6th Seed? Maybe the NCAA is Right

I am no bracketologist. In fact, I'm not qualified for any job that has ologist as a suffix. 

That said, I think they NCAA got it right when it comes to Tennessee's seeding for this year's NCAA Tournament.

The invitation was announced shortly after 6pm-- the Vols receive the 6th seed in the Midwest Region. It was a decision met with a less than enthusiastic response-- a smattering of polite applause-- and a couple of surprised looks when it happened.

I don't have the patience and qualifications to explain this fully, but a quick exam (no jokes please) shows the Vols were hurt by at least three factors: A lopsided loss at Southern Cal, another one at Georgia, and in my opionion, an embarassing loss to Kentucky on a neutral court.

On Sunday, Bruce Pearl also said the Vols were hurt by the SEC having just one highly ranked team (you know who) and by not beating Vanderbilt at least once.

Think Tennessee deserved at least a 5 seed? All four (Temple, Butler, Michigan St., and Texas A&M) have at least two quality wins (like the Vols), but not one questionable loss.

Pearl has always said NCAA success comes from winning the games you're supposed to, and stealing a few you're not supposed to. The Vols lived up to half that formula-- but the other half killed their chances for a better starting spot this year.