While the pride and joy of the state Volunteers are not in the field of 68, there are three other teams representing the Volunteer State proudly in the Big Dance. None of these three teams are the higher seeds in their matchups, but I would argue that they all have a chance to win.
As of two weeks ago, I wouldn’t have even had Vanderbilt in their field. Now, they are a nine seed taking on Northwestern in the first round (yes, you read that correctly). After beating Florida a couple of times in the last ten days of the season, Vanderbilt found themselves building momentum among the committee and fans. I think there is a high possibility that Bryce Drew and Co. can ruin Northwestern’s first ever appearance in the Big Dance.
They’re BAACCK! After incinerating brackets around the world last year, The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are back this year and better than ever. Finding themselves as a #12 seed versus an over-seeded Minnesota team, Mid Tennessee will look to wreak havoc on their opponents again. I actually have the Blue Raiders not only beating Minnesota, but then defeating Butler to head to the Sweet Sixteen. This will be a fun team to watch over the next couple of weeks.
Lastly, we have the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. The Bucs will be the 13 seed matching up against the 4 seed of Florida. On paper this matchup seems relatively even. ETSU has the edge in offensive efficiency, 53rd to 55th, while Florida has the better defense, 14th to 32nd. I think that there is a very realistic chance ETSU can win here and advance to the next round. If all of these Tennessee teams win, the Big Ten will be in the dump (where they belong) and the state will be the basketball capital of America (at least for a weekend).
