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NCAA Tournament 2021: Tennessee basketball’s road to the Final Four

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 13, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks in a huddle during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks in a huddle during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 27, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Boynton Jr (center) coaches his team against the Oklahoma Sooners during a time out in the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Oklahoma State won 94-90. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Boynton Jr (center) coaches his team against the Oklahoma Sooners during a time out in the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Oklahoma State won 94-90. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports /

Potential Round of 32 matchups

No. 4 seed Oklahoma State Cowboys (20-8)

Fourth-year head coach Mike Boynton is coaching another red-hot team in his first NCAA Tournament with the Oklahoma State Cowboys , who are No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 12 in the Coaches Poll. They have won nine of their last 12, eight of their last 10 and three of their last four. They lost by five in the Big 12 Tournament Championship game to the Texas Longhorns.

Seven of those wins were against top 25 teams, including a shocking upset over the Baylor Bears in the tournament. Boynton’s team goes as future NBA lottery pick Cade Cunningham, a 6’8″ guard, goes. He helps them provide length, and Avery Anderson and Kalib Boone give them a complete team. However, they only play seven guys, so the Vols’ would have a depth advantage.

No. 13 seed Liberty Flames (23-5)

In his sixth consecutive year with the program and eighth overall, Ritchie McKay coached the Liberty Flames to their third straight regular season and Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship. He won a tournament game in this program’s last entry, back in 2019, so watch out.

Liberty is on a 12-game winning streak and wins with elite three-point shooting. They shot over 26 a game and make over 10 of them. Given how Nate Oats has given the Vols trouble, that could make them a tough opponent. However, they don’t have a lot of versatility, so if UT faces them, having John Fulkerson to slow the game down could be a huge help.

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