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Tennessee Basketball: 3 reasons why you should be hype about this year

By Colton Pickard

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Lamonte Turner #1 and Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-77 in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Lamonte Turner #1 and Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-77 in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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3. Real home-court advantage

KNOXVILLE, TN – JANUARY 24: Tennessee Volunteers students celebrate after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 24, 2017, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 82-80. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN – JANUARY 24: Tennessee Volunteers students celebrate after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 24, 2017, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 82-80. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

It’s simple. Find a way to win games, even the big ones, and Tennessee fans will show up in huge numbers. Tennessee fans are some of the most loyal fans in the country and will show up regardless, but if you can win the big games, they can get, well, rowdy.

This is one thing that could separate this year’s team from last year’s. As someone who went to two basketball games last year, the Florida game in TBA and the SEC Championship, it was loud, and the fans were relentless throughout the game.

Even during the SEC Championship against Auburn, the Vols couldn’t get much going, but Tennessee fans throughout Bridgestone Arena continued to cheer and stay loud for their Vols hoping they would hit a spark and go on a big run.

I expect that to continue this year, and I don’t think I’m going to be let down based on the ticket sales so far for this basketball season.

Tennessee has already sold out Kentucky and Auburn and is very close to selling out the Memphis, Wisconsin, and Florida. 15,310 season tickets have been sold for this season, and that’s the most since 16,645 season tickets were sold for the 2008-09 season.

Tennessee has won 27 consecutive home games dating back to the last home loss against Auburn in January 2018. If Tennessee fans continue to show up like they did last year or improve on that, then I expect Tennessee to compete in every home game this year.

Next. Jeremy Pruitt’s last 673 days have been a tough start to a long rebuild. dark

The Vols’ season will begin on October 30 when Eastern New Mexico comes to town for an exhibition game, and the regular season will officially follow that on November 5 against UNC Asheville.

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