Survive and advance is the name of the game.
Miami did just that on March 18, knocking off SMU 89-79 in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four at UD Arena. It was Miami’s first NCAA Tournament victory since a Sweet 16 run in 1999.
Travis Steele’s group no doubt silenced some critics who were unimpressed with the RedHawks after an early exit in the MAC Tournament, but the Madness of March moves quickly. The celebration hardly sinks in before it’s time to plan for the next opponent.
If the RedHawks want to make more mid-major magic, they’ll have to turn the page quickly with No. 6 Tennessee waiting for them in Philadelphia for the first round on Friday, March 20.
3 keys to a Miami RedHawks win over Tennessee Volunteers in NCAA Tournament
1. Miami must bring boxing gloves to rebound battle
Fixing its interior defense was crucial for Miami to win in Dayton after getting smashed on the glass (41-24) in its MAC Tournament loss to UMass.
Miami battled SMU evenly on the boards (35-35) with each team grabbing 12 offensive rebounds and scoring 17 second-chance points.
It will be an even taller task for the underdog RedHawks as Tennessee is No. 3 in the nation in rebounds per game (42.58) and ranks No. 1 in KenPom in offensive rebounding percentage.
2. Will RedHawks have another 3-point barrage?
It will be strength-on-strength when it comes to Miami’s offense against Tennessee’s defense. The Volunteers have made life miserable for some of the top offenses in the country and rank No. 15 overall in defensive efficiency.
Miami’s gameplan came down to simple math against SMU − 3 is greater than 2. The RedHawks outscored the Mustangs by 33 points from beyond the arc with 64% of their attempts coming on 3-pointers. Miami set a First Four record with the 41 3-point attempts.
Miami is No. 5 in effective field goal percentage and No. 22 in the country in 3-point shooting. Tennessee is No. 22 against triples as its opponents have shot just 30.6% from deep this season (No. 1 in the SEC).
3. All eyes on Miami’s defense
Tennessee is vulnerable for an upset with an offense that relies heavily on offensive rebounding and getting to the free-throw line.
The Volunteers score 54.8% of their points from inside the arc and rank 201st in the country in 3-point shooting. They’ve also struggled with ball security (No. 215).
Miami has the depth to withstand some foul trouble and Tennessee, though it gets to the charity stripe at a high rate, ranks just 14th in the SEC on freebies (69.4%).
Miami’s defense forcing one-and-done possessions is the first ingredient to an upset recipe.
No. 11 Miami RedHawks vs. No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers
Tip: 4:25 p.m., Friday, March 20 at Xfinity Mobile Arena (20,478)
How to watch: TBS
Ratings: Miami is No. 88 in KenPom and Tennessee is No. 16. Miami is No. 64 in the NCAA NET Rankings and Tennessee is No. 20.
Betting line: Tennessee is an 11.5-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The point total (over/under) is 150.5 points.
No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers scouting report
Record: 22-11
Head coach: Rick Barnes (254-120 at Tennessee, 11th season, 33-29 in NCAA Tournament)
Offense: 79.5 ppg
Defense: 69.4 ppg
Overview: Tennessee is coming off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, but the program is still searching for its first Final Four appearance.
Barnes is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament as this is Tennessee’s eighth consecutive trip. He also went 16 times in 17 seasons at Texas (1998-2015), reaching the Final Four in 2003.
Tennessee tested itself with an above average non-conference slate that included wins over then-No. 3 Houston and then-No. 11 Louisville. The Volunteers also lost to a pair of top 5 NCAA Tournament seeds in Illinois and Kansas.
The Volunteers went 11-7 in SEC play but were remarkably consistent in a tough conference, losing back-to-back games just once (Feb. 24 at Missouri, Feb. 28 vs. Alabama).
Tennessee won 9 of 13 to end the regular season and went 1-1 in the SEC Tournament, falling to Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals.
Projected starting lineup
(Pos., Height, Stats)
Ja’Kobe Gillespie (G, 6’1″, 18 ppg)
Bishop Boswell (G, 6’4″, 6.2 ppg)
J.P. Estrella (F, 6’11”, 10.1 ppg)
Felix Okpara (F, 6’11”, 7.7 ppg)
Nate Arment (F, 6’10”, 17.5 ppg)
No. 11 Miami RedHawks scouting report
Record: 32-1
Head coach: Travis Steele (84-47 at Miami, fourth season, 1-0 in NCAA Tournament)
Offense: 90.6 ppg
Defense: 75.4 ppg
Projected starting lineup
(Pos., Height, Stats)
Luke Skaljac (G, 6’2″, 10.5 ppg)
Eian Elmer (G, 6’6″, 12.9 ppg)
Peter Suder (G, 6’5″, 14.4 ppg)
Brant Byers (F, 6’8″, 14.4 ppg)
Antwone Woolfolk (F, 6’9″, 10 ppg)
Miami vs. Tennessee: Players to watch
As much as March Madness is about Cinderella stories, those slippers don’t fit without some big-time individual performances.
Miami has plenty of guys who can go off on any given night. Eian Elmer had his moment in the First Four, on the same court where he won a state championship at Taft in 2022. Elmer led all scorers with 23 points, going 6 of 9 from 3-point range. He’s also the team’s leading rebounder.
Down low, Antwone Woolfolk is a former high-major forward (Rutgers) and will need to make his presence felt against a Tennessee lineup with three starters measuring at least 6-foot-10.
For the Volunteers, Nate Ament should be an NBA Lottery Pick this summer. The standout freshman is averaging 17.5 points per game, but his shooting has been down. He went 1 of 13 against Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament and connects at just a 40.5% clip.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie was a first-team All-SEC selection at guard. One of the top facilitators in the country with Tennessee’s frontcourt weapons, the senior also averages 18 points per game.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Preview Miami RedHawks vs. Tennessee Volunteers 2026 NCAA Tournament