LEXINGTON, Ky. − Tennessee basketball is in the second round of the NCAA tournament once again under coach Rick Barnes.
The No. 2 seed Vols (28-7) play No. 7 UCLA (23-10) on Saturday (9:40 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV) at Rupp Arena for a spot in the Sweet 16 for the third straight season.
The Bruins beat No. 10 seed Utah State 72-47 in the first round.
Here is what to know about the matchup:
Chaz Lanier is on the cusp of Tennessee history
Chaz Lanier hit six 3-pointers in Tennessee’s 77-62 win against No. 15 seed Wofford on Thursday. The senior guard has 116 this season, putting him on the brink of Tennessee history.
Lanier needs three more to break the UT record for 3-pointers in a season. Chris Lofton set the record with 118 in 2007-08. He moved into second place with his 3-point barrage against Wofford, passing Lofton’s 114 in the 2006-07 season.
The North Florida transfer is one of three players in Tennessee history to make more than 100 3-pointers in a season. Lofton did it three times. Santiago Vescovi made 102 in the 2022-23 season.
What to know about UCLA, Tennessee basketball’s opponent in March Madness
The Bruins provide a stern test for Tennessee’s ball security. UCLA forces turnovers on 22.7% of possessions, which ranks seventh nationally. The defense is the calling card as the Bruins rank 15th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. UT ranks third.
UCLA has one of the highest assist rates in the nation, assisting on 61.2% of their field goals. The passing is a shared effort as the Bruins don’t have a player averaging more than 3.8 assists per game.
Both UCLA and Tennessee play slow tempos, ranking among the slowest 60 teams.
UCLA got on a roll late in the regular season, winning 11 of their final 14 regular-season games after a slow start to Big Ten play.
How Tennessee basketball has fared in the second round of the NCAA Tournament under Rick Barnes
Tennessee has won two straight second-round NCAA tournament games and has a 3-2 record in second-round games under Barnes.
UT beat Texas 62-58 last season on the way to the program’s second Elite Eight berth. It beat Duke 65-52 to make it to the Sweet 16 in the 2023 NCAA tournament.
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The Vols also beat Iowa 83-77 in overtime in 2019 to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in Barnes’ tenure.
They lost 63-62 to Loyola Chicago in 2018 in the first March Madness appearance under Barnes. They lost 76-68 to Michigan in the 2022 NCAA tournament.
Tennessee prediction vs UCLA: March Madness second round
Tennessee 64, UCLA 59: The Vols move on to the Sweet 16 again in a tightly played, low-scoring game in the second round.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. 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 UCLA prediction, pick for March Madness second round
