Next challenge for Vols: Taking the same intensity to the Sweet Sixteen

ORLANDO — Tennessee faced arguably its biggest test of the season on Saturday afternoon — a Duke Blue Devil basketball team that was both on a roll and standing in the way of the Vols in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Rick Barnes and his team had their own demons to exorcise in the second round — memories of Michigan and Loyola-Chicago remained all too heavy — while looking to fight their way back to a hard-to-imagine return to the Sweet Sixteen. 

But there’s something about a big-name, highly rated opponent that brings the best out of these Vols. The emphatic, and at times dominant, 65-52 win over Duke left no doubt that Tennessee belongs.

“You could tell they were really locked in,” Tennessee assistant coach Rod Clark said of the Vols Saturday night.

Just like they were in the win over No. 1 Alabama in February. Or the win over Texas in January. Or the win over Kansas in November. Despite the February struggle, this team can beat any team in the country on any given night, even in March.

Olivier Nkamhoua: ‘You’ve got to live for those moments’

Now the next challenge, even bigger than the one faced against Duke Saturday, is staying on edge. Tennessee will face either No. 9 Florida Atlantic or No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday in the Sweet Sixteen at Madison Square Garden in New York. 

FAU, already a 32-win team, sent Penny Hardaway and Memphis home Thursday in Columbus on a layup with 2.5 seconds left. That came after FDU wrecked the East Region and became the story of the tournament, becoming just the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 when it stunned Purdue.

“We are honestly always more worried about the Louisiana games versus the Duke games,” Clark said. “Not because we play down to our opponents, but they’re kids, man, and they get up for certain things.”

Tennessee led Louisiana by 18 points in the first round Thursday night at Amway Center, but the Ragin’ Cajuns stormed back with a 13-0 run and had it down to a one-possession game with less than a minute left. Free throws from Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips in the final 20 seconds helped the Vols hold on for a 58-55 win.

Against Duke, Tennessee led for over 26 minutes. Olivier Nkamhoua scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half and Santiago Vescovi scored 14, to go with five rebounds and five assists. James had seven points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. 

The Vols closed the first half on a game-changing 14-2 run and never let the Blue Devils and their roster of NBA draft picks regain the momentum.

“I kind of relish those opportunities,” Nkamhoua said of facing a brand name like Duke, “to play those guys who are highly touted around the country, known as an NBA prospect or a really good college player. 

“I love to see a tough guy on my spot on the other team. It makes the game so much more fun for me and brings me into the game more. We said it yesterday, we love the smoke. And personally, I love it.”

Up Next: Vols vs. Florida Atlantic/Fairleigh Dickinson, Sweet Sixteen, Thursday

And no, Nkamhoua has no worries about Tennessee showing up at The Garden and meeting the moment Thursday, regardless of who the opponent is.

“Because we’re competitors, you know?” he said. “Down to a man, every single one of us is a competitor. If we play ones, it’s going to get competitive. If we’re in practice playing five-on-five, it’s going to get competitive. Anything we do — we could be playing a board game — it’s going to get competitive. 

“The brighter the lights, the more competitive it gets. You’ve got to relish those things, playing at this level, getting to the next level. You’ve got to relish those opportunities. You’ve got to live for those moments. 

“The work you put in behind the scenes,” Nkamhoua added, “you’ve got to have faith in that and be ready to play.”