Three Takeaways from Tennessee's First Round Win Over Miami OH

Tennessee defeated Miami OH 78-56 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers dominated from start to finish in the contest. With the win, Tennessee has now made it past the round of 64 for the seventh time in Rick Barnes' tenure. Here are three takeaways from the Volunteers' victory.

If Ja’Kobi Gillespie Can Get Hot, Tennessee Could Go Far.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie transferred into the program following stints at Maryland and Belmont this offseason. He was widely considered the top incoming transfer for the Volunteers and one of the best in the country.

Through the regular season and SEC tournament, he averaged 18 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, and 1.9 steals per game.

Despite leading the team in scoring in the regular season, Gillespie has struggled to shoot at times, only going 40.7% from the field and 33.2% from three.

However, he showed how dangerous he can be in the first-round matchup against Miami OH. In the win, Gillespie went for 29 points and added nine assists as he looked like the best player on the floor. Out of those 29 points, he had 22 of them in the first half alone. Not only was he scoring, but he was scoring efficiently at 52% from the field and 54.5% from three. He was on a heat check all game long, and it showed how much better Tennessee was with him being so hot. If he can play like he did against in the first round, combined with the amazing defense Tennessee plays (more on that later), the Volunteers could upset the three-seed Virginia on Sunday and even go a lot further.

JP Estrella could be an X-Factor for the Volunteers down the stretch.

JP Estrella has been such an amazing story this season. After missing most of last season with an injury and not even getting a starting job to start the season, he has blossomed into a really solid player for coach Rick Barnes.

Since late January, when he began to start most games, he has put up big performances after big performances, including a 20-point double-double against Vanderbilt and a 22-point and seven-rebound outing against South Carolina.

On a night-to-night basis, Estrella is a player who can get around eight rebounds a game while providing relief to your star players by adding 14 or so points. The 6-foot-11 forward can also anchor the paint, which was helpful to the Volunteers, who had the best defense in the SEC.

He showed out again against Miami in his first career start in March Madness. He notched a double-double for himself and helped the Volunteers maintain control of the game, even with Nate Ament playing a limited amount of time in the second half after getting injured.

Estrella has shown, not just against Miami OH, but throughout the season, that he can be an x-factor for Tennessee. Whether that be on offense or on defense, the sophomore from Maine can help out on both sides of the ball.

There was a scary moment at the end of the game when he stepped on a Miami player’s foot, causing him to leave the game. To be fair, Tennessee had basically wrapped up the game by that point, so it is unclear how serious the injury was.

Tennessee Might Have the Best Defense of Anybody in the Field.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami (OH) RedHawks guard Peter Suder (5) looks to pass as Tennessee Volunteers guard Bishop Boswell (3) defends during the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

What was already known was that Tennessee had the best defense in the SEC, holding opponents in the regular season to 69.4 points per game. Opponents shot just 40.9% from the field against the Volunteers in the regular season.

However, Tennessee has a chance to show just how good its defense is on a national stage during this tournament. Miami OH, while not a power four opponent, went 31-0 in the regular season (lost in the quarterfinals of the MAC tournament) and averaged 90.6 points per game, which was good for the second most in the country. Then Tennessee came along and held Miami OH to just 56 points (only 24 points in the second half) on 35% shooting (24% from three)!

What is so great about this defense is that it is not just one player, but rather almost everyone on the team stepping up to play a part in what could be the best defense in the country.

The Volunteers' defense will be put to the test again on Sunday as they take on Virginia. The Cavaliers average 80.6 points per game, and the Volunteers will need every player to play as well as they can in order to win. This game may provide one of the lowest-scoring games of the entire tournament since Virginia plays some great defense itself, only allowing 68.4 points per game.

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