UCLA Prepares for Volunteers in Second-Round Bout

The No. 2 UCLA Bruins are set for a second-round meeting with the No. 2-seeded Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night for a chance at the Sweet 16. Despite being the much lower seed, the Bruins match up exceptionally well.

Mar 20, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes reacts during the second half against the Wofford Terriers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The No. 7 seed UCLA Bruins (23-10) are facing arguably their toughest team of the season on Saturday night, taking on the No. 2-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament in Lexington, Kentucky. This will be a strong matchup for the Bruins despite the seeding.

The Bruins cruised through their first-round opponent, drubbing the Utah State Aggies (26-8) by 25 points to earn a 72-47 win. It was one of the more flawless performances of the season and that type of play will be required against a very talented Volunteer team.

Tennessee also earned a dominant win in the first round, taking down the No. 15-seeded Wofford Terriers hours before the Bruins completed their victory in Lexington. Senior guard Chaz Lanier had a game-high 29 points, going 11-22 from the field and 6-13 from deep. Prepare for him to shoot a ton.

In terms of offensive production, the Volunteers fit well into UCLA's defense, being ranked fourth-worst in the SEC in points per game (74.8). It is a team that only gets up about 56 shots per game, shooting it at a 45.6% clip, far less than what Utah State brought to the table in the first round.

If UCLA plays its game and rebounds well while defending on-ball, it will give the Tennessee fits at times. This is a Volunteer team that has elite scorers but, when kept at bay, struggles to impact the game and find a win. Offense for the Bruins will find its way, but the defense is priority No. 1.

Defensively, the Volunteers are ball hawks, much like the Bruins. They rank 11th in Division I in opponent points per game (63 ppg) and are one of the best perimeter defending teams in the country, ranking top five in the country in opponent field goal and three-point percentage.

With UCLA knocking down 10 3-pointers against the Aggies, it became an integral piece of its game plan to win on Thursday. It may have to find other forms of offense or do a better job of moving without the basketball to create open shots. Tennessee will not allow any easy from outside.

Wofford went 11-26 from three-point land in their loss to the Volunteers, proving that it is possible to find success against a good defensive team. If UCLA is able to play strong defense and hit a few big shots, an upset could very well be on the table for a gritty Bruin team.

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