No. 6 Tennessee Vols Seek Elite Eight Berth For Third Consecutive Season

CHICAGO — Tennessee basketball arrives at its fourth consecutive Sweet 16 with momentum, a budding star and a sobering reality: the road to the Elite Eight runs through one of the most defensively suffocating programs in the country.

The sixth-seeded Volunteers (24-11) will meet No. 2 seed Iowa State in the Midwest Region semifinals Friday night in Chicago.  Tipoff is set for 10:10 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on TBS

It is difficult to find another program, except perhaps Houston that has played consistently elite defense at the same level as Iowa State and Tennessee over the past five years.   That makes this clash a potential defensive showcase, with both programs boasting the personnel and schemes to turn the game into a grind. Funny enough all three of these mentioned teams started the non conference season in Vegas at The Players Era Tournament. They all bet on defense then and only one team can bet and win on defense now. 

A win would push Tennessee to the Elite Eight for a third straight season and put the program 40 minutes from its first Final Four appearance in program history.  Coach Rick Barnes has guided the Vols to back-to-back Elite Eight trips in 2024 and 2025, falling short each time.

Barnes met with the media before leaving for Chicago.  When asked about how this team makes in game adjustments for a team that is disciplined and as prepared as they are:

We know that they can guard the ball screen differently. We know that they are gonna double the post. They’re gonna keep you on one side. We know that.

He went on to say:

The biggest key is to get our guys to recognize it too. This time of year you hope they are able to do it quicker than they were 2 months ago. Which they are doing better.

TENNESSEE: CARRYING THE LOAD

Leading scorers Ament and Gillespie will be the engine Tennessee needs to generate offense against a stingy Iowa State defense. The Volunteers can guard at every spot on the floor, and they will have to put pressure on Tamin Lipsey, sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson  (if he returns)  to win. 

Freshman forward Nate Ament has been a question mark. Ament is 5 of 27 from the floor over his last three games and did not score in the opening round against Miami (Ohio).  His production will be critical if Tennessee hopes to advance.

Interior presence Felix Okpara looms as a difference-maker. Opposing players had made only 30% of their shots around the rim against Okpara entering Sunday’s game.  His rim protection could be pivotal against a Cyclones offense that feasted in the paint in its previous game.

IOWA STATE: DANGEROUS EVEN SHORTHANDED

Iowa State climbed into the top five in the AP Poll after starting the season 16-0 and earned wins over St. John’s, at Purdue and Iowa in non-conference play. 

The Cyclones carry significant injury concerns into Chicago. Joshua Jefferson, a do-it-all star averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, missed Iowa State’s second-round win over Kentucky with an ankle injury. 

Even without Jefferson, Iowa State dismantled Kentucky. The Cyclones forced 20 turnovers and outscored the Wildcats 34-20 in the paint, with Lipsey finishing with 26 points, 10 assists and only three turnovers. 

The biggest offensive weapon may be forward Milan Momcilovic. Momcilovic has had arguably the best long-range shooting season in NCAA history, connecting on 49.3% of his 3-point attempts. He ranks first all-time among players with at least 125 attempts from distance, surpassing Kyle Korver. 

TURNOVERS

The single most important factor in this game may be ball security. Tennessee ranks 225th nationally in turnover rate. Iowa State ranks fourth in the country in turnover rate forced.  That disparity is the sharpest statistical split between the two teams.

Gillespie and Ament combined for five turnovers against Virginia. Iowa State can pressure that duo into the same mistakes that Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen, who combined for eight turnovers made for Kentucky. 

On the other end, Tennessee is the top offensive rebounding team in the nation, grabbing nearly 45% of their misses. Iowa State is 65th nationally in defensive rebounding, and its best defensive rebounder in Jefferson is dealing with an injury.  Jaylen Carey, J.P. Estrella and Okpara figure to attack that vulnerability aggressively.

Tennessee is seeking its third straight Elite Eight appearance. Iowa State is chasing its first Final Four berth since 2024.The winner will play the number 1 seed in the Midwest - Michigan. Coach Barnes has emphasized that this team is focused on one game at a time. What he told the team in the round of 32 is also a statement in Chicago:

“This is a two - game tournament.” - Coach Rick Barnes

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