Tennessee or Miami (OH)? How to pick 6 vs. 11 matchup in 2026 March Madness bracket

Miami (OH) passed its first postseason test with flying colors, striking down SMU with a barrage of three-pointers. The RedHawks will get all they can handle from their second tournament foe: Rick Barnes' Tennessee.

The Volunteers weren't quite the cream of the crop of the SEC. But they were fairly close, scoring wins over Houston, Louisville, Vanderbilt and Alabama. With Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament leading their lines, the Vols look well-equipped to launch a tournament run -- that is, if their shots are falling.

Miami has been college basketball's most contentious side. Proponents suggests its faultless regular-season record is a sign of future tournament success, while detractors point to a lowly strength-of-schedule as reason to cast aspersions towards Travis Steele's side. The true essence of the RedHawks lies somewhere between these two dynamics, although their outburst in the First Four could set the stage for a memorable run through March and beyond.

Rarely has an unbeaten side inspired as much curiosity as Miami. Is it good? Is it bad? The college basketball world awaits the next opportunity to answer the query: its first-round clash with Tennessee.

So, just who should you side with for your March Madness bracket? Here's what you need to know about the RedHawks and Volunteers' upcoming NCAA tournament joust.

MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | Full TV schedule | Printable bracket

Tennessee vs. Miami (OH) odds

Tennessee opened as a 10.5-point favorite over Miami at DraftKings Sportsbook. The point total for the contest was initially set at 148.5. 

Below are the details of the game, including betting odds, time and TV. 

• Odds: Tennessee -10.5
• Date: Friday, March 20
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• TV: TBS
• Streaming: DIRECTV
• Arena: Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Penn.

Tennessee (22-11, 11-7 in SEC)

Rick Barnes’ team got beaten up a little bit more than usual in the SEC, losing seven conference games, but Tennessee has become an NCAA Tournament mainstay and has its sights set on the second weekend.

The Volunteers are relying heavily on their defense this season. They are holding opponents to less than 70 points per game, the best mark in the SEC, and teams are shooting under 31 percent from deep against Tennessee despite plenty of shooters in the SEC. The Vols are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation and lead the country in offensive rebounds, which gives a shaky offense some much-needed second chances.

Tennessee has one of the nation’s better all-around point guards in Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie, plus a terrific freshman big man in Nate Ament. Ament’s health could be something to watch after he suffered an ankle sprain on the final day of February, but he was on the court in the SEC Tournament and looked fine. Ament, J.P. Estrella, Felix Okpara and Jaylen Carey are all strong rebounders, but Okpara and Carey are limited scorers.

Don’t expect the Vols to win a shootout. Gillespie is a high-volume 3-point shooter, but that’s about it, with Tennessee ranking in the bottom quartile of D-1 teams in attempts from beyond the arc. That doesn’t mean Tennessee can’t beat a team that shoots threes – Barnes’ defense is impressive enough to severely limit opponents from deep. The Vols also shouldn’t have a hard time taking advantage of an undersized team with all of their big bodies.

Tennessee might have a ceiling in the NCAA Tournament because of its offensive concerns, but between their stellar defense and Barnes’ experience in these games, the Volunteers could give teams fits early on. -Dan Treacy

• NET ranking: 19th
• KenPom ranking: 15th
• Quad 1 record: 6-10
• Quad 2 record: 6-1
• Quad 3 record: 3-0
• Quad 4 record: 7-0
• Offensive efficiency ranking: 37th
• Defensive efficiency ranking: 15th

Key players

Ja’Kobi Gillespie, G, Sr. (6-0, 175): 18.0 ppg, 5.5 apg, 2.1 spg

Nate Ament, F, Jr. (6-8, 245): 17.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.5 apg

Felix Okpara, C, Sr. (6-11, 220): 7.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg

J.P. Estrella, F, Jr. (6-11, 241): 10.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.8 apg

Jaylen Carey, F, Jr. (6-8, 245): 7.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.3 apg

Key players

Tyler Bilodeau, F, Sr. (6-9, 220): 17.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 46.4% 3-pt

Donovan Dent, G, Sr. (6-2, 170): 13.5 ppg, 7.6 apg, 1.6 spg

Skyy Clark, G, Sr. (6-3, 200): 11.7 ppg, 2.1 apg, 43.2% 3-pt

Trent Perry, G, So. (6-4, 180): 12.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.9 apg

Eric Dailey Jr., F, So. (6-8, 230): 11.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.3 apg

SN AWARDS: All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year

Miami (Ohio), (32-1, 18-0 in MAC)

The RedHawks of Miami (Ohio) are in. What a season it was in Oxford, as Travis Steele’s team put together an undefeated regular season with numerous close wins and high-scoring games. The run ended with a loss to UMass in the MAC quarterfinals, but an at-large bid still awaited one of college basketball’s best stories.

There are truths to both sides of the Miami debate. Yes, their metrics are poor for a team that didn’t lose a regular season game. The RedHawks did face an extremely weak non-conference schedule, which was largely out of their control, but plenty of teams do the same and just about zero finish undefeated. 

Miami’s close wins can be interpreted two ways. On one hand, narrowly beating teams that aren’t close to NCAA Tournament-caliber is probably a bad sign for the RedHawks’ chances in the big dance. On the other hand, winning close games is a skill. Miami does not break and does not let the moment get to its head. That means something, and it’s why the RedHawks are in this position today.

The RedHawks’ offense isn’t much of a question. They rank second in the nation with 90.7 points per game, shoot better than 39 percent from 3-point range and lead the country in field goal percentage. That doesn’t mean that kind of efficiency will translate to tougher competition in the tournament, but it’s hard to reach those marks by accident.

If Miami is going to bow out quickly, defense will likely be the reason. Steele’s squad ranks outside the top 125 in KenPom defensive rating. Their marks in the MAC aren’t bad by any means, but considering the non-conference competition they faced, it can be safely assumed that programs with a higher level of talent won’t face too much resistance. The health of PG Luke Skaljac, who has hand injuries, is also a potential concern, though he played through it, and the loss gave him extra time to heal up.

The RedHawks have fearless players and plenty of depth, particularly with the emergence of freshman Trey Perry. To keep pace with the best of the best, they are going to need their entire offense to show up. That’s easier said than done, but count out Miami at your own risk. -Dan Treacy

• NET ranking: 64th
• KenPom ranking: 93rd
• Quad 1 record: 0-0
• Quad 2 record: 3-0
• Quad 3 record: 10-1
• Quad 4 record: 15-0
• Offensive efficiency ranking: 70th
• Defensive efficiency ranking: 157th

Key players

Peter Suder, G, Sr. (6-5, 210): 14.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.0 apg

Brant Byers, F, So. (6-8, 195): 14.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 39.8% 3-pt

Eian Elmer, F, Jr. (6-6, 190): 12.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 43.4% 3-pt

Antwone Woolfolk, F, Sr. (6-9, 200): 10.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg

Luke Skaljac., G, So. (6-2, 180): 10.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.7 apg

SN EXPERT BRACKETS: DeCourcy (Arizona) | Bender (Michigan) | Iyer (Arizona) | Gay (UCLA women)

Tennessee vs. Miami (OH) prediction

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Tennessee boasts one of the nation's best defenses while Miami's attack could be considered the sport's finest.

What should ensue is chaos. This iteration of the Volunteers is not infallible. They dropped a handful of close matchups, relegating them to their first 11-loss regular-season campaign since 2019-20.

They're still a daunting proposition, particularly if their shots are falling. But they're not quite the buzzsaw they've shown themselves to be in past campaigns.

That could open the door for a RedHawks upset. Miami's resume might look a bit lackluster at first glance. But it won far more close games than it lost. Wednesday night's outing breathes more life into the suggestion that the RedHawks could shock the world. While Miami endured a few periods of offensive torpidity, their three-point efficiency carried them through. Tennessee can attempt to blight that part of the RedHawks' game. But if it doesn't succeed, it will be a long road back for the Vols.

The Volunteers' body of work suggests that they should have enough to down their MAC foes. And yet, it's hard to go against a side as deadly from deep as Miami.

Tennessee hit 10 or more threes in a game three times on the season. The RedHawks exceeded that mark on 21 separate occasions, by comparison. Give us Miami in stunner in the City of Brotherly Love.

HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED: 16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5

History of 6 vs. 11 upsets in NCAA Tournament

No. 11 seeds have traditionally performed admirably in their first round matchups, with at least one No. 11 cutting down higher-ranked opposition in each of the last 10 seasons.

Six No. 11 seeds have advanced to the Final Four, with NC State the last to accomplish the feat in 2024. While 11-over-6 upsets are technically shocking, they can serve as a launchpad for greater tournament success.

Below is a breakdown of the upset wins 11-seeds have enjoyed over 6-seeds in the past 10 seasons.

 -Dan Treacy contributed to this article