All season long, this Tennessee team looked different. They looked battle-tested, mature, ready to prove that they belonged among college basketball’s elite. They had a legitimate star, a defensive identity, and a coaching staff that had seemingly learned from past March heartbreaks. But then, when it mattered most, the Vols collapsed in a way that I—and many others—never saw coming.

This was supposed to be the year Tennessee turned the corner. The roster had the perfect blend of experience and talent. The team had overcome adversity, silencing doubters with big wins over top-ranked opponents. Every time there was a reason to question them, they responded. And yet, when the lights shined the brightest, Tennessee unraveled in a way that was both shocking and, to some, all too familiar.

How did this happen? How did a team with this much promise, this much grit, play so poorly on such a big stage? It wasn’t just a loss—it was an unraveling of everything Tennessee had built over the course of the season. The defense that had been the team’s backbone? It disappeared. The offensive chemistry that had carried them through tough matchups? Nonexistent. The energy, the effort, the composure? Gone.

I didn’t believe the Vols could play that bad because, frankly, I had no reason to. We had seen them rise to the occasion before. We had seen them go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the country. And yet, when the moment arrived for Tennessee to prove that this year was different, they instead delivered one of their most disappointing performances in recent memory.

This was a team that had the makeup of a championship contender. They had a defensive-minded identity, a veteran core, and a superstar who had carried them through difficult stretches. But what we saw in their final game of the season was the complete opposite of everything they had shown before. The defensive intensity wasn’t there. The offense was stagnant, filled with rushed shots and careless mistakes. The mental toughness that had defined their success seemed to evaporate.

Maybe I should have seen it coming. After all, March Madness has never been kind to Tennessee. Rick Barnes has had his share of postseason struggles. But this felt different—this team was built to overcome those past failures. Or at least, that’s what I thought.

It wasn’t just that Tennessee lost; it was how they lost. The Vols didn’t just get beat—they looked completely overwhelmed. They weren’t just outplayed—they were outworked, outhustled, and outcoached. And for a team that prided itself on toughness, that’s what makes this loss so difficult to comprehend.

Tennessee fans have been through this before. Every year, there’s hope that this will be the team that breaks through. And every year, it seems to end in heartbreak. But this time, it felt like the Vols had truly turned a corner. Instead, we were left wondering if this program will ever be able to take that next step.

Maybe we overestimated this team. Maybe we ignored the warning signs. Maybe the Vols weren’t as good as we thought they were. Or maybe—just maybe—this was one of those inexplicable March meltdowns that defies logic.

Whatever the case, one thing is clear: Tennessee fooled me. I believed this team was different. I believed they had learned from past mistakes. I believed they were ready for the moment.

I was wrong.