Tennessee Volunteers vs Wofford Terriers Picks and Predictions March 20th 2025

Tennessee ‘Locked In’ for First-Round Fight with No. 15 Seed Wofford

LEXINGTON, Ky. — After an impressive regular season and a near-miss in the Southeastern Conference tournament title game, No. 2 seed Tennessee prepares for a potential upset challenge against No. 15 Wofford in the first round of the Midwest Region on Thursday.

Tennessee Eyes Deep Tournament Run

Tennessee (27-7) finished the SEC regular season with 13 wins in 19 games, securing fourth place behind Auburn, Florida, and Alabama. The Volunteers made a strong push in the SEC Tournament, taking down No. 1 seed Auburn in the semifinals before falling to Florida in the championship game.

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Head coach Rick Barnes has guided Tennessee to the Sweet 16 in 2023 and the Elite Eight in 2024, but he understands the unpredictable nature of March Madness. Barnes, with an NCAA Tournament record of 30-28, has endured 11 first-round exits in his coaching career.

“No matter the seeding we get, you’ve still got to go out there and handle business. I think everybody really understands that now after what just happened in the SEC tournament. I think everybody is really locked in and really understands what’s at stake now.” — Zakai Zeigler

The Volunteers are led by North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier, who has stepped up as their primary scorer with 17.7 points per game. Big man Igor Milicic controls the paint, averaging 6.9 rebounds, while Zeigler orchestrates the offense with 7.3 assists per game and contributes 13.8 points and 1.94 steals per contest.

Wofford Embracing Underdog Role

Wofford (19-15) took a different path to the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers finished sixth in the Southern Conference but caught fire in the SoCon Tournament, defeating East Tennessee State, Virginia Military Institute, and Furman to claim the conference’s automatic bid. This marks Wofford’s first NCAA appearance since 2019 and its sixth overall.

The two teams met earlier this season, with Tennessee securing an 82-61 victory.

“Obviously, we played them last year, the game before we went to Maui. And we were up five at half. And I just remember them slowing the game down, being really physical, screening, cutting really hard, played with a lot of force. It was not an easy game by any means.” — Tennessee assistant Rod Clark

Wofford head coach Dwight Perry will experience a homecoming of sorts as he leads the Terriers into battle at Rupp Arena, where he played for the Kentucky Wildcats from 2006 to 2009.

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“It’s extremely special. Obviously, it’s my alma mater. I have a lot of great friends (at Kentucky). It’s an unbelievable place. Obviously, their tradition in basketball really doesn’t need any introduction. More than anything, I’m really excited for our guys to be able to continue this journey this year, for it not to end.” — Dwight Perry

Key Matchup Factors

Wofford relies on point guard Corey Tripp, who averages 14.3 points and 3.2 assists per game. Fifth-year big man Kyler Filewich is a key contributor, averaging 11.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. Notably, Filewich recently switched to shooting free throws underhanded due to his struggles from the line (31.8%).

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The Terriers enter the game with a 1-5 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play and will need a near-perfect performance to challenge Tennessee. Those following college basketball predictions will watch to see if Wofford’s disciplined play and upset-minded energy can shake up the bracket.