Dick Vitale’s March Madness Picks Has Bad News for SEC Power in NCAA Tournament
ESPN’s Dick Vitale sees the Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball program making its second consecutive trip to the Elite Eight in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. But the Volunteers have their sights set on the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance.
Vitale, though, argued that will have to wait.
In his 2025 NCAA Tournament prediction, Vitale projected Tennessee to lose to the Houston Cougars in the Midwest Regional Finals.
Houston is the No. 1 seed in the region while the Volunteers are the No. 2 seed.
Tennessee advanced to the Elite Eight last season. The Volunteers have never earned back-to-back appearances in the Elite Eight or advanced to the Final Four in program history.
Vitale predicted Tennessee to beat 15-seeded Wofford Terriers and the seven-seeded UCLA Bruins to advance to the second weekend of the tournament.
In the Sweet 16, Vitale predicted the Volunteers to knock off top rivalry and the No. 3 seed Kentucky Wildcats.
But Final Four history for Tennessee, according to Vitale, won’t happen in 2025.
The Volunteers have already won 27 games this season, which tied last year’s mark. That’s the most wins Tennessee has posted in a season since 2018-19 when the Volunteers notched 31 victories.
Tennessee also won 31 games in 2007-08. During both of those seasons, the Volunteers lost in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
