The round of 32 matchup between the Loyola men’s basketball team and the University of Tennessee Volunteers will feature two teams that played their conference tournament in the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, two conference Coaches of the Year in Tennessee’s Rick Barnes and Loyola’s Porter Moser, two conference Players of the Year in Tennessee’s Grant Williams and Loyola’s Clayton Custer and two conference Sixth Men of the Year in Tennessee’s Lamonte Turner and Loyola’s Aundre Jackson.
Tennessee finished in a tie for first place in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in the regular season, but lost in the SEC tournament championship to the University of Kentucky.