Tennessee vs Creighton prediction, picks in Sweet 16 bracket: Who advances to Elite Eight?
Tennessee basketball is in the Sweet 16 for the second straight season.
The No. 2-seeded Vols (26-8) play No. 3 Creighton (25-9) on Friday (10:15 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV) in Detroit for a spot in the Elite Eight. UT has been to one Elite Eight in program history, which it reached in 2010.
Here is what to know about the matchup:
How Creighton reminds Tennessee basketball of Alabama
Creighton takes almost 50% of its shots from 3-point range, attempting 29.3 threes per game. That offensive style led Vols assistant coach Gregg Polinsky to say there are some similarities to Alabama in Creighton's offense.
“They are really fun to watch," Polinsky said. "I’m not gonna use that term to play, but we’re looking forward to it. It is a great challenge for us."
The Bluejays make 36.6% of their 3-pointers, which ranks No. 32 nationally. They also are the third-best two-point shooting team, hitting 59.7%.
The Vols beat Alabama in both meetings this season, winning 91-71 in Knoxville and 81-74 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Tobe Awaka coming up big for Tennessee basketball in March Madness
Tobe Awaka had eight points and four rebounds in 11 minutes against Saint Peter's in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. He came back even better against Texas in the second round.
The sophomore forward had 10 points and five rebounds in 11 minutes.
"He went out there and handled his business," guard Zakai Zeigler said.
Awaka's playing time was limited due to foul trouble against Texas. Polinsky referred to the fouls as "good fouls" as the result of hustle plays going after rebounds and using his body well.
"The fouls that he got, this was the first time I thought his fouls weren't really fouls," Zeigler said. "I felt like his fouls were really tone-setters. Those guys didn't really go back to the glass after that."
Creighton has multiple high-level scorers
Vols coach Rick Barnes asked Polinsky how many shooters Creighton has on the court.
"Pretty much everybody they put out there," Polinsky replied.
Creighton, which only plays six players 20 minutes or more per game, has three players averaging at least 17.4 points per game. Baylor Scheierman averages 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds. Guard Trey Alexander and center Ryan Kalkbrenner average 17.7 and 17.4, respectively. All three play at least 34.4 minutes per game with Alexander playing 37.2 and Scheierman playing 36.4 Both rank in the top-15 nationally in minutes per game.
Alexander, Scheierman and Steven Ashworth have made at least 60 3-pointers. Scheierman has 106.
KNECHT: How a dose of Rick Barnes wisdom unlocked Dalton Knecht's clutch March Madness moment vs Texas
Tennessee vs. Creighton odds, spread in Sweet 16 bracket
Tennessee basketball is the favorite to defeat Creighton in the Sweet 16 of March Madness, according to BetMGM odds. Here’s the latest spread, money line and odds for the NCAA Tournament game.
Spread: Tennessee (-2.5)
Moneyline: Tennessee (-145); Creighton (+120)
Over/under: 143.5
Tennessee prediction vs Creighton in March Madness’ Sweet 16
Tennessee 75, Creighton 71: The Vols are going to have to guard as well as they did against Texas and hit 3-pointers at a much better clip. Tennessee is capable of both things.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Creighton prediction, Sweet 16 odds: March Madness pick
