, Gonzaga, and Tennessee – are the only two-loss teams left standing.

Tennessee’s biggest problem in perception isn’t that it lost at Kentucky. It’s that it lost by 17 in a game it trailed by 24. But take heart, friends: in 2017 North Carolina lost at Indiana by nine, at Georgia Tech by 12, at Miami by 15, at Duke by eight, at Virginia by 10, and to Duke again in the ACC Tournament by 10…and won the national championship. In 2016 Villanova lost to Oklahoma by 23 in December. In 2015 Duke lost at home to Miami by 16. You get the idea. Nothing is off the table.

But Tennessee’s biggest problem in reality is a defense now sitting at 52nd in efficiency when, again, only seven-seed UConn in 2014 won the national championship without an offense and defense in the top 20 nationally.

The Vols got punched in the face, and so far have said all the right things in the aftermath. It’ll be tough to judge against Vanderbilt, unless the Commodores are feeling frisky again. But Vandy is 0-12 in the league: a beat down should be the expectation, but it’s hard to prove anything against a winless foe. But beyond them, we all know what’s coming: each of Tennessee’s last five games will be against what should be a team with a favorable first-round match-up in the NCAA Tournament. It’s basically playing five second-round-or-better opponents in a row.

The chase for the league title is now especially interesting with the Vols and LSU at 11-1, Kentucky at 10-2. Here’s what everyone has left:

• Tennessee: Vanderbilt, at LSU, at Ole Miss, Kentucky, Mississippi State, at Auburn
• LSU: Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, at Alabama, at Florida, Vanderbilt
• Kentucky: at Missouri, Auburn, Arkansas, at Tennessee, at Ole Miss, Florida

KenPom projects madness with 4-2 finishes for each team. Obviously, you don’t want to get behind LSU with that finale against Vanderbilt. If Duke, Virginia, and Gonzaga keep doing their things, talk of the final one seed coming down between Kentucky and Tennessee isn’t far-fetched at all.

Michigan could get in the way there, but if not, the committee’s choice between the Vols and Cats would go to Kansas City. The more challenging portion is an increased likelihood of the loser going to Louisville (yay!) as the two seed, but having to deal with Duke or Virginia in the Elite Eight (boo!). All those conversations about, “If we lose to Duke, so be it,” sound a lot better when you’re picturing that loss in the Final Four instead of the Elite Eight.

But all of that is miles ahead. We’ve seen enough to know what Tennessee is capable of in toughness and defense. Plenty of previous champions have been punched in the face. But if the Vols don’t do something good with the taste in their mouths, they won’t join them, and will be in danger of losing a favorable path to come closer than this program has before.

Keep getting better.