It’s finally that time of the year. It’s March Madness time in Tennessee.
No. 2 seed Tennessee (29-5, 15-3 SEC) takes on No. 15 seed Colgate (24-10, 13-5 Patriot) on Friday afternoon in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. For the Vols, this season marks the second-straight year they’ve made it to the NCAA Tournament and is their 22nd appearance overall. This year is the first time since 1996 that Colgate has earned a berth to the Big Dance, however, and it’s only the third time ever they’ve made it to the NCAA Tournament.
The Vols are coming off a 20-point blowout loss to Auburn in the SEC Tournament Finals on Sunday while Colgate is riding an 11-game winning streak. The Raiders won eight-straight games to end the regular season and then won all three contests in the Patriot League Tournament to come away with the tournament title.
Both teams boast an all-conference lineup on their rosters. Tennessee has the two-time SEC Player of the Year and First-Team All-American, a First-Team All-SEC wing, and a Second-Team All-SEC point guard. Colgate has the Patriot League Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year in the conference, a Second-Team All-Patriot League player, and the conference’s Coach of the Year.
Tennessee is playing as a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament for only the third time ever. They’re 2-0 against 15-seeds in the tournament. This year marks the first time Colgate hasn’t been a 16-seed in the tournament.
Neither of these teams have played in the NCAA Tournament before, but they’ve faced off in men’s basketball previously. The Raiders are actually 2-0 all-time against the Vols, defeating them in 1955 and 1960.
Here’s everything you need to know about Friday’s game. Take a look at our score predictions for the game, and here’s a look at the match-up by the numbers. If you can’t make it up to Columbus, here’s how you can watch and listen to the Tennessee vs. Colgate game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Tip-Off: Approximately 2:45 Eastern, March 22nd, Value City Arena (Columbus, OH)
TV: CBS
Streaming Online: NCAA.com/March-Madness-Live
Radio: Vol Network (99.1 FM or 990 AM in Knoxville/surrounding areas)
Line: Tennessee (-17.5)
