With the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team headed to their 10th Sweet 16 appearance all-time, here are five reasons to believe head coach Rick Barnes' team should make the deepest NCAA tournament run in program history.
1. Defense
Through the first two rounds the Tennessee defense has only allowed 97 points to Saint Peter's and Texas. The Vols held those two teams to 29.1 percent and 36.4 percent shooting from the field. This is nothing new as Tennessee has ranked among the top teams nationally this season in holding their opponents to just 38.6 percent on field goal attempts.
2. Dalton Knecht gets his
Knecht has etched his legacy already in Vols hoop lore as the SEC player of the year has been sensational since arriving from Northern Colorado. Even in one of his worst shooting performances of the year against Texas, he still was able to score 18 points. If Knecht can get hot and help Tennessee get in a rhythm offensively they could easily march all the way to the finals.
3. Triple J
Josiah-Jordan James knows how to produce big postseason moments, just look back at his play when he helped Tennessee win the SEC tournament two years ago. To see him score nine points and grab as many rebounds against Texas was a refreshing sight. Tennessee needs him to be locked in as he is one of the proven leaders and most experienced players in March Madness.
4. One of the best PGs in college basketball
Zakai Zeigler is the engine that makes this Tennessee team go, no question about it. The Vols are 4-0 when he has 10 or more assists and Zeigler looks to be in his bag of tricks as he already has 17 assists through the first two rounds. Since the start of 2024, the 5-foot-9 star and SEC defender of the year has averaged 6.8 assists per game. Having a stellar floor general is key in this tournament as proven by Marquette's Tyler Kolek, Purdue's Braden Smith, Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard, Houston's Jamal Shead and UConn's Tristen Newton.
5. Powerful A's
Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka could help Tennessee win its first national title if they can deliver on the offensive end the rest of the tournament. The Vols are 20-2 when Aidoo scores 10 or more points, which he has in the first two NCAA tournament games. Awaka also looks locked in offensively with 18 points off the bench on 7-of-9 shooting in 22 minutes through the first two tournament games. Tennessee is 5-0 when Awaka scores 10 or more points this season.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.