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March Madness: Five opposing players to watch for Tennessee Vols’ first weekend of 2022 NCAA Tournament

By Caleb Calhoun

Feb 23, 2022; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams guard David Roddy (21) after the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2022; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams guard David Roddy (21) after the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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ACU’s Immanuel Allen (25) drives for a basket as Longwood’s Isaiah Wilkins defends in the second half. Allen’s basket, which came off a steal, gave the Wildcats a 59-47 lead with 8:23 left in the game. ACU went on to win 75-58 on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, at the Teague Center. Allen finished with 10 points and three steals off the bench.Acu Longwood Mbb 00
ACU’s Immanuel Allen (25) drives for a basket as Longwood’s Isaiah Wilkins defends in the second half. Allen’s basket, which came off a steal, gave the Wildcats a 59-47 lead with 8:23 left in the game. ACU went on to win 75-58 on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, at the Teague Center. Allen finished with 10 points and three steals off the bench.Acu Longwood Mbb 00 /

There are nine different players averaging double figures that Tennessee basketball could face in its first weekend of March Madness among the Longwood Lancers, Michigan Wolverines and Colorado State Rams. The Vols will face three of them on Longwood alone, and if they make it to the next round, they’ll face at least five of them.

Among those players are their respective teams’ leaders in assists and rebounds too. Rick Barnes’ No. 3 seed team is a heavy favorite in both games this weekend, assuming they win the first one, but to make sure they avoid any bad upsets, they’ll have to account for these guys.

Matchup disadvantages and players getting hot from three are the two biggest things any favorite has to worry about in March Madness. As we get set to look at the key players for UT to focus on, that’ll determine who is selected for this list. Let’s go ahead and name them. These are the five players the Vols need to focus on in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

5. Isaiah Wilkins – Longwood Lancers

Guard; Senior; 6’4″ 220 pounds

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, three-point shooting is the biggest threat to the Vols. That’s especially true in their first game against No. 14 seed Longwood, as they are completely driven by being able to hit shots from beyond the arc. One of their standout specialists, though, is Isaiah Wilkins, who averages 12.8 points per game.

The second-leading scorer for Longwood, Wilkins averages just under two made three-pointers a game and shoots 40.5 percent from outside. That’s good for the second-best percentage on the team and the second most made three-pointers. Meanwhile, Wilkins also leads the team in rebounding at just under six and a half a game.

Add in the fact that he leads in steals at just over one and a half a game, and he’s probably the most versatile player on Longwood, so Josiah-Jordan James will be tasked with handling him to begin March madness. Wilkins’ versatility combined with his ability to get hot puts him on this list.

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