CHICAGO – They were coming at theTennessee men's basketballteam like no one else had this season,Rick Barnessaid afterwards. Iowa State players were hounding anyone wearing orange all over the United Center court, and the Vols were heaving shots at the end of the shot clock as their NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Sweet 16 game began Friday, March 27.
But when freshmanNate Amentlaunched an errant 3-pointer, Felix Okpara grabbed the offensive rebound. Then J.P. Estrella grabbed another miss. Then Ament grabbed one more miss. A minute later, Okpara corralled an errant shot attempt. Then Estrella did, too. Another offensive rebound sent Estrella to the free throw line. Before the first media timeout, once Okpara snagged yet another offensive rebound, Tennessee had somehow grabbed seven of its first 10 missed shots of the game.
Never mind that this only led to one basket. The tone had been set, one that carried the sixth-seeded Volunteers back into theElite Eightfor the third year in a row aftera 76-62 win over shorthanded No. 2 seed Iowa Statethat felt more like a bludgeoning because of the manner in which the beating was delivered.
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Tennessee demoralized an Iowa State teamalready playing without All-American Joshua Jeffersonbecause the biggest plays of the game revolved around offensive rebounds. Of course they did. It's perhaps the best explanation why Tennessee, with just one player in the lineup Friday who played in last year's Elite Eight game, gets another chance to earn its first Final Four appearance in Sunday's Midwest Region final against No. 1 seed Michigan.
The Volunteers have the nation's best offensive rebounding percentage this season,according to KenPom, and there really isn't anyone close to them left in the bracket. Tennessee grabs an offensive rebound on 45% of its missed shots. For comparison, none of the seven other teams left in the NCAA Tournament bracket grab more than 40% of their missed shots.
"It's our identity. That's our best offense. That's what coach Barnes always says," Okpara said.
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Tennessee corralled 16 more offensive rebounds against Iowa State and turned those extra possessions into 14 second-chance points, part of a 43-22 rebounding advantage the Vols enjoyed on the glass to offset their 17 turnovers.
They advanced mostly through brute force, not finesse.
"We stayed in the same set pretty much the entire second half," Barnes said.
Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Nebraska's Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournamentat Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.
But what had been accomplished was still sinking in as he answered questions about it late Friday. This was the deep frontcourt he envisioned deploying last offseason after Houston ended last year's NCAA Tournament run. He also thought this team should have won more games than it did during the regular season.
Then Ament, the Vols' freshman projected NBA draft lottery pick, hurt his ankle last month. Barnes hoped this would all come together in time for March Madness.
Suddenly this has, largely because these Volunteers can suck the life out of teams with each wayward shot attempt.
They're better than anyone in the country at it.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tennessee Vols basketball back in Elite 8 thanks to this stat
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