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Texas A&M had made quite the march through the SEC tournament. Tennessee had seen enough.
The No. 9 Volunteers ended any hopes the Aggies had of guaranteeing an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament, beating them 65-50 in the SEC tournament championship game Sunday.
It was Tennessee’s first SEC tournament championship since 1979, and they’ll head into the NCAA tournament as legitimate title contenders.
It was a stout defensive effort from Tennessee, holding Texas A&M to a woeful 31.4 percent shooting from the field while registering eight steals and forcing 12 turnovers. Tennessee also held Texas A&M to its lowest scoring output of the 2021-22 season.
That ended the Aggies’ seven-game winning streak, which included triumphs over Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn. The Aggies were a bubble team before the SEC tournament, and they certainly helped their case.
Whether they did enough to earn a March Madness bid, however, remains to be seen.
Key Stats
Santiago Vescovi, TEN: 17 points, five assists
Kennedy Chandler, TEN: 14 points, seven assists
Josiah-Jordan James, TEN: 16 points, 10 rebounds
Quenton Jackson, TAM: Nine points
Tyrece Radford, TAM: 13 points, six rebounds
Henry Coleman III, TAM: 12 points, seven rebounds
The Chandler-Vescovi Duo Carried Tennessee Yet Again
All season long, Tennessee’s offense ran through Chandler and Vescovi. So why would Sunday be any different?
Wes Rucker @wesrucker247
Ben Howland said he’d be shocked if any SEC coach left Santiago Vescovi off of their All-SEC first team ballot.<br><br>If you pay attention to him during games, you see exactly why that’s the case. Just a pure basketball player who does a bit of everything, much like JoJo James.
Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_ATH
Rick Barnes has unearthed some absolute gems in the backcourt to pair with his five-star, Kennedy Chandler.<br><br>You just pull Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler out of thin air and turn them into studs? Come on. Nicely done, sir. <a href=”https://t.co/4gDiVHqbDa”>https://t.co/4gDiVHqbDa</a>
When your leading offensive duo combines to shoot an efficient 9-of-18 from the field and chips in with 12 combined assists, good things are going to follow.
Add in a nice game from James, and most teams in the country would have had a tough time dealing with Tennessee on Sunday.
Jackson Went Cold for Texas A&M
During Texas A&M’s seven-game winning streak Jackson was generally excellent, averaging 19.9 points and 3.1 steals per game. The Aggies moved him into the starting lineup down the stretch, and he thrived in the role.
But he has been prone to running a bit hot and cold throughout the season, and Sunday he veered toward the cold, shooting just 3-of-9 from the field.
Still, the senior was a major reason Texas A&M got to the championship game in the first place. He just seemed to run out of steam against a tough Tennessee side.
What’s Next?
Tennessee will await its seeding for the NCAA tournament, perhaps having done enough to earn a No. 2 seed.
Gary Parrish @GaryParrishCBS
I had Tennessee at No. 6 — i.e., as the second No. 2 seed — in this morning’s Top 25 And 1. If the Vols win this game, they’ll have a resume featuring 11 Q1 wins and zero losses outside of Q1. That should definitely be worth a No. 2 seed, perhaps worth the best No. 2 seed. <a href=”https://t.co/YQ40G8SHP5″>https://t.co/YQ40G8SHP5</a>
Texas A&M, meanwhile, will be hoping it did enough to earn a berth.
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