The 2013-14 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2013-14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Cuonzo Martin, who was in his third season at Tennessee. The team played their home games at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee as a member of the Southeastern Conference.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Previous season
The Vols posted a record of 20-13 (11-7 SEC) in the 2012-13 season and finished sixth in the SEC standings in Cuonzo Martin's second season as head coach. The season was highlighted by a 30-point victory over rival Kentucky and a victory over a team that competed in the Final Four, Wichita State. The Volunteers lost in the first round of the 2013 NIT to Mercer.
Season Summary
From the start of the season Cuonzo Martin faced pressure and unrest from the Tennessee fanbase due to unrealistic expectations. Martin had overachieved in his previous two seasons as head coach taking a young Tennessee to the NIT both years. Some fans, who were accustomed to former coach Bruce Pearl taking UT to the tourney every year, were upset at missing the tourney two years in a row even though the roster Pearl left was depleted. Frustrations sparked a petition to re-hire Pearl when his three-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA expired at the end of the year.
Despite the criticism and unrest, Martin rallied the team to a 4-0 finish to end the regular season at 20-11. Once again Martin finished higher than projected by media experts. A victory over South Carolina and a third straight loss to #1 Florida put Tennessee at 21-12. This was enough to earn Tennessee an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Martin's first and only appearance with Tennessee. The Vols were placed in the First Four, beating Iowa to move on to the field of 64. Victories over UMass and Mercer (who had upset Duke) would earn Tennessee its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2010. The Vols faced Michigan and came within one basket of making what would have been only their second Elite 8 appearance but fell to the Wolverines, 73-71.
Despite the late season surge and performance in the tourney, Cuonzo Martin would leave Tennessee at season's end to take the head coaching job at the University of California-Berkeley.
Roster
Schedule and results
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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