Seed Miami (Ohio) Meets Tennessee in NCAA Tournament First Round

PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — A historic season for the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks continues Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, where the seed will face the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.

The Redhawks (31-1), whose lone loss came just over a week ago, enter as one of the nation’s most surprising powerhouses. Their record stands in stark contrast to the Volunteers (22-10), a battle-tested squad from the Southeastern Conference seeking to leverage its tough schedule into a tournament run.

Miami (Ohio) is led by Antwone Woolfolk, a consistent scoring threat. In the Redhawks’ 87-83 loss to Massachusetts on March 12, Woolfolk contributed 14 points and five rebounds. He has scored in double figures in five of his last six games.

Tennessee counters with dynamic guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who has been a high-volume scorer and playmaker. Gillespie poured in 21 points in the Volunteers’ 75-68 loss at Vanderbilt on March 13 and averaged 17.8 points over his final six regular-season contests.

The Redhawks’ remarkable run includes several narrow victories, such as a 110-108 overtime win at Ohio on March 6 and a 74-72 home win over Toledo on March 3. Their offense has proven potent, scoring 90 or more points four times in their last ten games.

Tennessee’s path has been more turbulent, with a 4-6 record in its last ten games. Those contests, however, came against rigorous SEC competition, including narrow losses to Alabama and Missouri. The Volunteers’ defense, which held Auburn to 62 points in a win on March 12, will be tested by Miami’s efficient attack.

This matchup presents a classic tournament contrast: Miami’s dominant, nearly flawless season against Tennessee’s resilience forged in a power conference. The winner will advance to the second round on Sunday.

Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 12:15 p.m. EDT Friday. The game will be televised on CBS.