Tennessee and FAU are set to face off in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night with the chance to take one step closer to the Final Four.
Before they tip-off though, ESPN‘s college basketball experts weighed-in on who they believe will come away with the win. And it sounds like they’re all riding with the No. 4 Vols to make their second Elite Eight in program history:
- Jeff Borzello: Tennessee 67, FAU 57
- John Gasaway: Tennessee 65, FAU 60
- Myron Medcalf: Tennessee 67, FAU 62
Tennessee ends Duke’s 10-game win streak and is heading to the Sweet 16! pic.twitter.com/S0RzZbtz9x
— ESPN (@espn) March 18, 2023
Here’s a look at how Medcalf sees things going down in The Garden come 9 PM ET:
Against Duke in the second round, Tennessee bullied the Blue Devils (.85 points per possession), who really had no response for a strong Vols squad with five seniors who anchor the best defense in America. Tennessee’s SEC opponents connected on just 44.9% of their shots inside the arc against the Vols this year. FAU will encounter the same challenges as it tries to get to the rim and attack Tennessee. The Owls have been a solid 3-point shooting team this season, but Tennessee’s physicality often forces teams into tougher-than-usual 3s. It could be a long night for FAU.
The Tennessee Volunteers are riding high after a big win over blue blood Duke. And with the top two seeds in their region already eliminated, its possible UT has as good a chance as any to make its first ever trip to the championship round.