Tennessee basketball: 5 teams Vols should root for Sweet Sixteen games

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SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 24: The Oregon Ducks bench reacts after a play in the second half against the UC Irvine Anteaters during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 24, 2019, in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

No.1 – Oregon Ducks (25-12)

Head coach: Dana Altman
Pac 12 Conference

This one could get a tad bit tricky and I can see the other side of the argument to not wanting to play Oregon in an Elite Eight matchup if you are Tennessee. If the Vols can get by the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday night they will play the winner of the Virginia Cavaliers-Oregon Ducks.

On paper, you think the easy answer is you don’t want to play Virginia and while Oregon is on fire; winners of their last ten games, I couldn’t agree more. If you are a Tennessee fan playing Oregon seems like such an easier matchup than one of the best teams in the nation.

Offense: Virginia

Defense: Virginia

Effective FG%: Virginia

Three-point percentage: Virginia

Okay you get the picture, the Cavaliers are statically the better team and I could continue to prove it with stats all night.

Next. 5 players for Vols to watch in second weekend of tournament. dark

One thing I hate to do is root against head coach Tony Bennett. I don’t know him personally but he seems to be one of the most likable coaches in the game. However, what is better than the Vols playing a double-digit seed with a chance at a Final Four? Give me the Ducks all day long, plus their fanbase loves Tennessee, so its the least we can do, right?

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