ORLANDO, Fla. — Terence Lewis II knows his NCAA tournament surprises.
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns forward shared how Oral Roberts rose as the No. 15 seed in 2021, beating Ohio State and Florida. But he has more detailed knowledge of March magic from 2021. Lewis was on the North Texas team that upset Purdue as the No. 13 pick.
“Anyone is capable of beating anyone in the tournament,” Lewis said on Wednesday. “I think people are getting carried away by the higher seed. You only have to take care of what you need to have a chance to win.”
Lewis and the No. 13 Ragin’ Cajuns (26-7) are hoping to record their own upset story against No. 4-seeded Tennessee Basketball (23-10) on Thursday (9:40 p.m. ET, CBS) at the Amway Center find.
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What Terence Lewis learned in North Texas was disturbing
Lewis did not play as North Texas defeated Purdue 78-69 in an upset in the first round of the 2021 NCAA tournament. But he saw what it took.
“I just think we have to learn to eliminate certain teams’ tendencies and really just type certain things in easily,” said Lewis, who transferred to Jackson State and then Louisiana. “Because as you saw a couple of years ago it was a back and forth game … you just have to be able to weather adversity and just understand that both teams are going to have a run.”
Lewis honed a pair of Tennessee’s key tendencies it’s struggling with to try to upset the Vols. He said limiting Santiago Vescovi is key. Louisiana coach Bob Marlin said he selected Vescovi as a second-team All-American. Lewis also said rebounding will be an important area for the Ragin’ Cajuns, emphasizing boxing out and competing against the bigger Vols.
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Louisiana doesn’t mind being undersized
Lewis, who averaged 11.0 points and 7.5 rebounds, is 6-foot-7. The Ragin’ Cajuns only have one rotation player greater than 6-8. Forward Jordan Brown is both Louisiana’s star and biggest player at 6-11.
The story goes on
Tennessee has five players in its rotation, including all four post players, and has been a largely strong rebound team.
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“We just have to get the first shot and be really physical, I think,” Lewis said. “Just being physical makes a team consider whether they want to do certain things. It’s basically heart over height. If we do a good job of being physical and rebounding and playing the rush it’s going to be a pretty good game.
Lewis thought back to two years ago and the chaos of being part of an NCAA tournament. He hopes to compete another Thursday.
“I just think we’re really gritty,” Lewis said. “We fight, man. We care about each other. I just think we have hustle players, myself included, who don’t even care about goals but make the small plays to make the team succeed.
Mike Wilson reports on the University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @By Mike Wilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that gives you access to everything.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee Basketball: Louisiana March Madness Upset Potential Against Vols
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