Tennessee Basketball's NCAA Tournament Journey Begins

0:00On March 16, Tennessee basketball punched its ticket to the NCAA tournament for the 8th year in a row, landing the number 6 seed in the Midwest. Region. The Valls head to Philadelphia to take on the winner of a first-four game between number 11 Miami-Able Hi-O and number 11 SMU on March 20. The team wrapped up the SEC tournament with a quarter-final loss to Vanderbilt after beating Auburn in the second round. Coach Rick Barnes' squad enters the big dance with a two-and-four record over its last six games, looking to shake off some late-season rust. Miami-Able Hi-O grabbed headlines during the regular season by going 31 and 0 in the Mid-American conference, though they stumbled in there. First, conference tournament game. They're making history as the first team to reach the tournament without facing a top-tier opponent all year. Meanwhile, SMU finished 20 and 13 overall, but struggled in the ACC at 8 and 10. The Mustangs dropped four straight to close out, including a second-round exit in their league tournament,

1:00but they split even against SEC foes. This season. That first four match of tips off March 18 in Dayton, Ohio with the winner getting a crack at Tennessee. The Valls hope to push past the opening weekend for the third straight year and keep their streak alive.