Can Tennessee basketball reach Final Four in March Madness bracket? Our prediction
Tennessee basketball is chasing the program's first Final Four again.
The Vols are in the NCAA tournament as a No. 2 seed for the second straight season after reaching the Elite Eight last season. Tennessee (27-7) faces No. 15 Wofford (19-15) on Thursday (6:50 p.m. ET, TNT) in Lexington, Kentucky, as part of the Midwest Region.
The Vols have been a top-five seed in all seven appearances in March Madness under coach Rick Barnes.
Why Tennessee basketball will reach the Final Four
The Vols have experience at guard
Tennessee has four senior guards who know how to win in Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack, Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey. That group gives the Vols a shot in any matchup.
Zeigler is elite on both ends of the court and the value of a senior point guard in March is unmatched. Mashack takes the best opposing offensive player out of games with regularity. Lanier scores as well as any guard in the country, while Gainey has shown he can take over a game like he did against Florida on Sunday.
Experienced guards a winning recipe in March and Tennessee is oozing with them.
Tennessee can hang its hat on defense again
The Vols have their familiar calling card working again as one of the best defensive teams in the country. They are especially exceptional because of Zeigler and Mashack on the perimeter and the work of Felix Okpara in the paint.
It is a team effort, though, and Tennessee is tenacious all over the court. The Vols have the No. 1 3-point defense in the nation.
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Why Tennessee basketball won't reach the Final Four
Tennessee's post depth still is a concern
Tennessee didn't have a lot of depth to enter the season. It has worked with even less all season, especially in the post after losing sophomore forward J.P. Estrella to season-ending foot surgery in November.
Okpara has been solid in his first season as Tennessee. He is a force defensively. Cade Phillips is a tough competitor. Both score mostly on lobs and at the time. Igor Milicic Jr. is the X-factor and wild card. He has struggled in March and was inconsistent in SEC play, including in the SEC tournament. Tennessee needs his rebounding.
The second weekend matchups are problematic
Tennessee has a friendly draw in the first weekend with Wofford, No. 7 seed UCLA and No. 10 seed Utah State. Its potential matchups after that are less kind.
In the Sweet 16, the Vols could face No. 3 Kentucky, which beat the Vols in both regular-season matchups and hit 50% on 3-pointers in both games. No. 6 Illinois also is a possibility. UT beat Illinois 66-64 in December in Champaign. The Fighting Illini are more talented than their seed. They had a slump in Big Ten play while dealing with illness sweeping the roster and have a misleading record.
The potential Elite Eight matchups include No. 1 Houston, No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 4 Purdue. Houston is a tough matchup as is Gonzaga. Purdue is not as good as it has been in past season.
2025 March Madness prediction for Tennessee
Tennessee gets to the Elite Eight for the second straight season but falls to Houston in Indianapolis to miss the Final Four.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee NCAA bracket predictions: Vols hunting Final Four again
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