March Madness: 5 reasons Tennessee Vols could lose to Colgate Raiders

2. The Raiders can stretch the floor with their length.

We already discussed the surprise rebounding advantage that comes with the Colgate Raiders. And as we mentioned in that slide, it’s due to length and height that many teams who play at their level don’t have.

Well, that length and height is also able to stretch the floor. Colgate’s two best outside shooters, Rapolas Ivanauskas and Will Rayman, are 6’10” and 6’8″ respectively. They play big under the basket but also stretch the floor and play on the perimeter.

Then there’s Dana Batt, who is athletic and can play big at 6’9″, and he’s backed up by Malcolm Regisford, who can provide valuable minutes at 6’8″. The combination of all of these guys provides great size and ability to stretch the floor.

As a result, this team brings a level of movement in their offensive sets that makes it hard to control where everybody is on the court. And that’s what the Vols are going to have to deal with when they take on the Raiders Friday afternoon.

This could also be difficult for Rick Barnes’s team. He’s got size and enough length, but his big men are really physical guys who like to bang their opponents in the paint. It may be a bit difficult for them if they have to cover the entire half-court.

Can Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander stay with players on the perimeter? They can’t afford to play off guys, but at the same time, are they quick enough to get up on those shooters? We’ll find out in this game. If they can’t, then March Madness will truly take hold.