Tennessee basketball's path to its first Final Four

Tennessee basketball knows where it sits in the NCAA Tournament bracket.

The Vols will get March Madness started with a trip to Charlotte before potentially heading to Detroit for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.

Here's what the path to a Final Four in Arizona looks like and potential opponents along the way.

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Tennessee gets its run started with 15-seed Saint Peter's. The Vols will have the geographical advantage with the Peacocks making the trip from New Jersey..

Saint Peter's is a recent NCAA Tournament darling after upsetting 2-seed Kentucky and 3-seed Purdue on its path to an Elite Eight as a 15-seed in 2022.

Following the run, head coach Shaheen Holloway took the job at his alma mater Seton Hall. Now, Bashir Mason is in his second season atop the program. He finished in a tie for third in the conference in his second season with the Peacocks before winning the conference tournament.

From the team that made the run, just Latrell Reid, Brent Bland, Ourmar Diahame and Mouhamed Sow remain. Corey Washington leads the team in scoring, though, with 16.5 points per game.

Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler's younger brother Armoni Zeigler is also on the Saint Peter's roster.

With Virginia falling to Colorado State in the play-in, Tennessee's potential second-round opponent has been narrowed down to two teams. The winner of 7-seed Texas and the 10-seed Rams would be the Round of 32 opponent.

If Texas avoids a small upset, it'd be the battle between the Vols and Rick Barnes' previous school. The Longhorns boast guard Max Abmas who is scoring 17.1 points per game. Forward Dylan Disu is right behind him with 15.8 points per match.

As a team, Texas owns the No. 19 offense on KenPom.com but the defense ranks as just No. 62. If Tennessee's elite version of its defense shows up, it should be fine.

The other option in Colorado State is a more balanced team. While getting physical in the paint on both ends, the Rams have the No. 40 offense and No. 30 defense according to KenPom.com.

Colorado State is led by guard Isaiah Stevens who shoots a red-hot 44.8% on 3-pointers and averages 16.2 points per game.

If Tennessee manages to reach a second-straight Sweet 16, it'd likely matchup against 3-seed Creighton, 6-seed South Carolina or 11-seed Oregon.

If the Bluejays and Vols manage to avoid upsets, it'd be the second-ever meeting between the teams. The first game came in the form of a Tennessee win in 1937. Creighton also has a healthy balance of offense and defense with KenPom.com ranking them No. 13 and 24 in the country respectively.

The Bluejays get their baskets through a variety of options. Baylor Scheierman, Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner all average over 17 points per game. Scheierman and Alexander are guards while Kalkbrenner is a 7-foot-1 center.

The Vols would have their hands full in this matchup but it is certainly winnable. Forcing turnovers and running in transition could be key as Creighton has done an average job of protecting the ball.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Vols' Dalton Knecht named NABC First Team All-American

If it is the Gamecocks, it'd come as the third meeting between the teams this year. Previously, South Carolina took the match against Tennessee in Knoxville but the Vols responded with a road win to clinch the SEC Regular Season championship. The Gamecocks like to slow things down which can get tricky if the opponent gets out to a slow start, but a third match between the team's should play into Tennessee's favor.

A possible Cinderella-esque run to the Sweet 16 could come from the Ducks. While they are typically a tough out in March, Oregon is an 11-seed this time and will be the underdog in its matches on a path to Detroit. The Ducks have a stronger offense than defense but neither jump off the page.

If Tennessee reaches its second-ever Elite Eight the most likely opponent would be a rematch with Purdue. The Vols have been all-too-familiar with the Boilermakers in both football and basketball.

Purdue won the Music City Bowl on a controversial whistle in 2021, took down Tennessee in the 2019 Sweet 16 on another debatable foul and beat the Vols in Hawaii during the Maui Invitational this season.

The obvious disadvantage for Tennessee is the matchup with Zach Edey. Nobody in the country has been able to control him and his ability to draw fouls has given opponents headaches. He put up 23 points and 10 rebounds in the first meeting while shooting 9-for-17 from the line.

Purdue's elite offense runs through Edey and its effective defense is anchored by his presence in the paint. The Vols weren't fully comfortable with the weapon of Dalton Knecht in the first meeting, though, and the All-American could be the difference in a rematch.

The Boilermakers have been prone to upsets, as well, and may not be the opponent. The team fell to a 16-seed in Fairleigh Dickinson last year and have been on the wrong side of upsets in the past.

If Purdue falls into this hole again, other possible opponents are 4-seed Kansas and 5-seed Gonzaga. The Jayhawks are without leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. and the Bulldogs are not as strong as their past teams due to a weak defense.

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