The No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers will look to avoid an upset when they take on the No. 11 Miami RedHawks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. After a stunning win in the First Four, Miami (OH) heads to this Midwest Region opening-round matchup with a 32-1 record for the season (18-0 in MAC).
The Volunteers went 11-7 in the SEC and hold a 22-11 overall record. They will hope that the star duo of Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament can get the job done against a RedHawks team playing with great confidence.
How to Watch the Tennessee vs. Miami (OH) NCAA Tournament Game
Fans can watch the March Madness opening-round contest between the Volunteers and the RedHawks live on TBS. The game will take place at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, with tip-off at 4:25 p.m. ET.
The game’s live broadcast will also be available to fans who want to watch online. HBO Max and the March Madness Website will offer a live stream of the game. Other streaming options include YouTube TV, DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV.
Andrew Catalon will provide the play-by-play, with Steve Lappas as the analyst. Evan Washburn will be the courtside reporter for this game.
Radio coverage of the 2026 March Madness is being provided by Westwood One Sports and SiriusXM.
Can the Tennessee Volunteers Avoid a First-Round Upset?
The season so far has not gone according to plan for the Vols, who have struggled defensively and face an offensively strong Miami (OH) team on Friday. With Ament fit again, Tennessee will fancy its chances of progressing to the next round.
But we have already seen a number of surprise results in the NCAA Tournament, and the Volunteers could be on upset alert if the RedHawks make a strong start.
Ament has been in fine form for the Volunteers this season, averaging 17.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Gillespie is their points leader with 18.0 points per game at 40.7% shooting from the field.
Miami RedHawks Look to Continue Dream Run
After overcoming SMU in the First Four, the RedHawks will be full of confidence going into this first-round matchup. Peter Suder has been the stats leader for Miami (OH) this season, averaging 14.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
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The RedHawks average 90.6 points per game, relying on three-pointers to set the tone. They scored 16 threes in their First Four win over SMU, and that will be the key for them on Friday.
With only one loss to their name this season, the RedHawks certainly have momentum on their side. But whether they can continue this incredible run against a more established Volunteers side remains to be seen.
