Vols’ shot at Sweet 16 can be SEC statement against Big Ten
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Admiral Schofield long envisioned a successful athletic career in the city of Columbus.
The Tennessee basketball senior had dreams of playing Big Ten football at Ohio State. But the Zion, Ill., native quit playing football and focused on basketball.
Schofield’s love for Big Ten football never translated to basketball. He picked an SEC school and has turned in quite a career so far. Now, he hopes to extend it with a win against a Big Ten team with an opportunity to make a statement that SEC basketball deserves more respect.
“If you really look at it as a whole, our conference is probably the most dominant as far as winning championships across the board from baseball to gymnastics,” Schofield said. “I don’t think we have hockey. But if we had hockey, I think we would take that, too.
“Our athletes are different. We are bred different. I think basketball doesn’t get as much respect. But we will.”
No. 2 seed Tennessee (30-5) faces No. 10 seed Iowa (23-11) on Sunday (12:10 p.m. ET, CBS) at Nationwide Arena for a trip to the Sweet 16. The Vols haven’t been to the Sweet 16 since 2014.
To make it back, Tennessee has to handle a Hawkeyes team that upset No. 7 seed Cincinnati on Friday with an impressive shooting display and a tough pressure dense. The Vols advanced later Friday, surviving a great upset effort from Colgate to become one of five SEC teams playing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend.
“I think the SEC is just as good as any conference in the country,” guard Lamonte Turner said. “We have a lot of great teams that can go and make a run. I think once it is all said and done, I think people will respect the SEC more and see what kind of talent we have.”
The SEC put seven teams in the NCAA Tournament this season after a recordsetting eight made it last season.
Schofield said Friday that he thinks Kentucky is well-respected nationally, while Florida also receives recognition for its back-to-back national titles in the mid-2000s. But the rest of the conference is fighting the perception of being all about football, he said.
“That is why we are here,” Schofield said. “That is why our conference is where it is now. A lot of coaches in the leagues and a lot of great programs are trying to change that.”
Mississippi State and Ole Miss were the lone SEC teams to drop in the first round. As of Saturday afternoon, all the rest remained active.
No. 3-seeded LSU advanced with a thrilling win against Maryland — the first of three Big Ten vs. SEC matchups slated for the weekend. No. 2 seed Michigan and No. 10 Florida were scheduled to play late Saturday in the West Regional. The Vols and Hawkeyes are the third. “People don’t ever give the SEC credit,” forward Grant Williams said. “It’s all about the football. It’s not a bad thing. We will be fine proving people wrong.”
Said guard Jordan Bowden: “Obviously, we want to be the toughest conference in the country. We know the Big Ten is a big-time conference. They have a lot of great teams in it.”
The Big Ten, which received eight NCAA bids this season, still had six teams playing as of Saturday afternoon. Iowa was one of three Big Ten teams that knocked off a higher-seeded opponent to advance.
The Hawkeyes will attempt to do the same Sunday, taking down the Vols — a No. 2 seed for the third time in program history.
But there is something poetic about Sunday for Schofield: He’s in Columbus as he dreamed, just playing for something different with teammates who feel they have a lot left to prove.
“We are just trying to prove that we deserve to be here,” guard Jordan Bone said. “I feel like there’s a lot of people that feel like this is still a Cinderella team or a team that doesn’t deserve to be here. But we have worked for this. We are just really excited to be in this moment. I feel like that is what we try to prove more than anything.”