Tennessee’s basketball team is losing its grip on the season. The Vols are unraveling, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to fix things. Worse yet, March is rapidly approaching.
Here’s the problem: The Vols are now struggling in a number of ways, which suggests they’re either not as good as we once believed or just not coming together as most expected – or hoped – they would when they were assembled in the offseason.
Things have never been copasetic for the Vols since entering SEC play. They are now 4-4 in conference play and have lost their last two games, against Auburn on the road and against Kentucky at home on Tuesday evening. That certainly wasn’t an easy run.
Auburn was ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation when the Tigers faced the Vols. Kentucky was ranked 12th. However, the nature in which Tennessee lost those two games could be a harbinger of bad things to come, and things don’t get easier. The Vols host No. 5 Florida on Saturday.
Tennessee lost to Auburn because they couldn’t find a scorer. In other words, some of its key players, like transfer guards Chaz Lanier and Darlinstone Dubar and forward Igor Milicic Jr., didn’t show up on the plains. Some would consider a close loss to the Tigers, who were ranked No. 1 at the time, a positive despite the scoring woes. I see major concerns, including spells of questionable effort against the Tigers.
A close loss on the road to a highly ranked team might be the case in the eyes of the NCAA Tournament committee, but the way the game played out was a major red flag. The Vols had to rely on guard Zakai Zeigler to provide some clutch scoring when its trio of transfers couldn’t deliver. No offense to Zeigler, but the 5-foot-9 point guard just isn’t equipped to lead the Vols deep into March. He’s equipped to be a leader and defensive force, not a scorer.
The loss to the Wildcats was more disconcerting. No. 8 Tennessee was a double-digit favorite against the No. 12 Cats, but the Vols wilted at home in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Summitt had previously been a safe space for the Vols, but now it seems like just another court.
Playing at home all of a sudden doesn’t seem so comfy, especially since the Vols couldn’t control tempo and were completely out of contention in the final possessions of the 78-73 loss to Kentucky. The Vols are now 11-1 at home.
Here’s the problem: Tennessee is entering February, which happens to be the final month of the calendar before March, with a reputation that is fading fast, especially when compared to other teams in the SEC, which could have as many as 13 in the NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA selection committee shouldn’t look at one’s standing in a conference as reason to drop their seed. However, they almost certainly will. The Vols are equipped to beat a lower seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. However, that might not happen.
Tennessee is looking at being a fourth or fifth seed in the NCAA Tournament, perhaps even lower, if head coach Rick Barnes can’t get things fixed and the Vols keep stumbling against the better teams in the SEC. That would mean the Vols would face a competent opponent in the first round of March, which is not good. The Vols need as many games as possible to find themselves. They’ll need that when they go on the road to play in the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee is just 3-3 away from Thompson-Boling Arena this season.
An easy first round game in the NCAA Tournament seems more and more unlikely as the season progresses. That makes me think the Vols could be bounced out in the first or second round, which would be a massive disappointment. And I just don’t see any way to change what seems to be the Vols’ looming destiny – if they don’t fix things soon.
