It’s hard to imagine more being a stake for Tennessee’s basketball program when the Vols face their arch-nemesis, Kentucky, in the Sweet 16. After all, Tennessee can match its deepest all-time NCAA Tournament run while beating the Wildcats. That’s some pretty heavy stuff.
In fact, if Tennessee beats Kentucky, it will be the biggest win in UT basketball history. And it’s really not close. Moreover, I don’t care what happens in the Elite Eight, Final Four or beyond later this season. A Vols’ win would still be the top triumph in Tennessee’s trophy case.
Let’s take a look at some of the other significant victories in Tennessee basketball history, beginning with the wins that came in the same round of the NCAA Tournament, the Sweet 16. The Vols have advanced to the Elite Eight just twice in their long, storied history, so those wins matter most.
Tennessee made it to the Elite Eight last season before bowing out to Purdue. The Vols beat Creighton 82-75 to face the Boilermakers. That makes that win towards the top of the list.
UT also made the Elite Eight in 2010 under former coach Bruce Pearl when they beat Ohio State 76-73 in the Sweet 16. The Vols lost to Michigan State two days later.
We can quibble over which of those two games should be ranked ahead of the other. I’ll go with Tennessee beating the Buckeyes because it marked the first time the Vols made it to the Elite Eight, and OSU was a much more highly touted opponent. After that, things get, well, a bit tangled up.
That’s what makes the aforementioned trio the top three wins ever for the Vols and this upcoming game the biggest. If Tennessee can beat Kentucky, then the Vols will have matched the best NCAA Tournament run in history while finally besting the Wildcats, who have beaten Tennessee twice this season.
Advancing to unprecedented heights while beating a rival? Sorry, it doesn’t get any better than that. However, let’s take a look at some other big wins for the Vols.
Note: I’m excluding NCAA Tournament wins, which may have sent Tennessee to a Sweet 16. Why? Because the Vols are beyond the point of needing tournament wins to boost their program. That has been the case for over two decades. The following wins made Tennessee front page news and led to bigger things in the future.
Listed in order:
Ohio State – 2010
Creighton – 2024
Kentucky – 1966
Tennessee beat No. 1 Kentucky 69-62 despite the fact that the Wildcats had a legendary team, led NBA legend Pat Riley and Larry Conley. This was perhaps the time in which the true vitriol of the Tennessee-Kentucky rivalry was brought to the surface. That would last for decades to come.
Memphis – 2008
The Vols were the second-ranked team in the nation when they travelled to face No. 1 Memphis in the Bluff City. The game was, indeed, in the regular season, but it felt like a national championship tilt. Moreover, ESPN decided to promote the event throughout the week. Both teams benefitted from the coverage. The Vols walked away with a 66-62 win.
Kansas – 2010
Tennessee beat No. 1 Kansas despite being incredibly shorthanded. The Vols were thought to have little, if any, chance to beat the Jayhawks with four players suspended. Nevertheless, Tennessee beat Kansas 76-68 in Knoxville.
Gonzaga – 2018
Noticing a trend? Gonzaga was also the No. 1 team in the nation when the Vols beat them in 2019. The 76-73 win over the Zags didn’t created the same publicity as some of the other games on this list. However, the Vols were certainly a media darling long enough to matter.
