Tennessee basketball didn’t overwhelm 15th-seeded Wofford from start to finish in a first-round NCAA tournament game Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky. at Rupp Arena. But the Vols’ 77-62 victory didn’t shake my pretournament take.
In a tournament renowned for inexplicable upsets, I still foresee the four favorites advancing in the Midwest Regional, eventually leading to an Elite Eight showdown between No. 1 seed Houston and the No. 2 Vols.
Houston was by far the more dominant of the two in its tournament opener − though against a less competent opponent − in a 78-40 victory over SIU Edwardsville.
Wofford offered more resistance. And Tennessee coach Rick Barnes seemingly was expecting as much although the Vols were favored by 18.5 points.
“It’s going to be a grind,” he said in an early courtside interview.
He was right.
Never mind that the Vols had an obvious advantage in size and quickness. The Terriers weren’t intimidated. Their resolve paid off in cutting the deficit to single digits with just under 13 minutes to play.
Wofford seldom gave up easy baskets and managed just enough 3-pointers to stay competitive. They also got a surprising number of open shots against one of the nation’s stickiest defenses. But they had no answer for Tennessee sharpshooter Chaz Lanier, who repeatedly connected from 3-point range anytime the Terriers were mounting momentum.
Lanier scored 29 points on 11-for-21 shooting, which included six 3-pointers in 12 attempts. UT fans could be encouraged by UT’s overall shooting since the Vols have sometimes struggled terribly offensively in this tournament. They made 48.1% of their shots and 10-of-28 3-pointers.
Tennessee was one of three of the top four seeds in the Midwest Regional to win by a double-digit margin Thursday. Third-seeded Kentucky will open tournament play Friday against Troy.
Houston wasted no time asserting its dominance against No. 16 seed SIU Edwardsville. The Cougars jumped out to a 24-9 lead on the way to a 78-40 victory in which its relentless devotion to defense never ebbed as its lead mounted. SIU made only 30.6% of its field-goal tries and just two of 24 3-point attempts.
Houston’s offense didn’t keep up with its defense, but the Cougars made just enough of their 3-point shots (10 of 28) to remind you of their offensive potential.
Of the region’s top four seeds, fourth-seeded Purdue might be the most vulnerable based on Thursday’s outcomes. The Boilermakers defeated High Point 75-63 and will next face No. 12 McNeese in the second round. The Cowboys defeated No. 5 Clemson 69-67 in the biggest upset of the first round.
Tennessee fans have learned to be wary of underdogs based on the Vols’ track record in the NCAA tournament.
In 2018, the Vols lost to 11th-seeded Loyola 63-62 in the second round. The Ramblers then won their way to the Final Four.
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Two years ago, ninth-seeded FAU knocked off the Vols in the Sweet 16. Like Loyola, the Owls didn’t lose until they reached the Final Four.
Although Wofford was competitive, it never presented a serious threat after an early 12-0 run put the Vols on top 22-9 halfway through the first half.
They couldn’t build significantly on that lead. But they took care of business.
So did most of the favorites.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or [email protected]. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: I’m convinced Tennessee basketball headed for a showdown with Houston
