Tennessee Vs. Ohio State: Vols Look To Continue Improbable Run Against Turner’s Buckeyes

Road to the Regionals
Volunteers: Defeated San Diego State, 62-59, and Ohio, 83-68
Buckeyes: Defeated UC Santa Barbara, 68-51, and Georgia Tech, 75-66

When Bruce Pearl suspended four players after they were arrested on drug and weapons charges at the beginning of 2010, did you think the Volunteers would be here? How about after he kicked Tyler Smith off the team for his role in the events? Tennessee has really come together as a unit, topping the top-ranked team twice in Knoxville, but a 29-point defeat at the hands of Kentucky in the SEC semifinals put a bit of doubt in the minds of many. Those concerns weren't necessarily wiped out with two wins last week in Providence.

The Volunteers, who rank 7th in adjusted defensive efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy will face a significant challenge against Ohio State, who rates 8th in adjusted offensive efficiency, particularly as the Buckeyes are a bit stronger inside the three-point line, which is where the Vols struggle a bit more on the defensive end. Our Tennessee blog, Rocky Top Talk, points out that Thad Matta is likely to call upon his players to drive to the basket and get to the foul line, following the pattern of the 2007 meeting between these two teams at this stage of the Tournament.

Then you have to consider the Evan Turner factor. Sure, David Lighty and Jon Diebler are dangerous, but Turner can cause trouble anywhere on the court (for example, 24 points, 9 boards, 9 assists and 3 steals against Georgia Tech, alongside a troubling 9 turnovers). Look at how the Vols "handled" John Wall in that Kentucky game. While they were able to limit him to 14 points, he had 9 assists, meaning DeMarcus Cousins was able to do a lot of damage inside. Could that be Dallas Lauderdale's role in this one?

My pick: Ohio State

Read more at our Buckeye blog, The Buckeye Battle Cry.