Tennessee Basketball Continues Reaching New Highs

The Tennessee Volunteers will face Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

March 23, 2024, Charlotte, NC, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Jonas Aidoo (0) celebrates / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers will face Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

The Tennessee Volunteers have done it! They made it to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row as they are set to take on a very talented No. 3 seed Creighton team. Although these are happy times for the Vols and their fans, it’s certain that they likely can’t help but at least be slightly nervous entering this game. This raises the question, “Can the Vols get past the dreaded Sweet 16.”

The Tennessee Volunteers have competed in the Sweet 16 ten times, reaching the Elite 8 only once. They were defeated in 2010.

Last season, they reached the accomplishment and were in prime position to advance as they were the favorites over a Semi-Cinderella squad from Florida Atlantic. Tennessee ultimately lost this game, which seemed to be the final showcase of many players at the time, including what looked to be Josiah Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi. However, that was not the case as both players elected to return to Tennessee for their super senior year, which has benefited the Volunteers all season long. They will both likely be in the starting lineup, as they have been all season long. The Volunteers have a new weapon in the arsenal that they didn’t happen to have last time. His name is Dalton Knecht.

Knecht is a cold-blooded 6-foot-6 frame that has solidified himself as a top-three player in college basketball up until this point. He continues to put Tennessee in the best position to win ball games, as he has had multiple games with 30+ points. He has stated in the past that he joined Tennessee with the hopes of improving his defense, which he did; however, his offense is what sets him apart from his competitors.

Creighton is no slouch of a team, and they will be a tough matchup—a much tougher matchup than last year. However, Rick Barnes and the Volunteers will do whatever it takes to disarm the three-seed. They will look to continue their dynasty run and ultimately attempt to bring the hardware back to K-Town and cut the nets down in glorious fashion.

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