Tennessee upsets Iowa State for third straight Elite Eight trip
CHICAGO — The Tennessee groups that reached the Elite Eight in 2024 and 2025 featured mainstays equivalent to Zakai Zeigler. The present squad is made up of 11 newcomers, a brand new group with acquainted objectives.
Coach Rick Barnes thought if all the brand new items match, the Volunteers may accomplish nice issues.
“I remember the first day, in our meeting with Coach Barnes, he said we could win the national championship,” he stated ahead Jaylen Careya switch from Vanderbilt. “We have the team to do it.”
Tennessee now has the possibility after thumping Iowa State 76-62 on the United Center to succeed in their third consecutive Elite Eight underneath Barnes. The sixth-seeded Volunteers will face No. 1 seed Michigan on Sunday with an opportunity to assert the Midwest Region and attain this system’s first Final Four.
“We have some unfinished business,” stated ahead Felix Okparaone among few Tennessee holdovers from the 2024-25 group.
Okpara, Carey and the Volunteers’ entrance line flexed in opposition to the Cyclones throughout a dominant second half, actually and figuratively, because the 267-pound Carey gestured towards the group after Iowa State was compelled to name timeout with 12:57 left. Tennessee held huge edges in whole rebounds (43-22), offensive rebounds (16-8) and factors within the paint (42-30).
Carey and Okpara each recorded double-doubles, and 4 different Volunteers gamers had 4 rebounds.
“Last year, we had no post presence at all,” Barnes stated. “We knew at some point in time that we’re going to have to get it again. I can’t say enough about Felix’s improvement, his development.”
Just how dominant was Tennessee on the glass?
“We were just fighting for every rebound, and we were kind of just exhaling when we got it,” Iowa State ahead Milan Momcilovic lamented.
Tennessee’s inside struggles had been uncovered in final yr’s 69-50 Elite Eight loss to Houstonwhich had a 42-35 rebounding edge and held the Volunteers to 29% taking pictures. Okpara, who had 9 rebounds in that loss, stated Tennessee “felt like we should have won that game,” however the Volunteers scored solely 15 first-half factors.
They really feel higher geared up this yr to take care of Michigan’s huge entrance line and finally attain a program milestone. Before Barnes’ arrival, Tennessee had made just one Elite Eight, in 2010.
Barnes is looking for his first Final Four since guiding Texas there in 2003.
“Last year, I said to Rick, ‘You’re turning Tennessee basketball into a blue blood,’ but that was from three straight Sweet 16s, two straight Elite Eights,” athletic director Danny White stated. “And now four straight Sweet 16s and three straight Elite Eights. It’s phenomenal. It’s fun to be around it.”
Iowa State felt the lack of All-America ahead Joshua Jeffersonwho labored to rehab his sprained left ankle up till typoff however finally could not play. An emotional Jefferson advised reporters he wasn’t near returning and had simply began to jog however nonetheless skilled ache. He did not assume he would have been prepared Sunday if Iowa State had superior.
“Just a really tough circumstance to deal with,” Cyclones coach TJ Otzelberger stated. “We did everything in our power to get him out there, ready to play, and it just wasn’t enough. He’s a fierce competitor.”
ESPN’s Pete Thamel contributed to this report.
