Tennessee Volunteers NCAA Basketball Betting
Rick Barnes finally reached an Elite Eight at Tennessee this past March, but the quest for the program’s first Final Four remains. The Volunteers have had a top-five defense per KenPom in each of the last four seasons, and while that has been the recipe for success for Barnes, the 2024-25 roster looks like a much more offensive-oriented one. If Rick Barnes can coach up the defensive side of things and let his players go to work offensively, there’s Final Four upside for this team.
The Final Four upside for this team starts with the return of senior point guard Zakai Zeigler (12 ppg, 6 rpg). At 5-9 171 lbs., Zeigler is without a doubt the best defender in the country going pound for pound, but we think he may be the best on-ball defender in the country, period. Zeigler hasn’t been the most efficient offensive player throughout his time with the Vols, but with a handful of shooters coming into the program this offseason, we think he can do enough to create for them. Zeigler is a guy who contributes on both ends of the floor at a high level and is one of the more rewarding guys in the country to watch defensively. He’s the motor for this team, and we think that’s a very good thing, having been a part of three top-four-seeded teams and two-second weekend appearances.
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The rest of the returning players for the Vols saw minutes off the bench last season but should almost all have a slightly bigger role in 2024-25. Jordan Gainey (7 ppg) is the one that excites me the most, a prolific scorer for two seasons at USC Upstate before transferring to Tennessee last offseason and struggling from the floor. It’s often mentioned how the second year at a new school can be the one where a transfer breaks out, and we think there’s a possibility we see Jordan Gainey’s three-point percentage back up around 38-39%. A more consistent option to set next to Zeigler in the backcourt will be Jahmai Mashack (5 ppg), back for his fourth year with the Volunteers. Mashack fills his role well and does a bit of everything for the Vols, although he isn’t a high-volume three-point shooter.
Continuing the list of returners is sophomore guard Cameron Carr (2 ppg). Carr saw limited minutes as a freshman but will be another possible contributor in the backcourt in his second season. J.P. Estrella (2 ppg) should have higher expectations for his sophomore season, breaking onto the national stage in the Elite Eight matchup with Purdue when he gave Zach Edey the best fight out of any Volunteer. Cade Phillips (1 ppg) is the final returner, another sophomore who should see a slight increase in minutes, although he likely won’t have the impact of Carr or Estrella.
The Volunteers lost six players this offseason, including SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht (22 ppg, 5 rpg). Behind Knecht were four mainstays of the Tennessee program: Jonas Aidoo (11 ppg, 7 rpg), Josiah-Jordan James (8 ppg, 6 rpg), Santiago Vescovi (6 ppg, 4 rpg), and Tobe Awaka (5 ppg, 5 rpg), who all left for one reason or another. Freddie Dilione V (2 ppg), another member of the 2023 incoming class, left his fellow freshmen, hitting the transfer portal and landing at Penn State.
To replace his veteran-laden squad from last season, Rick Barnes spent much time in the transfer portal. Barnes found three frontcourt players to mix in with JP Estrella, including a power conference rim protector and two-floor spacing options from the mid-major ranks. Felix Okpara (7 ppg, 6 rpg at Ohio State) started 34 games for the Buckeyes as a sophomore, clearing the boards and sending shots back at an absurd rate (2.4 bpg in 23.6 mpg).
Latest NCAA Tournament Results
| YEAR |
RESULT |
| 2024 |
Lost Elite Eight vs. (1) Purdue 66–72 |
| 2023 |
Lost Sweet Sixteen vs. (9) Florida Atlantic 55–62 |
| 2022 |
Lost Second Round vs. (11) Michigan, 68–76 |
| 2021 |
Lost First Round vs. (12) Oregon State, 56–70 |
| 2019 |
Lost Sweet Sixteen vs. (3) Purdue, 94–99 (OT) |
| 2018 |
Lost Second Round vs. (11) Loyola–Chicago, 62–63 |
| 2014 |
Lost Sweet Sixteen vs. (2) Michigan, 71–73 |
2024-2025 NCAA Basketball Top Teams
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