No. 7 Texas vs. No. 2 Tennessee in Round of 32

Texas is now 4-10 vs. NCAA Tournament teams on the season with the win last night. 

Tennessee is 11-8 vs. NCAA Tournament teams with the win last night. All eight losses this season are to Field of 68 teams. 

Rick Barnes comments after the win over Saint Peter's.

Ken Pomeroy rankings ...

Tennessee No. 7

Texas No. 25 

https://kenpom.com/

Bart Torvik rankings ...

Tennessee No. 7

Texas No. 21

https://barttorvik.com/#

Tennessee opens as a 6 point favorite 

https://dknetwork.draftkings.com/2024/3/21/24108025/march-madness-2024-ncaa-tournament-second-round-texas-vs-tennessee-odds-spread-total-moneyline

So many fun things to talk about around this game...

Chris Ogden was recruited by Rick Barnes out of Seminole High. Ogden was a member of Rick Barnes' only Final Four team. Chris Ogden was also an assistant coach for Barnes at both Texas and Tennessee.

Rodney Terry and Frank Haith were both associate head coaches on Rick Barnes' staff at Texas at different times. Both were assistants on the Texas staff in 2002-03 when the Longhorns advanced to the Final Four. 

Going to be so interesting ... RT, Frank Haith and Ogden know exactly how Rick Barnes thinks as a head coach. 

5 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

You had to dit didn't you!!! LMAO 

That was an amazingly bad final minute

14 minutes ago, Burnt Orange Horn said:

I sure hope Texas gets its feces assembled and plays well on national TV.  A win would be extraordinary.

 

🤘🏻🤘🏼🤘🤘🏽🤘🏾🤘🏿

No question about it! 

Texas hasn't advanced to the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons since the 2003-04 season. That was Rick Barnes' best run at Texas ... Sweet 16 TJ's freshman year, Final Four TJ's sophomore year and Sweet 16 the year after. 

3 minutes ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

Texas hasn't advanced to the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons since the 2003-04 season. That was Rick Barnes' best run at Texas ... Sweet 16 TJ's freshman year, Final Four TJ's sophomore year and Sweet 16 the year after. 

That's also the last time a Rick Barnes' coached team advanced to back-to-back Sweet 16's. 

So something will have to give Saturday night ...

Either Texas breaks the streak or Rick Barnes breaks his streak

Just now, Thiefery said:

if Disu and Abmas shoot like they did yesterday... It could get really ugly fast

For sure. Rick Barnes won't let Abmas and Disu beat him, but they must shoot it better Saturday to have realistic shot. 

Texas will very likely have to score 70 to win Saturday. The supporting cast will need to score 45-50 IMO ... that's Hunter, Brock, Weaver, Horton, Mitchell and Shedrick. 

Texas No. 52 in the NCAA in three-point percentage at 36.2% 

Tennessee is No. 167 at 34.1%

Prior to Thursday night games

Texas No. 40 in the country in free-throw percentage at 75.7% 

Tennessee No. 59 at 74.9% 

Prior to Thursday games

Tennessee has a +2 rebound margin for the season on Texas 

Texas is No. 60 at 53.7% in NCAA effective FG %. 

Tennessee is No. 154 at 51.5% 

Prior to Thursday night games

4 minutes ago, Thiefery said:

So basically, time to play their best game of the season..  This squad should have zero pressure.. just let it fly

I'm not going that far. From a matchup stand point ... UH was the team that Texas had to play their best game. 

Tennessee is a good team, not great. Saint Peter's is an awful offensive team, so Tennessee could choke them out. Tennessee won't be able to choke Texas out. Texas will have to make contested shots in the mid-range and from three. 

Dalton Knecht is a tough individual match up for Texas on the defensive end. 

Tennessee is No. 6 in the NCAA in field goal % defense ...

https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/team/149

This will be the key Saturday ... Texas will be forced to make a lot of contested shots in the mid-range and from three. 

From UT … 

Game 34: No. 7 seed Texas (21-12, 9-9 Big 12) vs. No. 2 seed #6/6 Tennessee (25-8, 14-4 SEC)

NCAA Tournament Second Round

Saturday, March 23, 2024 - approx. 7 p.m. Central/8 p.m. Eastern

Spectrum Center (20,200) - Charlotte, N.C.

GameDay Quick Facts

• TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by CBS. Brian Anderson (pxp), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (reporter) will call the action.

• RADIO: The Longhorn IMG Radio Network broadcasts every UT game on the statewide network. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check TexasSports.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game. Westwood One Radio will also broadcast the game nationally, with Jason Benetti (pxp) and Casey Jacobsen (analyst) on the call.  

• SERIES: Tied, 4-4. Last meeting: Tennessee 82-71 (Jan. 28, 2023; Knoxville).

Notables

• SEARCHING FOR SWEETS, AGAIN: The Longhorns are looking to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second straight year and the 15th time in program history. A win on Saturday would send Texas to the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years for the first time since UT went to three-straight Sweet 16's in 2002-03-04. 

• TEXAS-TENNESSEE CONNECTIONS: Tennessee coach Rick Barnes is the winningest coach in Texas program history (402-180) during his 17 years in Austin (1998-2015). Texas coach Rodney Terry served as an assistant to Barnes with the Longhorns for nine seasons (2002-11), when UT advanced to four Sweet 16's, three Elite Eights and one Final Four.

• DEFENSE WINS: Texas held Colorado State to 44 points on 29.3-percent FG shooting, including a 6-of-24 (.250) mark from three-point range, in Thursday's win. This marked the second-fewest points allowed by the Longhorns in a NCAA Tournament game and fewest since 1947.