The Tennessee Volunteers (-18) enter the first round of the NCAA Tournament matched up with the Longwood Lancers. By now, everybody has filled out their brackets, but before heading to the betting window there are a few things to keep in mind.

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Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has a troubling history in the Big Dance, but something feels different about this Vols team. After winning its first SEC Tournament title since 1979, Tennessee is looking to make a deep run in March after being disrespected on Selection Sunday with a 3 seed.

Best Bet: Tennessee -18 (-110) via BetMGM

By now, most college hoops fans know about the Vols’ prolific backcourt, featuring Kennedy Chandler (13.8 PPG), Santiago Vescovi (13.4 PPG), and Zakai Ziegler (8.8 PPG). While those three will certainly carry the load for Tennessee’s offense, it will be the Vols’ size that makes the difference against Longwood.

Longwood coach Griff Aldrich on #Vols’ offense: So many offenses these days have maybe one action and then a bunch of one-on-one. These guys are like Iowa. They’re moving all the time, and they do so many things. It’s really hard to handle.

— Wes Rucker (@wesruckerTBA) March 16, 2022

The Lancers are not known for its defensive prowess, ranking 319th in the country in opponents two-point percentage. Longwood’s struggles on the defensive end could be attributed to its lack of size. The Lancers do not start anyone taller than 6’7”, which could open things up down low for the Tennessee bigs.

Barnes said the #Vols will be challenged “at a high level” by Longwood.

“People would say they’re smaller, but they play much bigger with their speed and quickness. We’ll have to have really good offense and get back on defense.”

— Jake Nichols (@jnichols_2121) March 16, 2022

While John Fulkerson, Uros Plavsic, and Jonas Aidoo have to be licking their chops, the Vols rebound well at every position. Despite being 6’6”, Tennessee guard Josiah Jordan-James leads the team in rebounds, averaging 5.9 boards per game.

James has been the X-Factor for the Vols down the stretch, scoring in double figures in his last six games. His stretch run was highlighted by his performance against Texas A&M In the SEC Tournament Championship where he dropped 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Longwood’s offense revolves around the three-point line. The Lancers rank 16th in the country in three-point percentage (37.9%) which is the ultimate equalizer in March. If Longwood is able to get hot from deep, the Vols could be in for a doozie.

The Vols share some smiles and knowing looks when asked about their seeding, but Fulkerson gives the lone comment: "Our seed doesn't really matter, we're just focused on Longwood."

— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) March 16, 2022

Tennessee has been guarding the perimeter well as of late. In its SEC title run, the Vols held Texas A&M to just 21% from deep, while Kentucky shot just 2-of-20 from behind the arc in the SEC semifinals.

Longwood might just be in the wrong place at the wrong time as Tennessee looks to prove its dominance after being under-seeded by the NCAA’s Selection Committee. While margin is not important in this survive-and-advance event, look for the Vols to send a message with a lopsided victory as the quest for the school’s first Final Four officially begins.

Featured image via Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports