No. 5: 2012-13
Head Coach: Cuonzo Martin
Record: 20-13 (11-7, SEC)
Best win(s): vs. No. 25 Kentucky, vs. No. 8 Florida
Key Players: Jordan McRae, Jarnell Stokes, Jeronne Maymon
Tennessee was back for Martin’s second season with a talent-filled roster, and expectations were high for an NCAA Tournament berth. The Vols closed out the non-conference slate with an 85-80 loss to Memphis and went into SEC play at 8-4.
The Vols dug themselves in a hole early, losing four of their first five SEC games. A win over South Carolina on Feb. 10 spurred a nice bounce-back to close the season, as Tennessee won eight of its last nine games. Going into the SEC Tournament as the No 6 seed with a 19-11 record, Tennessee needed to string together a couple of wins to punch their ticket to the Big Dance.
A second round win over Mississippi State was followed by a 58-48 loss to Alabama in the quarterfinals, and the Vols were NIT-bound again.
It was another disappointing season for a talent-rich team that yet again missed out on the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee was bounced by Mercer in the first round of the NIT after a lackadaisical performance, and pressure was mounting on Cuonzo Martin.
This was Jordan McRae’s breakout season, averaging 15.7 points per game. As a pure scorer, McRae had help from post players Jeronne Maymon and Jarnell Stokes, along with point guard Trae Golden. It was a 20-win season, but fans were restless with so much talent not doing enough in its biggest moments.
NEXT: Tennessee’s basketball teams from the past decade