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NCAA Tournament 2021: Tennessee basketball fans’ rooting guide

By Caleb Calhoun

LYNCHBURG, VA - FEBRUARY 22: Darius McGhee #2 of the Liberty Flames dribbles the ball during a college basketball game against the North Alabama Lions at Vines Center on February 22, 2021 in Lynchburg, Virginia. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LYNCHBURG, VA - FEBRUARY 22: Darius McGhee #2 of the Liberty Flames dribbles the ball during a college basketball game against the North Alabama Lions at Vines Center on February 22, 2021 in Lynchburg, Virginia. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Mar 11, 2021; Kansas City, MO, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Miles McBride (4) and forward Taj Thweatt (24) react after a play against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2021; Kansas City, MO, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Miles McBride (4) and forward Taj Thweatt (24) react after a play against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /

4. West Virginia Mountaineers over Morehead State Eagles

Friday at 9:50 p.m. ET; truTV

This one seems a bit odd, but bare with us. The No. 3 seed West Virginia Mountaineers are a team Tennessee basketball should be begging to play in the NCAA Tournament. Bob Huggins’ willingness to live and die by what happens inside plays right into Rick Barnes’ hands, provided John Fulkerson is healthy by that point.

To be fair, the Morehead State Eagles would be an easy matchup for the Vols as well. At 23-7 and led by fifth-year head coach Preston Spradlin, this team won the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships relying on dominant interior defense and efficient play from the outside. That’s too dependent on talent for a mid-major, and it’ll show.

If Vol fans had to pick just this game, Morehead State might be easier. WVU, however, at 18-9 and ranked No. 13 in both polls, would be more capable of knocking off other elite teams, most notably the Houston Cougars, en route to the Elite Eight.

As a result, given how perfect a matchup they are for Barnes’ team, Vol fans should root for them to run the table until that point, which is they only point these two teams would meet. Them eliminating other elite teams are the Vols’ best chance at a Final Four run.

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