POINT GUARD
UT: Sophomore Ramar Smith is again listed atop the depth chart after not playing in the first half of the Vols’ first-round victory over American, but no one would be surprised if senior Jordan Howell started again today. Howell continues to shoot poorly, so sophomore wing J.P. Prince also is playing some at the point. Smith still shows spectacular flashes, but his inconsistent play has frustrated coaches.
BU: Mike Green was named Horizon League player of the year following a huge senior season. He leads the balanced Bulldogs with 14.6 points and 5.1 assists per game, and the 6-foot-1 Philadelphia native also bullies his way inside for a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game.
The edge: Butler
SHOOTING GUARD
UT: Chris Lofton has rallied from a slow start to have a solid, at times sensational senior season. He leads the Vols with 15.7 points per game, and he shoots better than 39 percent from 3-point range. The SEC’s career 3-point leader (and third in NCAA history) strikes fear into opposing coaches, especially in the clutch.
BU: First-team All-Horizon League senior A.J. Graves occasionally spells Green at the point, but he primarily plays off the ball. The small-framed, big-game Graves has struggled somewhat with his perimeter shot, though, making just 34.2 percent of his 3-pointers this season. He is always a threat to get hot, though, and he’s the main candidate to take (and make) any clutch shot.
The edge: Even
WING
UT: For all of UT’s star power, coach Bruce Pearl said the Vols “go as JaJuan Smith goes.” The often-overlooked senior from McMinn County High School is one of the college game’s best perimeter defenders, and his shooting range is almost limitless. He’ll probably be assigned to guard Green, and his ability to keep Butler’s point guard from penetrating into the paint and kicking out to open shooters will be one of the Vols’ biggest keys.
BU: Julian Betko is an unselfish, defensive-minded player, but the 6-foot-6 senior can not be ignored on the wing. He’s a 37.8 percent shooter behind the arc, and he led the Bulldogs with 15 points against Tennessee last season.
The edge: Tennessee
POWER FORWARD
UT: Pearl calls sophomore Tyler Smith “maybe the most productive player I’ve ever coached.” The 6-foot-7 Smith can do just about everything on either end of the floor, and he’s adored by his teammates for his selflessness. He’s a matchup nightmare for most teams, scoring 13.6 points per game and leading the Vols with 6.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He also shoots nearly 55 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from 3-point range, where he’s become more comfortable in the past month.
BU: If any 4 at the mid-major level can contain Smith, it might be Butler senior Drew Streicher. The 6-8 Streicher is tough and smart, as evidenced by his 3.95 undergraduate GPA in chemistry and his 4.00 GPA in Butler’s M.B.A. program. He averages just 4.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, though, and he’s one of the rare Bulldogs to struggle from the perimeter — he shoots less than 32 percent from behind the arc — but he’s been as important as any in the team’s recent rise.
The edge: Tennessee
CENTER
UT: Sophomore Wayne Chism is starting to show more than simple glimpses of the player Pearl thought he signed from West Tennessee. The 6-9 Chism has scored at least 11 points in four of UT’s past five games, and he’s 5-for-10 from 3-point range in the past four. His ability to stretch opposing centers on offense and still bang with them in the paint has been a blessing for the Vols, and his spells of immaturity are coming with less frequency.
BU: Freshman Matt Howard is one of the most highly rated players Butler has ever signed. The top 100 Rivals.com national prospect signed with the Bulldogs over such powers as Xavier and home-state Indiana. The 6-8 Howard’s 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game has come from highly efficient 59.6 percent shooting from the field. If Butler coach Matt Stevens keep signing players like Howard, the Bulldogs aren’t going away any time soon.
The edge: Even
BENCH
UT: Prince has been the difference in many of the Vols’ biggest wins this season, but their biggest bench advantage has often been their depth. That depth and a solid offseason conditioning program have allowed the Vols to outlast many teams in the final moments, running circles around dead-legged defenders. Big men Brian Williams and Duke Crews have also give UT big lifts, and Howell is always a steady presence at point guard. If Howell starts, Ramar Smith gives the team a more physical dimension off the bench.
BU: Senior Pete Campbell is viewed by coaches and teammates as a starter who begins the game on the bench. The 6-8 forward leads Butler with 45.8 percent shooting from behind the arc. The Bulldogs don’t get many numbers from the rest of their bench, but guard Willie Veasley has had some big moments.
The edge: Even
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