Tennessee basketball vs. Florida Atlantic in Sweet 16: Score prediction for March Madness

Tennessee basketball is a win away from the second Elite Eight in program history.

The No. 4-seeded Vols (25-10) face No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic (33-3) on Thursday (approx. 9 p.m. ET, TBS) in the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden. Here is what to know about the NCAA Tournament matchup:

Florida Atlantic has Johnell Davis and loves 3-pointers

Florida Atlantic guard Johnell Davis had an epic outing in the second round against Farleigh Dickinson with 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals. The 6-foot-4 junior guard is the Owls' leading scorer with 13.9 points per game. He shoots 38.8% on 3-pointers, one of three FAU guards to shoot better than 36.% on 3-pointers.

The Owls take 26.3 threes per game, ranking No. 18 in the nation. They shoot 37.2% as a team.

“They do a good job of getting in gaps and passing the ball, delivering it on the money," Vols coach Rick Barnes said. "They have some guys that have as quick of a release as anybody we’ve played against all year"

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Santiago Vescovi is on a mission

Santiago Vescovi dictated much of the first 30 minutes of Tennessee's 65-52 win against Duke on Saturday to clinch a trip to the Sweet 16. The senior guard scored 14 points and hit four 3-pointers after having a season-low three points against Louisiana in the first round.

The first-team All-SEC selection has been on a tear since mid-February, shooting the ball at a high clip and giving opponents problems on both ends of the court.

“Santi has been consistent all year," Barnes said. "He impacts winning in so many different ways. It’s what he does defensively. People guard him, they chase him, it’s hard for him."

How Florida Atlantic reached the Sweet 16

Florida Atlantic rolled through the season, winning the Conference USA regular-season title and winning the conference tournament. The Owls went 18-2 in conference play, losing single-digit games at UAB and at Middle Tennessee State. They also lost at Ole Miss in November.

FAU beat No. 8 Memphis 66-65 with a Nick Boyd layup in the final seconds. It handled No. 16 Farleigh Dickinson 78-70 on Saturday in the second round.

Tennessee knows its way around New York City

Tennessee has made playing in New York City a habit under Barnes. This is the third time UT has played in New York City since December 2021. The Vols lost to Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 7, 2021. They beat Maryland at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in December.

Forward Uros Plavsic said he is "extremely happy" to be playing at Madison Square Garden again after growing up hearing about the famed arena.

"Going to New York ... I think they’re just going to be excited the fact that we’re playing, wherever we would be," Barnes said.

Sweet 16 score prediction

Tennessee 69, Florida Atlantic 61: Tennessee reaches the Elite Eight for the second time in program history behind another strong showing from Vescovi.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Florida Atlantic: Sweet 16 March Madness score prediction