March Madness 2019: 10 teams with the toughest path to the Final Four

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles discusses a call with a referee in the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates during the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 17: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers defends the shot of Samir Doughty #10 of the Auburn Tigers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

9. Tennessee

Getting walloped by Auburn in the SEC title game did no favors for the Volunteers, who likely played themselves off the top line with their performance on Sunday. Instead, Tennessee ended up with the no. 2 seed in the South region and have a treacherous road to Minneapolis ahead of them.

Although they have a lay-up in the first round, Tennessee could be staring at a date with Mick Cronin’s Cincinnati Bearcats in the Round of 32. The Bearcats play some of the nastiest defense in the country and like to get into knockdown, drag-em-out fights so that matchup could be a war.

The Sweet 16 could offer up Purdue, which won a share of the Big Ten’s regular season title, and hot shooting Carsen Edwards. Assuming Tennessee survives all of that, their reward would be a date with Virginia, which has lost just three games all season.

The Volunteers certainly have the experience to weather this path, but it will not be easy for Tennessee to get to the Final Four out of the South.

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