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March Madness 2022: Five keys for Tennessee Vols vs. Longwood in NCAA Tournament Round of 64

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 13, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Kennedy Chandler (1) and forward John Fulkerson (10) and guard Josiah-Jordan James (30) and guard Zakai Zeigler (5) and guard Santiago Vescovi (25) huddle during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Kennedy Chandler (1) and forward John Fulkerson (10) and guard Josiah-Jordan James (30) and guard Zakai Zeigler (5) and guard Santiago Vescovi (25) huddle during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (2) during a game at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021.Kns Tennessee Greensboro Basketball
Tennessee forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (2) during a game at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021.Kns Tennessee Greensboro Basketball /

4. Bigs must use their size as an advantage

If there’s one area where Tennessee basketball has a mammoth advantage, it’s in the post game. Even with Olivier Nkamhoua out, the Vols should have enough firepower down low to overwhelm Longwood. They should exploit it in this game as much as possible and see if Longwood can ever stop them. It’s likely they can’t.

Griff Aldrich’s team doesn’t give significant minutes to anybody taller than 6’7″, and nobody weighs more than 225 pounds. Simply put, Longwood is your typical lower-level Division I school in this way, and a powerhouse team like the Vols should be able to bully them in the paint.

These are the type of March Madness matchups where it should be a blowout. John Fulkerson is obviously the standout here, coming off the bench, but Brandon Huntley-Hatfield did score double figures in an SEC Tournament game. Uros Plavsic is an imposing presence, and Jonas Aidoo can be dominant defensively.

Honestly, offense is where the bigs can make a difference, and that’s why Fulky should get the bulk of the touches. In the past, Rick Barnes has been committed to playing inside-out to a fault. Well, this is where he should rely on that fault. The Vols should go inside as much as possible.

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