Tennessee
Here's who Suns fans should be watching during March Madness
Believe it or not, the Phoenix Suns are slated to have a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and they could end up selecting one of the stars of the NCAA Tournament which starts this week.
As things currently stand, Phoenix still holds four first rounders between the 2024 and 2030 drafts, although they don’t have sole possession of any.
For 2024, the Suns will take the least favorable first rounder between the Memphis Grizzlies’ pick, the Washington Wizards’ pick and their own. Right now, the least favorable of the three is their own, sitting at No. 19 after the loss on Sunday to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Here are some players who could have a big impact in March Madness before being in play at No. 19 — or wherever the Suns’ pick ends up.
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee, No. 13 on ESPN’s Top 100
Knecht has the best chance to knock off Purdue big man Zach Edey for National Player of the Year with how he’s led Tennessee this season.
The 6-foot-6, 213-pound wing has worked his way up through junior college to low-major Northern Colorado and now to Tennessee where he led the Volunteers to the SEC regular season title.
The fifth-year senior enters the tournament averaging 21.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists on a career best 39.7% on 6.2 3s per game.
First March Madness matchup: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s on Thursday at 6:20 p.m. on TNT.
Ryan Dunn, Virginia, No. 20 on The Athletic’s mock draft (to Phoenix at the time)
The 6-foot-8, 216-pound sophomore doesn’t offer a ton offensively, but he may be the best defender in the country, with the toughness to hang with bigger players as well.
Dunn is a career 24% shooter on 3s but is a much better 61.9% on 2s. He also blocks nearly 2.5 shots per game in just 27.6 minutes, including five against Duke a couple weeks ago.
First March Madness matchup: No. 10 Virginia vs. No. 10 Colorado State on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. on truTV.
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton, No. 25 on The Athletic’s mock draft
After starring at Millennium High in Goodyear and AZ Compass Prep in Chandler, Holmes has dominated the A-10 for three seasons now, showing a smooth and versatile game that not many bigs have.
This season, Holmes added a 3-point shot and is hitting 38.5% on 2.5 attempts at 6-foot-10. He attempted just 26 over his first two seasons combined. Averaging over 20 points and two blocks per game, he’s poised to take the Flyers on a run.
First March Madness matchup: No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on TBS.
Phoenix is without a second-round pick in this draft because it was rescinded after the league found the Suns to have tampered in acquiring Drew Eubanks last summer.
They do have to fill out a G League roster for next season though, so general manager James Jones may end up bringing in undrafted rookies, something he hasn’t really done in his tenure.
Here are some players Jones and the Suns could be looking at in the tournament.
Alex Karaban, UConn, No. 50 on ESPN’s Top 100
Shooting is the big draw for this 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore who shot 39.8% on nearly 350 attempts over the two seasons he played for the Huskies, with a chance to have championship rings in each season.
UConn’s offense is probably the closest to an NBA offense in all of the field, and Karaban’s ability to connect within that offense — career 3.1 assists per 100 possessions — should endear him to NBA front offices.
First March Madness matchup: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 Stetson on Friday at 11:45 a.m. on CBS.
Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon, unranked
One of the best stories in college basketball because of the medical hardships he has endured, the 6-foot-7 wing is versatile on offense and obsessive on defense.
Grant-Foster is one of the best in the country at getting to the line and creating his own shot in the mid-range, averaging over three stocks (steals plus blocks) on the other end.
He would make for a great marquee headliner for the Suns’ G League team as he develops into a potential difference-maker for the Suns, where his cousin Ish Wainright is on a two-way contract.
First March Madness matchup: No. 12 Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 St. Mary’s on Friday at 7:05 p.m. on truTV.
Tennessee
Where to watch Iowa State vs Tennessee State in March Madness First Round: Time, TV Channel
March Madness is underway and college basketball’s big dance continues with No. 2 seed Iowa State taking on No. 15 seed Tennessee State in a First Round matchup on Friday, March 20. Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the clash between the Tigers and Cyclones.
USA TODAY Sports has a team of journalists covering men’s March Madness to keep you up to date with every point scored, rebound grabbed and game won in the 68-team tournament.
Join the USA TODAY Bracket Challenge to win $1 million
What time is Tennessee State vs Iowa State First Round game?
No. 2 Iowa State vs No. 15 Tennessee State tips off at 2:50 PM (EST) on Friday, March 20 from Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri).
What channel is Tennessee State vs Iowa State First Round game?
No. 2 Iowa State vs No. 15 Tennessee State is airing live on CBS.
How to stream Tennessee State vs Iowa State First Round game
No. 2 Iowa State vs No. 15 Tennessee State is available to stream on Sling.
Watch the NCAA Tournament all March long with Sling
Men’s March Madness schedule today
See the schedule, live scores and results for all of Friday’s NCAA Tournament action here.
2026 March Madness dates
- March 17-18: First Four
- March 19-20: First Round
- March 21-22: Second Round
- March 26-27: Sweet 16
- March 28-29: Elite 8
- April 4: Final Four
- April 6: National Championship
Live tackling in college football practices is nearing extinction, which means teams with tackling issues like Tennessee must find creative solutions.
The Vols’ latest approach is making players watch every tackle they’ve ever missed in their college career. Every diving whiff. Every misfired bump. Every time a ball-carrier ran over them.
They watch it again and again.
This offseason, veteran special teams coach John Bonamego and UT staffers created an individualized tackling film for each defensive and special teams player on the roster. They can watch every made and missed tackle ever captured on film in college.
The project was an eye-opening discovery for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles when he arrived at Tennessee.
“When I came here, (Bonamego) had a whole tackling report he did along with the individual cutups, so you can sit there and watch,” Knowles said on March 19 during spring practice.
“You can put (the tackles) into categories on the ones that were successful and why they were successful, the ones that weren’t and why they weren’t. You can show each guy their own tackling reel throughout their career.”
Jim Knowles: ‘You have to mentally tackle’
Presumably, those tackling films were created under coach Josh Heupel’s direction. He knows poor tackling was among the key factors that took UT from a dominant defense in 2024 to sub-par in 2025.
The Vols missed 147 tackles in the 2025 season compared to only 118 missed tackles in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Granted, missed tackles are subjective, and those figures come from an independent scouting service.
But even the untrained eye could see the growing problem of missed tackles for UT last season.
That’s where coaches hope detailed game film can help. Breaking down how players missed tackles and teaching them proper techniques is a step toward improvement, especially since live tackling is limited during practice.
“We don’t tackle anybody in practice, right?” said Knowles, who endorses UT’s approach to coaching tackling. “So you have to really be coaching body position, and it becomes more of a mental game. I try to teach the guys like, ‘You have to mentally tackle.’”
Why don’t Vols tackle in practice? They do, sort of
Of course, that raises an obvious question: Why not tackle in practice?
The truth is that few college football teams these days have “take to the ground” tackling in practice like they do in games. Instead, “thud” tackling has become more common to teach fundamentals while preventing injuries.
“Thud” tackling means a defender initiates contact with the ball-carrier at full speed using proper tackling form, but he never takes him to the ground. Coaches believe all the elements that make for a good tackle can be done in “thud” tackling. Tennessee mostly uses “thud” tackling throughout spring and the season.
In past eras, “take to the ground” tackling was a staple of building toughness like three-a-day practices and limited water breaks. Whether the modern approach is good or bad for the game is in the eye of the beholder.
Coaches don’t want players suffering injuries in practice and being unavailable for the game. And it can’t be overstated that NIL plays a part, too. Players are paid big bucks to play on Saturdays, so a serious injury in practice can decrease their value.
What Jim Knowles thinks about new approach to tackling
Knowles has witnessed the erosion of old-school tackling in practice over his nearly 40 years of college coaching. He doesn’t believe it will ever return.
“I don’t think so. I’m sure Coach Heupel will put us in some live tackling situations, but you don’t do it that much because you’re trying to save the player on both sides, offense and defense,” Knowles said. “And even when you’re live against your own team, you’re not going to cut tackle or tackle low. That can build bad habits.”
Knowles has consistently coached some of the best defenses in college football, most recently at Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Penn State.
In 2024, his Ohio State defense missed only 8.4 tackles per game, according to Pro Football Focus, en route to winning the national championship. Compare that to Tennessee’s average of 11.3 missed tackles per game last season.
Knowles thinks limiting live tackling in practice is a positive step for the sport.
“It’s a difficult proposition. I’m glad we’ve adjusted to it for the health of the player,” Knowles said. “But now you have to be creative in how you teach them with these tackling breakdowns, drills and even in a non-tackling situation, your body position.”
How Tennessee uses tackling film to fix problems
That’s where film of tackling can help. UT players watch their good tackles and missed tackles. They review their best form and their worst.
And the individualized nature of the film allows coaches to correct problems that only plague that particular player.
“You can build an individual tackling reel and teach for each player, which is really unique,” Knowles said. “You can put the film up there (and say), ‘What kind of tackle were you going to use right here?’ He says one thing, but your body is not in a great position to use that tackle.
“So I think that’s the best you can do. It’s good for the game. It makes it more difficult, but as coaches we have to adjust to that.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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Tennessee basketball may be standing in the path of this season’s Cinderella story.
The No. 6 Vols (22-11) will open the Men’s NCAA Tournament against No. 11 Miami of Ohio (32-1) at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on March 20 (4:25 p.m. ET, TBS).
Buy Tennessee basketball NCAA tournament tickets
The RedHawks defeated No. 11 SMU (20-14) in a First Four game, 89-79, on March 18 to advance. They drained 16 3-pointers − only their third-highest mark of the season − for their first March Madness victory since 1999.
Here’s what you need to know about Miami (Ohio) heading into their first-round matchup against Tennessee.
Where is Miami (Ohio) located?
Miami (Ohio) is located in Oxford, Ohio, and is about 30 miles north of Cincinnati. It has an enrollment of 16,800 undergraduate students.
What conference is Miami (Ohio) in?
Miami (Ohio) plays in the Mid-American Conference.
Who is coach of Miami (Ohio)?
Travis Steele is in his third season as the coach of Miami (Ohio). He was previously the coach at Xavier from 2018-22, but the university effectively fired him after four seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Miami (Ohio) NCAA Tournament history
The RedHawks have made 18 March Madness appearances. They last made the tournament in 2007 as a No. 14 seed and lost to No. 3 Oregon in the first round, 58-56.
Miami (Ohio) has never made the Elite Eight. It has four Sweet 16 appearances, most recently in 1999. The No. 10 RedHawks, led by future NBA All-Star Wally Szczerbiak, upset No. 7 Washington and No. 2 Utah before losing to No. 3 Kentucky.
Miami (Ohio) 2025-26 season rundown
Miami (Ohio) made a strong case for the NCAA Tournament by going 31-0 in the regular season. Because of its strength of schedule in the MAC, though, it wasn’t considered a lock to make the tournament. The RedHawks did not receive an automatic qualifier after losing to UMass in the MAC quarterfinals, which cleared the path for No. 12 Akron to win the conference.
Miami (Ohio) beat SMU in the First Four with its main trait: overwhelming offense. The RedHawks boast the second-best scoring offense in the NCAA with 90.7 points per game, just behind Alabama’s 91.7. They dumped 16 3-pointers on top of the Mustangs to set up an opportunity against Tennessee.
The RedHawks have also been precise in crunch time. They are 4-0 in overtime games and are 8-0 in one-score games.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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