After the NCAA tournament’s field of 68 was whittled down to 16 teams last week, we’re now just a handful of days away from knowing which four teams will make the Final Four next weekend in Indianapolis. The Sweet 16 will see eight games over the span of Thursday and Friday, while the Elite Eight will see four games over the span of Saturday and Sunday. Once those 12 games are completed, we’ll have our last four teams standing.
As far as Tennessee’s case goes, the Vols are going to have to win some uphill battles to get through the weekend. Tennessee will face 2-seed Iowa State in the Sweet 16 on Friday night in Chicago, in which the Vols are a point underdog. If UT can get past the Cyclones, Tennessee will then have to face either 1-seed Michigan or 4-seed Alabama in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
Before all the action kicks off on Thursday, ESPN’s Jay Bilas outlined the potential path and pitfalls for each of the Sweet 16 teams in their quest for the Final Four.
Tennessee can make a push to the Final Four if “the Vols make good decisions with the ball,” according to Bilas. The ESPN analyst makes a big remark about protecting the ball, noting that Tennessee’s biggest area of concern is when the Vols get turnover-happy.
“The Vols turn the ball over at a 17% rate, ranking in the bottom third of Division I,” Bilas writes. “Truly, their 24 wins this season would be closer to 30 if the Vols took better care of the ball and made better decisions. Iowa State will test the Vols’ decision-making and ball security with pressure. If the Vols manage it, there are good things available.”
More From RTI: Injury Update – What Iowa State’s Coach Said About the Status of Star Forward Joshua Jefferson
All eyes will be on Nate Ament this weekend. For one, he’s Tennessee’s best player and an NBA lottery prospect. On the other hand, though, Ament has been battling through injury during postseason play in the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. Ament hasn’t been his usual self since the injury, but he’s still found ways to be productive for the team at times. Bilas lists Ament as Tennessee’s top player to watch this week.
“Belmont and Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie is the Vols’ most important player, but Ament is their best and most talented player,” Bilas writes. “Just a freshman, Ament is long and athletic with great skill. Opposing teams have tried to be physical with Ament and bully him, and he has handled it well. He averages 17 points per game and has scored over 20 points 11 times.”
Tennessee will need to stick to its identity in its game against Iowa State, playing physical basketball and using the rebounding game to its advantage. With Ament somewhat limited still, the Vols relied on big role performances from Bishop Boswell and JP Estrella to supplement Gillespie’s production and defeat Virginia in the second round last weekend. They’ll need all of that still, but Bilas believes that taking care of the ball is the key to Tennessee’s week.
“Tennessee should have a better record; as good as this team has been, it was in position to win more games with better late-game decision-making,” Bilas writes. “The end of the game against Virginia was evidence of this point. Tennessee won, but the Vols made it interesting with some late decisions and miscommunications. Still, the Vols are the top offensive rebounding team in the country, hauling in close to 45% of their own misses. Talk about a great insurance policy.”
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider this week for on-site coverage of Tennessee Basketball’s run through the Sweet 16.
