Tennessee vs. Creighton: Sweet 16 Preview
The Tennessee Vols are headed to the Sweet 16 to take on the Creighton Blue Jays. The Vols are looking to make it to the Elite Eight for just the second time in school history. Multiple prior Sweet 16 appearances have ended in disappointment, so here’s to hoping this trip is different.
The Matchup
Many with BVS (Battered Vols Syndrome) are probably nervous about this upcoming game against Creighton, and rightfully so. Tennessee pulled out a tough win Saturday after shooting just 12% behind the arc. But, Texas is a solid team that has tons of talent, and that tough win shows this team can win even when they can’t hit the side of a barn. This defense is elite, but the Vols will need that same defense against the best 3-point shooting team in the tournament.
Tennessee is the slight favorite in this game, currently sitting as a 2.5-point favorite. ESPN gives the Vols a 57.7% chance to win this matchup. Dalton Knecht has been quiet in March, but this seems like it will be the game that will bring him back to life. Creighton is a lot like Alabama, and that tends to be a good matchup for this Vols team. The only worry here is that Creighton has three high-scoring players, and all three hit 3-pointers consistently. Baylor Scheierman leads the Blue Jays with 106 threes made, while Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner have hit more than 60 a piece.
DEFENSE
The Vols are going to have to play strong defense against this team and suffocate the Blue Jays at the perimeter. If the Blue Jays get hot from behind the arc, the Vols may never catch up. Especially if they shoot like they have been in the past two games.
Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka have stepped up in this tournament. Their defensive effort and rebounding have aided this team, especially last week against a good Texas team. Awaka contributed 8 and 10 points in the last two games and 9 rebounds. Aidoo has played much more consistently on both sides of the ball, and is getting physical finally.
The SEC defensive player of the year, Zakai Zeigler, has morphed into a superhuman in March. And he is playing at a level on defense right now that can get Tennessee to the Final Four. Zeigler will need to be the court general he is and command this defense to lock down the Blue Jays offense. The Blue Jays shoot almost 50% of their shots behind the arc, making 36.6% of them, while hitting a national-high 59.7% of their 2-point shots. This offense is very dynamic, and if Zeigler and Co. can’t lock their shooters down, then Knecht will need a lot of help to keep the game from getting away from the Vols.
Score Prediction: Tennessee 81, Creighton 76
Dalton Knecht is going to come alive in this game to keep pace with the Blue Jays’ dynamic offense. Tennessee’s defense will play well enough to support a win and don’t be surprised if Knecht drops 30+