Tennessee vs Wofford: Final Thoughts Ahead of NCAA Tournament First Round

Final thoughts ahead of Tennessee's first-round matchup against Wofford in the NCAA March Madness Tournament.

Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler (5) looks for a path around Florida defenders during the second 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

Final thoughts ahead of Tennessee's first-round matchup against Wofford in the NCAA March Madness Tournament.

After a tough loss in the SEC Championship game against Florida, the Tennessee Volunteers have their first round game in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Volunteers will face off against 15-seed Wofford.

Despite Tennessee's success this season, there doesn't seem to be a strong belief in the Volunteers. 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.

Bilas also predicted the Volunteers to lose in the elite eight. Tennessee has never made the final four in program history.

Tennessee could have one of the easier paths to the elite eight in the tournament. If they defeat Wofford, they will play the winner of UCLA vs Utah State and from there they could play Troy, Kentucky, Xavier or Illinois in the sweet sixteen.

The bottom line is Tennessee, as talented as they are, should make a deep run in the tournament this year and anything short of making the elite eight could be look at as a disappointment. Rick Barnes and his team have shown signs of being one of the best teams in the country, now they need to prove it on the biggest stage of the sport.

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