The Tennessee basketball team made easy work of the Saint Peter's Peacocks in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Volunteers rolled to an 83-49 victory and moved on to the second round to face Texas. Rick Barnes, the Tennessee head coach who was at Texas from 1998 until 2015, now faces his former school with a Sweet 16 trip on the line.
While it might full of emotions coaching against his former team, Barnes left no doubt that he is a Tennessee Volunteer now, per Wes Rucker of 247Sports.
” I have friends in Texas that will be dear friends until the day I die. I'll always be grateful for them. But I've been gone nine years. I'm a Tennessee Volunteer, and I thank the Lord for that blessing.”
On the other hand, Barnes knows the magnitude of this game from both sides, especially given his legacy with the Longhorns: “It's never easy or fun to face people who have done so much for you in your career.”
After Texas defeated Colorado State on Thursday, the two schools face off on Saturday evening in North Carolina with the winner going to the Sweet 16. And, after Barnes' early exit from the Big Dance a year ago, not to mention an upset loss in the SEC Tournament, the pressure is on for him to make the second week of March Madness this time around.
Tennessee left no doubts against Saint Peter's but has tough task vs. Texas
The Tennessee basketball team left no questions against the Peacocks of Saint Peter's and ruined their hopes of another Cinderella run. The Vols were up 46-20 at halftime and won by 34 points in the biggest blowout of the first day of the tournament.
Dalton Knecht paced the team once again, scoring 23 points with eight rebounds in the win. Tennessee had three players in double figures and shot 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point land, so they played incredibly well going into the next round of the NCAA Tournament.
Texas made easy work of Colorado State, who just won a First Four game over Virginia a couple of days before. The Longhorns held the Rams to just 11 first-half points (yes, 11!) and won te game 56-44. Max Abmas, the talented transfer from Oral Roberts, had 12 points and Dylan Disu also had 12 points as Rodney Terry's team moved on to the next round.
For Tennessee, Texas will provide them with plenty of challenges, especially after a cakewalk first game against Saint Peter's. The Longhorns rank in the top 50 in assists, blocked shots, field goal percentage, free throw shooting, and three-point percentage, so Rick Barnes knows he and the Tennessee basketball team will have their hands full on Saturday.
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