Jay Bilas Says Tennessee Volunteers Not a Title Contender in NCAA Tournament

College basketball expert Jay Bilas says the Tennessee Volunteers are not a national title contender.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes watches his team play Florida during the first half of the Southeastern Conference tournament championship at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, March 16, 2025. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College basketball expert Jay Bilas says the Tennessee Volunteers are not a national title contender.

The NCAA Tournament officially started on Tuesday as the first four games tipped off. Alabama State and North Carolina both officially punched their ticket to the tournament. The first round starts on Thursday which people are getting their last few predictions out before the first game.

ESPN's Jay Bilas and college basketball content creator Ryan Hammer created a video of them deciding which teams were national title contenders. The two ran down a list of teams and when it came to the Tennessee Volunteers, Bilas gave an answer Volunteer fans aren't going to like.

"Barley no. Three weeks ago yes but right now no," Bilas said.

It's not a question of if Tennessee can beat the top teams in the country. They have wins against Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Kentucky during the regular season. However, their most recent matchup against the Florida Gators did maybe propose some questions as we head into the postseason.

Tennessee men's basketball program has never made a final four and has made the elite eight twice, last year being one of those times. This seems like a team that could break that trend once and for all but there are still some doubters of what the Volunteers can accomplish this tournament.

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