'Tennessee Can Beat Anybody' Per College Basketball Expert

The Tennessee Volunteers received some high praise from one of ESPN's college basketball experts.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes chats with his team during a men’s college basketball game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers received some high praise from one of ESPN's college basketball experts.

The Tennessee Volunteers are once again contenders in college basketball as they rank inside of the top-10 and have remained there for the entire season. They have had some up and down moments throughout the year, but they have also proven just how talented of a team they are as the month of March is approaching.

The Volunteers are currently 21-5 on the season and rank sixth in the SEC, a conference that some have claimed to be the best the sport has ever seen. The Vols have a few more tests remaining on the schedule before postseason play arrives with games against Alabama, Texas A&M and Ole Miss remaining as far as ranked opponents go.

Offensive struggles have been the Achilles heel for the Volunteers this season, but the defense has remained stout all year. And according to ESPN's Jay Bilas, Tennessee has the capability of beating anyone and everyone, which is a comforting thing to know heading into a tournament like March Madness. Bilas ranked his 68-best college basketball teams and the Volunteers came in at No. 7 on the list. Here is what he had to say:

"As per usual, the Vols have the No. 1 defense in the country but are a bit up and down offensively," Bilas wrote. "When Chaz Lanier is aggressive and Igor Milicic Jr. and Felix Okpara are assertive threats with the ball, Tennessee can beat anybody. But offensive inconsistency has led to some frustrating losses, all of which have come in SEC play."

The Volunteers are averaging 74.6 points per game offensively and allowing an average of 60.5 points per game. They've ppretty much already locked up their spot in the NCAA tournament, now it's just a matter of making sure they're playing their best basketball when it matters most.

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