Tennessee basketball opens up play in the NCAA Tournament tonight as the two-seed Vols prepare to face 15-seed Saint Peter’s in Charlotte.
Saint Peter’s is back in the Big Dance just two short seasons after making a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight while Tennessee is looking for two wins this weekend to return to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season.
But everything starts for Tennessee basketball against Saint Peter’s in the opening round of the tournament.
Ahead of each Tennessee game in the NCAA Tournament, RTI’s Ric Butler and Ryan Schumpert will make predictions for the Vols matchup. Check out their picks for the Vols’ matchup against the Peacocks here.
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Ryan Schumpert
Tennessee basketball has serious aspirations this season and despite a disappointing final two games entering the NCAA Tournament, there’s still a lot to like about the Vols entering the Big Dance.
I’ve said for a while now that Tennessee is at its best when Jonas Aidoo is at his best and this game is a good opportunity for Aidoo to get off to a strong start in the NCAA Tournament. While Saint Peter’s has a few bigger post players on the bench, they don’t start anyone over 6-foot-7. Aidoo should control the paint in this game.
There are some things not to like about this matchup. Saint Peter’s is a good defensive team and plays at an extremely slow pace. That presents a recipe for the Peacocks to remain in the game for a while.
But this is still a Saint Peter’s team that went 16-13 in the regular season and made the NCAA Tournament by winning three games in the conference tournament by a combined eight points. Tennessee is vastly superior and I’m confident they’ll get it done.
Tennessee 72, Saint Peter’s 55
Ric Butler
The first thing I think about heading into this particular matchup is Tennessee’s mental state. Tennessee’s players have talked about turning the page and Rick Barnes has publically challenged his team to show up with hustle and talent for the game, but this is still a team on a two-game losing streak for the first time since the Maui Invitational in November. I don’t think that Tennessee has players who are scared of the moment, but I do wonder if there are any leftover thoughts from the losses.
That all being said, I still trust Tennessee’s ability to be an experienced, defensively strong team with shooters that can get through the 15-seed in the tournament. Dalton Knecht is obviously a big storyline for the national media but those who have been following this team all year know that the team rides or dies based on the handful of players behind him most of the time. The key for Tennessee is inside play from Jonas Aidoo. When Aidoo is scoring at the basket or hitting midrange jump shots, it opens everything up considerably for the offense and allows more from Knecht and Zakai Zeigler. Aidoo will also have the size advantage on the starters. Tennessee’s bad offense and bad defense compounded on top of each other during their loss to Mississippi State, which is something that the Vols will look to avoid on Thursday night.
Saint Peter’s doesn’t necessarily need their best-scoring game of the season to beat Tennessee. Similarly to Rick Barnes’ squad, the Peacocks are built on defense before offense. Tennessee should feel good if the game turns into a rock fight because they have the best scorer on the court in Knecht, but it’s also something that Saint Peter’s would like to make the game into. A strong start before the first media timeout would be huge for Tennessee.
I like Tennessee in this game by a good margin. I think the Vols have the size to dictate the game against the Peacocks and I think that Dalton Knecht will thrive in the spotlight after a forgettable game in the SEC Tournament.
Tennessee 75, Saint Peter’s 60
