So much for that.
Tennessee was just bounced out of the SEC Tournament in embarrassing fashion, losing to Mississippi State, 73-56. Worse than that? They were never really even in the game.
This was an all-time clunker, and one of the most disappointing big-spot performances for this program in recent memory.
A slow, ugly start for Tennessee
Tennessee, much like the first half in Starkville back in January, looked lost offensively. Credit Mississippi State though — the Bulldogs were absolutely swarming on defense to start this one. Constant pressure, instant double teams created a ton of issues for Tennessee in the opening eight minutes of this game.