Tennessee basketball is back in action on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET as they face Texas in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.
The Vols advanced to the second round by dominating Saint Peter’s in the opening round while Texas’ defense suffocated Colorado State in a 56-44 victory.
It’s two teams that have an abundance of familiarity with one another and the moment. Texas head coach Rodney Terry was a Rick Barnes assistant coach when he was the Longhorns’ head coach and the two teams faced off in the Big 12-SEC Challenge the last two seasons. Both teams are looking to return to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season.
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 Longhorns.
More From RTI: Everything To Know About Tennessee-Texas NCAA Tournament Matchup
Ryan Schumpert
Tennessee took care of business against a severely overmatched Saint Peter’s team on Thursday night but now things get real for a Volunteer team looking to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
They face a Texas team that brings pretty of storylines because of the connections between the two programs. Tennessee would probably rather not have to deal with all the storylines off the court but from a purely basketball standpoint I think it’s a solid draw.
Texas has two really good offensive guards but Tennessee typically plays well against those players because of the stout defense from Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack. Santiago Vescovi isn’t too shabby on that end of the court either.
And while Texas power forward Dylan Disu averages over 15 points per game and will be a challenge to defense, he’s only 6-foot-9, 225-pounds and doesn’t have the same build of the players that have given Jonas Aidoo trouble.
Once you get to this point, every game is going to be challenging and there’s a chance you lose. And Tennessee typically plays better as an underdog in the NCAA Tournament, but I think they get it done against the Longhorns.
Tennessee 73, Texas 69
Ric Butler
One of the minor questions going into Thursday’s game revolved around Tennessee’s mental makeup after just their second multi-loss streak of the season. It’s impossible to please everyone, but the Vols silenced a lot of doubters with a performance that looked like a return to form in a dominant win over Saint Peter’s.
When Tennessee’s big three are rolling, they’re a menace to slow down. Tennessee used a double-double from Zeigler, 13 first-half points from Aidoo, and more than 20 points from Knecht to round out a balanced drama-free win. While Tennessee does have a few different ways they can win, that’s the best and the most efficient route for Rick Barnes’ squad.
Texas does have two strong starting guards, but Tennessee should have the horses to slow them down defensively with Zeigler and Mashack. Totaling 14 points over his last two games, I think that Mashack could prove to be a big piece off the bench because of his defensive abilities.
The keys for Tennessee don’t change at any point in the tournament, which was proven in the Saint Peter’s game even though the Peacocks are the least challenging team that Tennessee will face in however long their run lasts. Tennessee got punched in the mouth out of the gates against Mississippi State but struck first against the Peacocks to the tune of a 27-7 lead. Aidoo was big for Tennessee with early success in the paint which led to 13 points in the first 12 minutes of the game.
Tennessee and Texas are strangely familiar with each other for being non-conference opponents. Aside from the Rick Barnes and Rodney Terry coaching connections, veterans on both teams have seen each other twice in the last two years. As Josiah-Jordan James said on Friday, it’ll be less about surprising their opponent with a specific game plan and more about toughness and drive on the court.
While Texas is a good team that has talent, I see Tennessee advancing in this game. Texas is an all-around well-built team but there isn’t necessarily an aspect that I see them having a significant swaying advantage in. The advantage therefore lies with the SEC Player of the Year and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. We all know how and why Tennessee can lose, but I think the Volls continue the momentum from Thursday after Texas didn’t quite look finely tuned in their win over Colorado State.
Tennessee 72, Texas 66
