Gameday Today: Vols March Madness Game 1 roundup

Survive

Tennessee didn’t just survive and advance in the NCAA Tournament yesterday, they absolutely throttled Wright State.

Pressure? What pressure? No, they are the ones who pressure. And they’ve traded their fancy handshakes for an all-business attitude copped from the 1996 Chicago Bulls.

Highlights of the smothering:

And we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t single out this play because it’s so, so good:

What did the SEC Network folks have to say? Good things, as you might expect:

Also check out this collection of photos from UTSports and this quote from Rick Barnes — now a finalist for national coach of the year — about the “talent” of hard work.

Tennesse wasn’t the only SEC team to have a good day yesterday. The conference went 4-0, and now the pressure is on Texas A&M, Arkansas, Auburn, and Missouri to uphold the good name of the group of institutions formerly known primarily for football.

Advance

So, who’s next for the Vols? The Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, who beat Miami with some flair:

The game isn’t until tomorrow at 6:10 p.m. ET on TNT, but we’re already being ever-so-politely trash-talked by a nonagenerian chaplain: