Officials from the Florida Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are discussing the arrest of Franklin Jose Jimenez-Bracho, a citizen of Venezuela and alleged gang member of Tren de Aragua. Formed in a Venezuelan prison, the gang has branched out to become a multinational crime organization. Bracho’s arrest is the first arrest in the nation under the Alien Enemies Act.

The fifth-seeded Tennessee Lady Vols are a made-for-TV team with a fast offense and a knack for draining 3-pointers. No. 12 South Florida faces a massive uphill battle that may get a small boost from Tennessee’s weaknesses on defense. Tennessee is favored by nearly 20 points.

We’ve got a breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the matchup, plus odds, projections and expert picks. Team profiles written by The Athletic’s Michael Waterloo.

How to watch Tennessee vs. South Florida

• What: Birmingham 3 Regional, first round
• Venue: Schottenstein Center — Columbus, Ohio
• Time: 8 p.m. ET, Friday, March 21
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
• Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub

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No. 5 Tennessee Lady Vols

Strengths: The Lady Vols push, push, push on offense, as they play a quick style. They rank second nationally in scoring, thanks in part to Arkansas transfer Samara Spencer and South Carolina transfer Talaysia Cooper. Opponents facing Tennessee must be ready for a barrage of 3-pointers. The Lady Vols rank third nationally in made 3-pointers and finished second in 3-point attempts.

Weaknesses: Their offense is stellar, and it’s a good thing because their defense struggles, as we saw in their SEC tournament loss to Vanderbilt. They rank in the 19th percentile in points allowed per game. So when the 3s that Tennessee relies on aren’t falling, it can make for a long day at the office if the Lady Vols aren’t getting defensive stops. Adding to the defensive issues are the number of fouls by Tennessee. Tournament games can be decided at the free-throw line. Tennessee averaged north of 20 fouls per game, which just isn’t a recipe for success in March.

Outlook: This Tennessee team is fun. The fast-paced, high-scoring nature of this squad is made for TV and the tournament. It’ll all come down to how they play defensively. Tennessee, despite the number of 3-pointers hoisted, ranks in the 97th percentile in offensive rebound rate, so if the Lady Vols can keep possessions alive for second-chance points and limit transition buckets, their offense can overcome their defense like it has all season.

No. 12 South Florida Bulls

Strengths: The Bulls do enough well without doing anything especially great. Sixth-year senior Sammie Puisis leads the scoring pace for the Bulls, averaging 14.8 points per game and shooting 39.5 percent from 3.

Weaknesses: Puisis can shoot from a distance, but the Bulls focus on shot attempts from inside the arc. If defenses are isolating Puisis, can someone like Vittoria Blasigh take on the scoring assignment?

Outlook: South Florida has advanced to the Round of 32 in two of the last three seasons, so it isn’t impossible. But advancing past the first weekend? I’d be surprised.

This matchup can also be streamed on ESPN+.

Tennessee vs. USF odds

Streaming and Betting/Odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication

(Photo of Talaysia Cooper, Ruby Whitehorn, and Kaniya Boyd: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

The No. 16 Norfolk State Spartans (24-10) are set to face the top seed in the West Region, the Florida Gators (30-4) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Spartans clinched their spot in the tournament with a 66-65 win over South Carolina State in the MEAC Championship game. Brian Moore Jr. leads the team averaging nearly 19 points per game.

The Gators secured a No. 1 seed with an 86-77 win over Tennessee in the SEC Championship game. Florida boasts a high-scoring offense, averaging 85 points per game, and a solid defense allowing just 69 points per game. Guard Walter Clayton leads the team with averages of 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.

The winner of this game earns the right to play the winner of the UConn vs. Oklahoma game.

Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Game details & how to watch Norfolk State vs. Florida

• Date: Friday, March 21, 2025
• Time: 6:50PM EST
• Site: PNC Arena
• City: Raleigh, NC
• Network/Streaming: TNT

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.

Game odds for Norfolk State vs. Florida

The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of BetMGM:

• Odds: Norfolk State Spartans (+3300), Florida Gators (-10000)
• Spread: Gators -28.5
• Total: 153.5 points

Expert picks & predictions for Norfolk State vs. Florida

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s Spartans & Gators game:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on Florida -28.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 153.5.

Norfolk State vs. Florida: Top betting trends and recent stats

• Norfolk State is 12-1 in their last 14 games
• Norfolk State is 1-7 against the spread in their last 8 games (17-11 ATS for the season)
• Florida has won their last 6 games
• Florida is 6-0 against the spread in their last 6 games (23-8 ATS for the season)
• The Game Total in each of Florida’s last 6 games has cashed to the OVER

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!

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