The SEC released its complete men’s basketball schedule this week with Tennessee’s full schedule now coming into view.
Tennessee plays every team in the SEC once and rivals Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt twice. Here’s three takeaways on the Vols’ SEC schedule.
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Getting Arkansas In Opener Is A Win
If you’ve followed SEC basketball over the last half decade, there’s a familiar theme with John Calipari coached teams you’ve probably noticed. They start the season slow, play horribly in January and then typically start turning the corner in February and give themselves a chance to make a run in March.
Calipari’s first Arkansas team followed that same blueprint. Tennessee pounded the Razorbacks 76-52 in the SEC opener a season ago and Arkansas started 0-5 in SEC play, looking like they’d completely miss the NCAA Tournament. Then right on cue, Arkansa shocked Kentucky in Lexington on Feb. 1, played better down the stretch and made a run to the Sweet 16.
All that to say, you want to play Arkansas early in SEC play. Tennessee got that break again this year and will face the highly talented Hogs on Jan. 3 in Fayetteville.
Winning at Bud Walton Arena is always difficult, so it’s not like this will be an easy win by any means. But the early January meeting is a lot more doable than later in the season.
January Is An Absolute Gauntlet
Getting Arkansas in the opener is a win, but January remains an absolute gauntlet fir Tennessee. The Vols January schedule includes roadtrips to Arkansas, Florida and Alabama as well as a home game against Auburn and Kentucky.
The easiest games on Tennessee’s January slate are home games against Texas and Texas A&M as well as a road trip to Georgia. And those games are not easy by any means either.
Tennessee going 5-3 during that stretch would be win. If they exit that stretch 4-4 it wouldn’t kill them. A 6-2 stretch would set the Vols up to potentially win the SEC Regular-Season Championship.
End Of Season Is Riddled With Road Swing Games
January is a gauntlet making February and March a bit more manageable. But in the SEC, manageable isn’t easy. Each year, Tennessee is very good at home and posts anywhere from a 7-2 to 9-0 record at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Then there’s the road games that are typically very difficult to win— games against top 10 teams like Auburn, Kentucky and Alabama. There’s usually two or three road games that you really need to win. Then there’s the road swing games.
Matchups against teams that make the NCAA Tournament but don’t project to make deep runs. Last year, those matchups included Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Texas and Ole Miss. Games Tennessee went 2-2 in.
This season, Tennessee goes on the road to face Vanderbilt, Missouri and South Carolina in three of its final five games. Those are big time swing games. If Tennessee wins two of those three and can take care of Alabama and Vanderbilt at home then the Vols will enter the postseason with an abundance of momentum.
