DETROIT — Program history is on the line for the Vols this weekend, in the NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee will play Creighton in a Sweet 16 matchup with a chance to go to the Elite 8. The program has only made it to that point of the tournament once ever. Two wins in Detroit would mean a trip to the Final Four, which the team has never accomplished.
First, all eyes are focused on making it to the Elite 8. The Vols are 1-7 all-time in Sweet 16 games.
"There has always been a stigma behind us in March and not performing as well and trying to get over that hump," said Jahmai Mashack, a Vols guard. "Winning this game is going to get us in the exact position we want to be in. From there, we want to move on to the next one and the next one. We need to treat this game like a national championship game and do the things we have been doing all year, but come out with more fire and more intensity."
Zakai Zeigler didn't get to play in Tennessee's Sweet 16 matchup last year against Florida Atlantic. Tennessee lost that game. The guard, who won SEC Defensive Player of the Year, is ready to keep pushing the Vols ahead.
"People in the country still don't respect us how they should," he said. "Us winning this game would be a huge part of history for the program and it will be really great for us. I feel like it would just show everyone that we might have lost a couple of games early on, but that we have what it takes to win it all."
Josiah-Jordan James came back for a fifth year to accomplish a lot this season. He is ready for the challenges ahead.
"We set out from day one to be a team that made this history within this university," James said. "We have the guys for it. We've put ourselves in a great situation by making it this far. Being able to make it to an Elite 8, doing something nobody in this locker room has done would be huge. We know Vol Nation is behind us every step of the way. They would love it even more."
Tennessee and Creighton face off in the Sweet 16 on Friday at 10:09 p.m. The game will be televised on TBS.