Tennessee learned its NCAA tournament path Sunday night, and the Volunteers quickly turned their focus to preparation.
The Vols earned a No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region and will open tournament play Friday in Philadelphia against the winner of the First Four matchup between No. 11 seeds Miami (Ohio) and SMU.
Coach Rick Barnes said the staff would begin preparing for both potential opponents immediately.
“We’ll obviously get into both teams tonight and by (Monday) we’ll have some on both teams,” Barnes said. “Every coach will get involved and we’ll break both teams down. (Monday) will be a good work day for us and we’ll start implementing some things.”
While Tennessee won’t know its opponent until the play-in game is decided, Barnes said Miami (Ohio)’s season has already caught his attention. The RedHawks reached the tournament after going 31-1 this 2025-26 College Basketball season.
“Anytime that you win 30 games, it speaks volumes about you,” Barnes said. “That means every night you go out somebody’s trying to knock you off the perch. It tells you they’ve been a mentally tough team.”
For Barnes, simply being part of the field remains significant, even in his 30th NCAA tournament appearance.
“When you get there, it’s something you don’t ever take for granted,” Barnes said. “It’s hard to get to the NCAA tournament. If you’re in it, you should be congratulated.”
The Volunteers returned to Knoxville after the SEC tournament with a focused mindset. Barnes described the team as serious and ready to get back to work as preparations begin for Friday.
“This team’s very serious about the way they go about things,” Barnes said. “They’re not an overly emotional group of guys, but they really like each other and they care.”
Guard Bishop Boswell said the team was excited when the bracket was revealed.
“Anytime you get to play in March Madness, something you grew up watching, it’s a surreal feeling,” Boswell said.
Tennessee will spend the early part of the week preparing generally before narrowing its scouting report once its opponent is determined. Boswell said the focus remains on improvement after the SEC tournament loss.
“Just the level of urgency you’ve got to have,” Boswell said. “The energy is totally different than regular-season basketball.”
Barnes emphasized that tournament success often comes down to execution in key moments.
“Players have to play,” he said. “You’ve got to realize the value of every possession. If you’re playing this time of year, you’re a good basketball team.”
For Tennessee, the goal remains unchanged.
“Our goal has always been to try to play for a national championship,” Barnes said. “We’re just one of the teams in this tournament that has a chance to do that.”
