Three keys to Saint Peter’s (19-13), the No. 15 seed in the Midwest, upsetting No. 2 seeded Tennessee (24-8):
Start strong
Deliver some early doubt to Tennessee by getting off to a fast start.
The Saint Peter’s team of two years ago that advanced to the Elite Eight did a great job of throwing the first punch.
Tennessee and its coach, Rick Barnes, have a shaky history in the NCAA Tournament.
Barnes has lost to a lower-seeded team in 16 of his 27 appearances between Tennessee and Texas.
Washington capitalize
Get Corey Washington going.
The Saint Peter’s sophomore has three 20-point games in March and scored up 24 in the MAAC Tournament championship.
Don’t let Knect connect
Limit Dalton Knecht, Tennessee’s leading scorer with 21.1 points per game. He’s a 6-foot-6 matchup nightmare who Peacocks coach Bashir Mason will surely send waves of bodies to try to slow down.