INDIANAPOLIS — The expectations for Tennessee men's basketball in the NCAA Tournament are high.
Some envision an Elite 8, while some experts have even said this team could reach the Final Four. If they do the latter, it would be the first time in program history.
The furthest the program has ever advanced in March is the Elite 8 in 2010. Former Vols star Wayne Chism was on that team and told WBIR he wants nothing more than to see Tennessee make a deep run after capturing its first SEC Tournament title since 1979.
"We want these guys to get by that," he said. "They accomplished one thing we failed at [the SEC Tournament] and now it's time for them to accomplish something we failed at again, which is to make the Final Four. We need those guys to make it because they've been working so hard to build that brand of basketball that deserves to be at Tennessee."
Chism, now playing basketball in Saudi Arabia, said he stays up sometimes until 2 or 3 a.m. to watch Vols games.
He said he's impressed with good wins, the player development, but mostly with head coach Rick Barnes.
"Coach Barnes, the way he is coaching these guys, the confidence he has in them, they believe in him, they trust him," the former forward said. "That's one big family. You can tell in the practices and the games."
Chism said he believes this team has what it takes to go deep in this tournament. He said he wants to see nothing more than a Vols Final Four run.
"That'd be great. Knoxville would go back the way it used to be, a basketball city," he said with a laugh. "For these guys to do it, I would give them so much props. I'd be like you all were better than us. We need that. We want that."
Tennessee begins its tournament run on Thursday at 2:45 p.m. against Longwood in the Round of 64.
