Ranking TN's past Sweet 16 games

#1

VolsO&W

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#1
1. 2010 beat Ohio State 76 - 73 (only time we made it to Elite 8)
2. 2007 lost to Ohio State 84 - 85 (Greg Oden blocks Ramar Smith to end the game, OSU lost in championship to Florida)
3. 2000 lost to UNC 69 - 74 (Ron Slay missed a layup to tie the game with 30 seconds left, UNC lost in Final 4)
4. 2014 lost to Michigan 71 - 73 (Jarnell charge call with 6 seconds remaining down 1, UM lost in Elite 8 to Kentucky)
5. 2008 lost to Louisville 60 - 79
6. 1981 lost to Virginia 48 - 62 (only 32 teams in tournament, so we beat VCU in first round then lost)
7. 1967 lost to Dayton 52 - 53 (only 16 teams in tournament, so this was "opening round")

TBD. 2019 vs Purdue
 
#7
#7
Wow hard to imagine only 16 team tournament today!?!?

Yeah, when youngsters make fun of those 60s and 70s teams that lost early, they fail to realize the first game was often against a Big Ten champion or major highly ranked independent (Marquette was often in there with Al McGuire). The old MidEast Regional (today's South Regions) was always the toughest regional. You were placed in your geographic region.

Dayton, in 1967 for example, went to the championship game vs UCLA. If Tennessee had won, they'd most likely would have gone to play Alcindor with a 7 footer themselves, Tom Boerwinkle who later played 10+ years as center for the Chicago Bulls. Doubtful the Vols could have won but at least Tennessee would have had someone close to as big as Alcindor. Very few teams did back then. Mears had a couple teams I believe that were co-champs with Kentucky but KY won the tie breaker both times and Vols had to go to the NIT.

The ACC tournament is those days was probably the best tournament in college basketball, much better than the NCAA. UNC, Maryland, Duke, NCState, etc all had a shot and only one team went to the big dance. Maryland was undefeated one year I believe and lost in the tournament, had to go to the NIT. David Thompson, great player at NCSTate only played in one NCAA but won it in 1974.
 
#8
#8
As others have said... That 2000 loss to UNC still hurts. We'd have (I believe) gotten Tulsa in the EE and a Florida team we swept in the regular season in the FF.

Everybody talks about last year but that was probably the biggest blown opportunity in the history of our program.
 
#9
#9
Still mad about 2000.
Still bummed about 2007, that was a great game though.
I was at the 1981 game against VA, we gave them a good run that night. Also got to see the BYU/Notre Dame game that night where Danny Ainge ran the length of the court for a layup to win it as time expired.
 
#10
#10
As others have said... That 2000 loss to UNC still hurts. We'd have (I believe) gotten Tulsa in the EE and a Florida team we swept in the regular season in the FF.

Everybody talks about last year but that was probably the biggest blown opportunity in the history of our program.
And then a Michigan State team that was very good and gritty, but not an all time great team.

That was a true opportunity lost, as was last year.
 
#11
#11
1. 2010 beat Ohio State 76 - 73 (only time we made it to Elite 8)
2. 2007 lost to Ohio State 84 - 85 (Greg Oden blocks Ramar Smith to end the game, OSU lost in championship to Florida)
3. 2000 lost to UNC 69 - 74 (Ron Slay missed a layup to tie the game with 30 seconds left, UNC lost in Final 4)
4. 2014 lost to Michigan 71 - 73 (Jarnell charge call with 6 seconds remaining down 1, UM lost in Elite 8 to Kentucky)
5. 2008 lost to Louisville 60 - 79
6. 1981 lost to Virginia 48 - 62 (only 32 teams in tournament, so we beat VCU in first round then lost)
7. 1967 lost to Dayton 52 - 53 (only 16 teams in tournament, so this was "opening round")

2019 beat Purdue 85-77 in route to national championship
Fixed the 2019 data...
 
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#12
#12
As others have said... That 2000 loss to UNC still hurts. We'd have (I believe) gotten Tulsa in the EE and a Florida team we swept in the regular season in the FF.

Everybody talks about last year but that was probably the biggest blown opportunity in the history of our program.
We got curb stomped by Tulsa earlier in that season. 88-68. Bill Self was their coach. I didn't see us winning that game had we beat UNC.
 
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#13
#13
1. 2010 beat Ohio State 76 - 73 (only time we made it to Elite 8)
2. 2007 lost to Ohio State 84 - 85 (Greg Oden blocks Ramar Smith to end the game, OSU lost in championship to Florida)
3. 2000 lost to UNC 69 - 74 (Ron Slay missed a layup to tie the game with 30 seconds left, UNC lost in Final 4)
4. 2014 lost to Michigan 71 - 73 (Jarnell charge call with 6 seconds remaining down 1, UM lost in Elite 8 to Kentucky)
5. 2008 lost to Louisville 60 - 79
6. 1981 lost to Virginia 48 - 62 (only 32 teams in tournament, so we beat VCU in first round then lost)
7. 1967 lost to Dayton 52 - 53 (only 16 teams in tournament, so this was "opening round")

TBD. 2019 vs Purdue
1967 had 23 teams in ncaa tourney so we were a legit sweet sixteen
 
#14
#14
Ray Mears never won an NCAA tournament game. Pitiful record. Don't give me the pity party on how tough it was to get in. ETSU beat Florida state in 1968 when FSU had Dave Cowens. Won 79 - 68. Vols back then were decent in the SEC which other than UK was a worse basketball conference than the OVC. Don Devoe won the first NCAA tourney game at ut. Vols would have been dead last in the acc in the 1960s. Sad but true. Knoxville supported the vols well and they were entertaining with unicycles and gimmicks but as a nationally relevant team - not so hot. One game - not one game did Ray win in the tournament. In tri -cities most fans followed acc which was tremendous basketball. I enjoyed listening to john ward broadcasts and pulled for the vols as my uncle took me to a few games. I had to get this off my chest. The vols lost to Virginia Military in the tourney one year with Ernie and Bernie. I think Bernard missed the game but what an embarrassment. Not one game - not one did he win. Barnes and Bruce are hands down the best head basketball coaches in Vol history.
 
#15
#15
Nice OP. I really enjoyed that.

2010 my senior year at Maryville College, East TN. My best friend and roommate was from Akron and a huge Ohio State fan. We watched the game together and it was so sweet. Love that guy to death though, good thing we had plenty of beverages and herbs to help us both through šŸ˜†
 
#16
#16
I still have a dream once in a while where Ramar Smith passes to an open Wayne Chism in the S16 game against Ohio State and we win in 2007
 
#18
#18
1. 2010 beat Ohio State 76 - 73 (only time we made it to Elite 8)
2. 2007 lost to Ohio State 84 - 85 (Greg Oden blocks Ramar Smith to end the game, OSU lost in championship to Florida)
3. 2000 lost to UNC 69 - 74 (Ron Slay missed a layup to tie the game with 30 seconds left, UNC lost in Final 4)
4. 2014 lost to Michigan 71 - 73 (Jarnell charge call with 6 seconds remaining down 1, UM lost in Elite 8 to Kentucky)
5. 2008 lost to Louisville 60 - 79
6. 1981 lost to Virginia 48 - 62 (only 32 teams in tournament, so we beat VCU in first round then lost)
7. 1967 lost to Dayton 52 - 53 (only 16 teams in tournament, so this was "opening round")

TBD. 2019 vs Purdue
Slight correction... there were 23 teams in the 1967 NCAA Tournament but Tennessee had a first round bye.... so, it was the first game for them but the second game for Dayton. Dayton went on to lose the National Championship game to UCLA. 1967 was the Ron Widby, Tom Boerwinkle and Bill Justus team.... this was 6 years before I was born. My dad still calls '67 "the one that got away". That team should have made the Final Four.
 
#19
#19
I still have a dream once in a while where Ramar Smith passes to an open Wayne Chism in the S16 game against Ohio State and we win in 2007
We had blown a lead earlier that season in January to Ohio State in 2007, so I was never comfortable in that game. Win that one and we get Memphis in the Elite 8 (who we had blown out that season). That one hurt.
 
#20
#20
I was just going back to look at the 2000 season. I was at UT then and remember being home for spring break when watching the S16.

We were 24-6 in the regular season, won the East division, and beat ranked UF (twice), Auburn, and UK. We were seeded as a 4. Based on the final RPI numbers, there was some strange seeding. Can't believe I don't recall more criticism about the seeding.
 
#22
#22
2007--we shot 16/31 from 3pt range and had a 18 point lead at the half. Losing that game and watching OSU go to the title game against FL was pretty deflating. Especially since we had great success against FL in those years. But if we had lost to Iowa on Sunday--that would have taken the cake.
 
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#23
#23
2007--we shot over 16/31 from 3pt range and had a 18 point lead at the half. Losing that game and watching OSU go to the title game against FL was pretty deflating. Especially since we had great success against FL in those years. But if we had lost to Iowa on Sunday--that would have taken the cake.

Probably the worst I have ever felt after a UT basketball game.

We shot 51% from three and only had 7 turnovers. The officiating changed in the second half, and we couldn't breath on Mike Conley. They were in the bonus in the second hlaf with 13:46 left. Double bonus with 9:34 left. They shot double the amount of free throws, but we shot 47% from the FT line in our 17 attempts.
 
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#24
#24
I was in St. Louis in 2010 for the Ohio State game, then the Elite 8 game against Michigan State. Both of those games were absolutely electric and so much fun. You could almost taste the Final Four. That was probably the most disappointed I've ever been after a loss.
 
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#25
#25
I was in St. Louis in 2010 for the Ohio State game, then the Elite 8 game against Michigan State. Both of those games were absolutely electric and so much fun. You could almost taste the Final Four. That was probably the most disappointed I've ever been after a loss.
So what I gather is that you should stay away lol
 

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