Tennessee’s weird Sweet 16
No. 6 Tennessee made history by becoming the first team since the tournament expanded in 1985 to face two 30‑win teams so early — they beat 32‑win Miami (OH) and 30‑win Virginia to reach the Sweet 16 ( ). Their next test is 29‑win Iowa State on Friday at 10:10 PM ET in Chicago, a matchup that keeps Tennessee’s unlikely late‑March surge alive ( ).
Tennessee entered the tournament 24-11 under coach Rick Barnes, according to the game box score and season summary. (espn.com) (espn.com: ) The Vols’ appearance in the second weekend is their fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16 under Barnes, per the Associated Press recap of Sunday’s win. (usnews.com) (usnews.com: ) Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 21 points in the Virginia game while Felix Okpara paced the team on the glass with six rebounds, per the official box score. (espn.com) (espn.com: ) Miami (Ohio) entered the NCAA field at 32-2 and finished its season with a 78-56 first-round loss, per the Miami vs. Tennessee box score. (espn.com) (espn.com: ) The RedHawks went unbeaten in MAC regular-season play (18-0) and posted a 2025‑26 schedule that shows the 32-win season before the tournament, according to Sports-Reference. (sports-reference.com) (sports-reference.com: ) Iowa State reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 2 seed at 29-7 after a 82-63 win over Kentucky in which Tamin Lipsey had 26 points and 10 assists, per the game recap. (espn.com) (espn.com: ) Iowa State’s All‑American forward Joshua Jefferson suffered a sprained ankle in the first-round victory over Tennessee State and was seen wearing a boot while the Cyclones advanced, according to the team recap. (espn.com) (espn.com: ) The Midwest Regional semifinals (Sweet 16) are scheduled for March 27 at Chicago’s United Center, with winners advancing to the Elite Eight on March 29 at the same venue, per the United Center event listing and the official NCAA bracket release. (unitedcenter.com) (unitedcenter.com: ncaa.com: )
