Tennessee vs Iowa State: Defensive Showdown

0:00On March 26, the Tennessee volunteers are back in the sweet 16, facing off against the Iowa State Cyclones in a defensive showdown that could send. One team to the elite eight. Iowa State earned the number two seed in the Midwest region after knocking out lower seeds while Tennessee mirrors their gritty style on both ends of. The floor. The winner moves on to play the victor between Michigan and Alabama, with the game tipping off Friday night in Chicago. Iowa State enters as a three and a half point favorite, though that line is ticked toward Tennessee in the past day. Both teams pride themselves on suffocating defenses, forcing opponents into tough shots and mistakes. The Cyclones have been lights out lately, but Tennessee's rebounding edge gives them a real shot at controlling the pace. Fans are buzzing about key individual battles, like Tennessee's Jacoby Gillespie taking on Iowa State's Tam and Lipsi. Gillespie has been on fire from beyond the arc in the tournament, providing crucial scoring and playmaking. Meanwhile, Iowa State's Milan Mom Salovic leaves the nation in May 3s, posing a huge

1:03threat that Tennessee's perimeter defense must handle. To pull off the upset, Tennessee needs to keep their offense clicking without coughing up the ball, something that's plagued them and losses. They rank near the top in rebounding, especially on the offensive end, which could unlock second chance points against Iowa State's weaker boardwork. Even clean with possessions will be vital against the Cyclones turnover forcing machine. Expect a low scoring grind when the ball goes up at 10-10pm eastern time on TBS, with Tennessee leaning on their hot shooters and board crashes too. Extend their tournament run.