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March Madness: 5 things we learned about Vols after the first weekend

Survive and advance. That’s long been the mantra for anybody competing in March Madness, and it held true for Tennessee basketball after the first weekend of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The Vols literally had to survive.

A No. 2 seed, Rick Barnes’s team built a 16-point lead in their opening game only to find themselves trailing in the second half. Then they built a 25-point lead in the second round only to need overtime to win. As you can see, the madness truly has taken off on Rocky Top.

Nonetheless, the Vols are in their first Sweet 16 since 2014, and Barnes is in his first since 2008.