Tennessee Volunteers Basketball

While the No. 11 seed Tennessee Volunteers aren't one of the favorites to reach the Final Four—Five Thirty Eight's Nate Silver said the Volunteers have a 17 percent chance of making it there—don't be surprised when they do.  

The Volunteers reached the Sweet 16 in the Midwest region by first defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the First Four, followed by their annihilation of both UMass and Mercer. 

Led by junior forward Jarnell Stokes, who is averaging 20.3 points and 14.7 rebounds per game in the tournament, the Volunteers are hitting their stride when it matters most. 

The Volunteers offense has been extremely potent thus far in the tournament. ESPN's John Gasaway (subscription required) reported the Volunteers are averaging 1.28 points per possession in the tournament. According to TeamRankings.com, 1.28 points per possession would have ranked first during the regular season.

A reason why the Volunteers have had such offensive success is they have been killing it on the offensive glass. In their game against Mercer, the Volunteers grabbed 41 boards, 18 on offense, while Mercer had just 19 rebounds. 

This leads to a ton of second chance points and is a huge reason why the Volunteers' points per possession is so high. 

The Volunteers take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Sweet 16 and even though it is a matchup of No. 11 and No. 2 seeds it is a close game on paper. 

The Volunteers excel in one of Michigan's weaknesses, which is rebounding. Michigan averaged a pedestrian 30.5 rebounds per game in the regular season while Tennessee averaged 38.3 rebounds per game. 

The Wolverines are led by sophomore guard Nik Stauskas, who is shooting 45.8 percent from three. The Wolverines have cruised to the Sweet 16 by beating both No. 15 seed Wofford and No. 7 seed Texas by double digits.

According to the Detroit Free Press' Mark Snyder, Michigan coach John Beilein believes the size and experience of the Volunteers will give Michigan problems. 

The Volunteers' starting five is comprised of all upper classmen, while the Wolverines have only two upper classmen on their whole roster. Look for the experience factor to play a huge role, if the game is close late. 

If the Volunteers can dominate the offensive glass like they have in the tournament and keep it close late into the game look for the Volunteers' experience to lead them to victory.  

If the Volunteers get through Michigan then they are looking at the winner of Louisville and Kentucky. While both these teams are well regarded and have been highly ranked at different points in the season, the Volunteers are no strangers to beating good teams.

Back in December the Volunteers defeated the No. 1 seed Virginia Cavaliers by 35 points. The Volunteers went 11-for-18 from three-point range while holding the Cavaliers to 2-for-12 from three-point range. The Volunteers proved they can play elite defense against an upper-echelon team.  

ESPN's John Gasaway (subscription required) believes that the Volunteers have the best chance among the double digit seeds to reach the Final Four. 

With the Volunteers' elite ability to rebound and score efficiently, they match up well with any team left in the tournament. Because of these factors, the Volunteers are poised to shock the world and make it to the Final Four. This will let fans finally forget about the days of Bruce Pearl and truly appreciate what Cuonzo Martin is building in Tennessee.  

This article is long overdue. The 2014 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team is playing as good as any team in the country.

But you wouldn't know it by the attitude of the players and coaches.

They, like their head coach, have been quiet and focused throughout the year. Cuonzo Martin deserves a ton of credit after being ridiculed the entire season.

There was hot-seat chatter as early as January 8th, when the Vols were 10-4 with wins over Virginia and Xavier. A large minority—or perhaps even a majority—of the fanbase took to social media with the clever hashtag, "#BBB" (Bring Back Bruce).

This, of course, assumed that Tennessee's season was done (it wasn't), that Pearl was the answer to all (he isn't) and that he wouldn't have any other options to consider this time around (he did). Most important was that first assumption. Just 14 games into a nice start to the season, the fans were ready to give Martin the axe.

These knee-jerk responses have become commonplace in the Volunteer fan base and are building a reputation we don't want to have. Stop it.

There was one fan, though, that backed Martin the entire way. No doubt there were others out there, but the pro-Bruce fans were as loud as their once outspoken leader.

But that was three years ago. It was a lot fun, but it's in the past. The coaches and players in orange get my support.

Since arriving Martin has won at least 20 games in each of his seasons in Knoxville. Okay fine, his first season was one short of 20, but Pearl hardly left the cupboard full with Tobias Harris, a group of B-squad upperclassmen and a few true freshmen with lots of growing to do.

The early-season reaction from the fanbase really begs the question: What is the minimum level of acceptable production at Tennessee in men's basketball?

Twenty wins per season, with a periodic tournament run, seems very reasonable for a football-first school to me. There's a difference between being realistic and being complacent, and I try to fall toward the former.

Recall the past several years in football and try to convince me that switching coaches that aren't immediately champions is a good strategy.

Of course, there aren't many that would try to do that now. Either the fans have changed their minds midstream or the #BBB crowd has gone back underground, waiting for a deep-tourney loss to scream, "Told ya so!" But we'll all know better, won't we? We'll know that Martin is a great fit for Tennessee.

Martin's Vols have found their stride. In a year where many thought that Tennessee could be a top 25 team, the Big Orange have a good shot at the Sweet 16, a de facto top 25 (top 16, really) that means even more.

Mercer stands in their way, and after a win over Duke, is sure to be as confident as Tennessee. But this is the kind of position we all thought the 2014 Volunteers should be in at season's end. And look where they are.

Mind experiment: After Duke's typically impressive regular season that was totally void of any hot-seat talks for Coach K, ask yourself this: Would you rather have Duke's entire season or Tennessee's, whose season isn't yet finished?

It puts things into perspective on the unfounded vitriol against Cuonzo Martin.

What's always true of any good team is that it's about the players, not the coaches. Jarnell Stokes is playing as well as any big man I've personally seen at Tennessee. A friend with a few more years than me compared him to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Wes Unseld. Baby boomers can confirm that for me.

Josh Richardson is playing terrific basketball. He brings a lot of energy on both ends of the court and is knocking down shots. No coach, good or bad, can compel a player to start hitting shots. Jeronne Maymon and Jordan McRae have been excellent leaders and players all season.

The point guard position must improve if the Vols hope to keep the run going. Antonio Barton has been wildly inconsistent this year and was 0-7 from the field in the win over UMass. Darius Thompson is young and steady but has a low ceiling this year.

The weakness of the point position has been the norm all season. What's forgotten is that the Vols were supposed to have three-year veteran Trae Golden returning this season, but he transferred to Georgia Tech in the offseason to be closer to his ill father.

If the "struggles" of the Vols are primarily because of point guard issues, as I believe they are, then the uproar of Martin's job status is akin to an uproar about the unexpected sickness of a father in Georgia. Do we really want to hang by that thin of a thread, Vols?

Just remember that if the Volunteers happen to lose a tournament game (yes, it could happen), it's not all Martin's fault. Show your sports knowledge and find a more creative reason for why the team didn't win.

Mine will be that Derek Dooley gave Martin advice.

The Tennessee Volunteers have won six of their last seven games. They already own a victory in this NCAA tournament, and they are the only No. 11 seed in the tournament to be favored against a No. 6 seed.

The Vols will try to keep rolling when they challenge the Massachusetts Minutemen in the Midwest Region's No. 6 vs. No. 11 game on Friday afternoon in Raleigh.

The computer agrees with the oddsmakers, but Tennessee has been a money pit at this stage of the tournament over the years, stumbling to a 1-6-1 ATS record since 2000.

Spread and total points scored betting line

The Volunteers opened as four-point favorites; the total was 136 early Thursday. (Compare lines and consensus on the Odds Shark matchup report.)

Odds Shark computer pick

74.2-69.6 Volunteers

Why pick Tennessee to cover the spread

The Volunteers earned an at-large bid after finishing fourth in the SEC for their first appearance since 2011. Tennessee, with four starters back from a team that went 20-13 last year, started 6-4 this season and sat at 16-11 a month ago.

But the Volunteers finished the season on a 5-1 run, their only loss coming to Florida in the SEC tournament. The Vols then beat Iowa in a play-in game Wednesday night, winning 78-65 in overtime. Tennessee starts three seniors, and while the Vols are average offensively, they've held opponents to 61 points per game this season.

Why pick Massachusetts to cover the spread

The No. 6 Minutemen are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998, earning an at-large bid after finishing fifth in an Atlantic 10 Conference that sent six teams to the Big Dance. With four starters back from a team that went 21-12 last year, UMass started this season 16-1 with wins over Nebraska, New Mexico, BYU, Providence and St. Joseph's. That propelled them toward a long-awaited tournament berth.

The Minutemen start three seniors and can go big, with three starters who are 6'8" or taller. On the season, UMass is shooting 46 percent from the floor and holding foes to 42 percent shooting. They stumbled down the stretch (0-6 against the spread).

Smart betting pick

Tennessee is trending upward, and Massachusetts has lost three of its last five games. UMass is also 0-6 against the spread over its last six games. The Vols play a little better defense and do a little better job on the boards.

This should be a good, tough, close game, but Tennessee's toughness and depth should prevail. Take the Vols.

Power rankings

Tennessee Volunteers: No. 15

Massachusetts Minutemen: No. 82 (per Odds Shark power ranks)

March Madness betting trends

• Tennessee is 5-1 ATS in its last six games
• Tennessee is 1-6-1 ATS in eight tournament openers since 2000
• UMass ended year on 0-6 ATS run
• First tournament for UMass since 1998

Note: All spread and betting line data powered by Odds Shark. Download the free Lines and Bet Tracker app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have lost seven games in a row against the spread, and they'll be on the floor Wednesday night in First Four action at the University of Dayton as they tip off against the Tennessee Volunteers.

With the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA tournament on the line, the computer likes Iowa, but the experts like Tennessee.

Spread and total points scored betting line

The Volunteers opened as 1.5-point favorites, but the line had swung around to -1.5 in favor of Iowa. The total was 143. (Compare lines and consensus on the Odds Shark matchup report).

Odds Shark computer pick 76.8-75.3 Hawkeyes

Why pick Iowa to cover the spread

The Hawkeyes earned their way to the tournament for the first time since 2006, mainly by going 12-2 in nonconference play with a win over Xavier and tough losses to two pretty good teams in Iowa State and Villanova.

While they stumbled down the stretch to finish 9-9 in the Big Ten, their worst conference loss was a 10-point decision at Michigan State. With a little luck, they easily could have gone 12-6 in the conference—one of the two or three toughest leagues in the country this season.

Why pick Tennessee to cover the spread

The Vols earned an at-large bid to the tournament after finishing fourth in the SEC at 11-7, beating South Carolina but blowing a 10-point lead and losing to top-ranked Florida in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

Tennessee lost three times to the Gators this season along with a handful of other close games. It owns victories over Xavier and ACC regular-season and conference tournament champion Virginia. The Vols start three seniors and two juniors and have allowed just 61 points per game this season.

They are covering spreads (4-1 against the spread), while the Hawkeyes are bleeding money against the spread.

Smart betting pick

Most books opened Tennessee as a short favorite for this game, but early action on Iowa swung the line in the other direction.

However, this looks like a case of a team playing some of its best ball of the season lately. The Volunteers are going up against a team that hasn't done much right over recent weeks, especially late in games. Iowa even lost to Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. Take Tennessee.

Power rankings

Iowa Hawkeyes: No. 107

Tennessee Volunteers: No. 15 (per Odds Shark power ranks)

First Four betting trends

• The total has gone OVER in nine of Iowa's last 11 games.
• Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in its last five games.
• Iowa is 1-6 straight up, 0-7 ATS in its past seven games.
• Iowa lost its past three tournament games SU and ATS.
• Tennessee played five straight UNDERs to end the year.

Note: All spread and betting line data powered by Odds Shark. Download the free Lines and Bet Tracker app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

In his third season as the University of Tennessee's head basketball coach, Cuonzo Martin has, on paper, the best team he has ever had.  

The lineup features SEC Player of the Year contenders Jordan McRae and Jarnell Stokes.  Jeronne Maymon returns for a long-awaited senior year after an injury-plagued Vol career.  Highly touted freshmen Robert Hubbs and Darius Thompson, along with transfer Antonio Barton, look to give the team an added boost. 

However, the season to this point is not living up to the expectations that had been set for it.  With an overall record of 6-4, the team has shown glimpses of glory but has also suffered some (frankly) awful losses.  

The same team that has beaten Xavier by 15 points and Wake Forest by 19 has also lost to that same Musketeer team, as well as UTEP.  But to say that all hope is lost for a successful season would be a drastic exaggeration.

Certainly, the Vols have a long way to go and a rough hill to climb, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.  The biggest flaw in the system as of now is the same problem that comes up year after year.  The team simply is nowhere near as good at the beginning of the season as it is (or will be) at the end.  The reason for this is simple: coaching.

The players on this team are just too talented not to be more successful than this.  This, however, is a team that Bruce Pearl would thrive with.  Cuonzo Martin's coaching style and philosophy does not suit the squad.  

This is a team of athletes that can outrun just about anybody they face.  Tennessee was extremely successful with this during Pearl era, and Martin cannot adjust to his personnel.  It happens each and every year.

The season begins with a team forced to play a half-court style of basketball that it is not built to play.  They end up losing to teams like UTEP, College of Charleston and an impossible-to-watch 37-36 loss to Georgetown in November 2012.  

Then Martin realizes the need to run and score.  Lat season, the team turned around and defeated Missouri, No. 8 Florida and, in a blowout, No. 25 Kentucky. 

Simply put, once Cuonzo Martin changes his philosophy to fit the team he has in place, Tennessee will be successful and contend in conference play.  If he doesn't do so, not only will the team end up the NIT for a third consecutive season, but Martin also may be looking for a job.

Tennessee head basketball coach Cuonzo Martin asked for a raise and an extension from UT athletics director Dave Hart in the offseason. It was announced this week that Martin will receive a nominal $50,000 annual raise, but there was no mention of an extension of his contract. 

He is in his third season of the five-year deal he originally signed when he was hired away from Missouri State. So far, the results he has produced have not warranted an extended stay in Big Orange Country.

Martin will have his most experienced and talented team in his head coaching career this season. He has never made the NCAA Tournament as a head coach, and some Vol fans are saying that if he doesn't make the tourney this year, he should be canned like the choice Grainger County tomatoes that are grown just outside Knoxville in former Vol Skylar McBee's home area.

McBee was a fan favorite and is now gone. Jordan McRae will definitely be the team's go-to guy this season, and we will see what three years of recruiting has produced for Martin in the rough and tumble Southeastern Conference wars.

In the Bruce Pearl era, the Big Orange went to the Big Dance every season. With the expansion of the field to 68 teams, there's no excuse for a program with all of the facilities and money Tennessee has to not continue to do so.

Former assistant Houston Fancher left in the offseason to rejoin his old boss, Buzz Peterson, at UNC Wilmington. Strength and conditioning coach Nicodemus Christopher reported to me at the Rocky Top League summer tournament that he has this team in the best condition and stronger than perhaps any team in Vol history, so stamina will not be an excuse in any losses during the year.

The big question mark is whether Jeronne Maymon will ever get back to 100 percent playing shape following a long layoff with injury complications. That will be a key in getting pressure on the inside off of fellow big man Jarnell Stokes.

The natives are getting restless on The Hill. With new football head coach Butch Jones not being expected to produce much on the gridiron in what is expected to be a rebuilding year at best, as well as with women's basketball suffering a big loss on the recruiting trail recently, men's basketball and its performance on the hardwood may be the only projected bright spot this year for long-suffering Vol fans.

No doubt, the pressure is on Martin and his staff to produce. If he doesn't, UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and Hart will have to take a long look at where they are and where they're going with the men's program on the court, as attendance will drop off in basketball as much as it has in football if winning and championships don't return to Knoxville soon.