CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No. 2 seed Tennessee men's basketball will clash with No. 15 seed Saint Peter's in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night in Charlotte in the Midwest Region matchup at the Spectrum Center.
The Vols are coming off two straight losses heading into the NCAA Tournament, while a MAAC tournament championship granted the Peacocks a spot in the bracket.
A BROTHERLY CLASH IN THE BIG DANCE
Thursday's first-round matchup will see brothers Zakai Zeigler and Armoni Zeigler go head-to-head. Armoni Zeigler is a freshman guard for Saint Peter's and the only true freshman on the roster, while the elder Zeigler is one of the most impactful players for Tennessee.
Armoni Zeigler showcases more size than his older brother and has also been featured on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays with a highlight-reel dunk against Manhattan. Armoni Zeigler has started 10 games for Sant Peter's and averages 6.4 points per game along with 19 minutes per game.
Coming off a season shortened by a torn ACL, Zakai Zeigler will play in his first NCAA Tournament since 2021 averaging 11.9 points per game along with 5.8 assists per game and 30.8 minutes per game.
KINGS OF THE SEC REGULAR SEASON
Tennessee captured its first outright SEC regular season title since the 2007-08 season, while standout Vols took home top honors in the conference. Fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht won SEC Player of the Year, while junior guard Zakai Zeigler was named the Defensive Player of the Year.
The Vols earned the top spot in the SEC tournament, but the team fell in the quarterfinals to Mississippi State and missed out on a chance to win their second SEC tournament title in three years.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY FOR SAINT PETER'S
The Peacocks made a huge splash in their last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022, where they were also a No. 15 seed. Saint Peter's went on a miraculous run all the way to the Elite Eight and defeated No. 2 Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 Purdue along the way before falling to eventual runner-up No. 8 in the regional finals.
Saint Peter's has since turned over nearly its entire roster and also has a new head coach in Bashir Mason. Mason was previously the head coach at Marist University from 2012-22, where he led the team to three regular season conference titles and was a three-time NEC Coach of the Year.
In the history of the NCAA Tournament since 1985 when the 64-team format was introduced, the No. 15 seed has defeated the No. 2 seed 11 times, while the higher seed has won 141 of the matchups.
WHERE AND WHEN TO WATCH
No. 2 Tennessee will take on No. 15 Saint Peter's at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday, March 21 at 9:20 p.m. The game will be broadcast on TNT.