Tennessee (21-12) Vs. Oklahoma State (22-11)
GAME NOTES: In what promises to be one of the most competitive games in the first round of this NCAA Tournament, the eighth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys and ninth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers will collide in the East Region from Dayton, Ohio. Whichever team emerges victorious from this battle will take on either top-seeded Pittsburgh or 16th-seeded East Tennessee State in the second round on Sunday.
The Vols are making their 17th NCAA Tournament appearance and own a 13-17 record at this event. This year's bid marks the fourth in a row for the program, which also has four straight 20-win seasons to its credit. Tennessee is 21-12 overall and earned an at-large bid to the "Big Dance" after falling to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament title game. Still, Bruce Pearl's club did win the SEC East Division title. It is certainly worth mentioning that Tennessee is the only team in the 76-year history of the SEC to finish the regular season with a better league record than Kentucky for four straight years.
As for Oklahoma State, it is 37-21 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and captured back-to-back national titles way back in 1945-46. The Cowboys, who are making their 23rd appearance in the tournament, have won eight of their last 10 games and reached the semifinal of the Big 12 Tournament. Travis Ford joins Eddie Sutton as the only two coaches in OSU history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in their first seasons in Stillwater. The Cowboys are 22-11 overall and return to the "Big Dance" for the first time since 2005.
Tennessee and Oklahoma State have split their only two previous meetings, and the Vols won the most recent matchup by a 79-77 final in 2006.
It is obvious to anyone who has watched Tennessee play recently that the strength of the team is its frontcourt. Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism are both dynamic players who can score in bunches while contributing in other aspects of the game. Smith is a versatile performer who is netting 17.2 ppg while pulling down 5.9 rpg and handing out 3.4 apg. As for Chism, who mans the center position, he is netting 13.8 ppg despite the fact that he averages less than 26 minutes of action per contest. Chism is ripping down 8.1 rpg and has played his best ball over the last month. In the SEC Tournament, Chism showed that his shooting range extends out to the three-point arc. J.P. Prince is the third and final double-digit scorer in the Tennessee lineup, as he is posting 10.1 ppg. The Vols are generating 78.5 ppg while surrendering 72.4 ppg. Tennessee has participated in an 8-9 first-round game on five previous occasions and owns a 3-2 record in such instances.
Oklahoma State has four double-digit scorers in its lineup and has been a highly-productive offensive team all season. James Anderson leads the attack with 18.6 ppg, but despite that high output, Anderson remains rather anonymous on the national stage. He is shooting 41 percent from three-point range and is the team's third-leading rebounder (5.8 rpg). Byron Eaton, who has handed out 182 assists, checks in with 14.1 ppg and 72 steals. Terrel Harris brings 13.8 ppg to the mix, and Obi Muonelo adds 12.6 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Defensively, Oklahoma State is yielding 74.2 ppg, so there is room for improvement at the other end of the court. The Cowboys are being outrebounded this season and have turned the ball over 504 times in 33 games. Clearly, the team must take care of the basketball and play solid defense in this opener to advance.
Expect this contest to go down to the wire, as Oklahoma State and Tennessee are evenly matched. Give the edge to the Cowboys, as they have a bit more offensive firepower.
Predicted OutcomeOklahoma State 80, Tennessee 76Copyright 2009 Courtesy of The Sports Network.
