American Eagles Scouting Report

Before the Vols take the court on Friday afternoon, what do you need to know about the American University Eagles? Before we quickly dismiss the Patriot League champs as a meager #15 seed, let's not forget about Hampton and Santa Clara (#15 seeds that won their opening games) or Bucknell (Patriot League champs a few years ago that shocked Kansas). The Vols shouldn't have any trouble with American, but here is what might give them some trouble:

1) Coach Jeff Jones - The former Virginia head coach is a good one. Frankly, the Cavaliers have never recovered from letting him go amid sagging attendance and dissatisfaction in Charlottesville. He took UVA to the Elite Eight and annually competed in the ACC.

Now he leads American University. He is a solid coach who runs efficient offense and teaches sound defensive principles. The team only scores 65 ppg, but also only allows 61 ppg. Expect the Eagles to drain the shot clock with each possession to shorten the game and keep the scoring in the 50s/60s.

2) Garrison Carr - From what I can tell, the Eagles will go as far as Carr takes them. He averages 18.1 ppg and shoots a high percentage from behind the arc (while taking twice as many as any other teammate). The All-Patriot League 1st teamer will need a big game against the Vols for American to have a chance for the upset.

3) Derrick Mercer - Mercer was 2nd team All-Patriot League, averaging 12.5 points and 4 assists per game. He rarely comes out of the game (averaging 37.8 minutes/game) while leading the team in assists and steals.

4) Brian Gilmore - Off the bench, Gilmore gives the Eagles instant offense as their 3rd leading scorer. The Eagles will need some bench production against the deep Vols, so look for Gilmore to be the key off the pine.

The best victory of the year for American was at Maryland (a team that later won at UNC, but also earned only an NIT bid this year). The keys to that win were Mercer, who led the team in scoring and played all 40 minutes, and Bryce Simon who put in 17 points. The Eagles shot a high percentage for the game from 3-point land and the charity stripe. They out-rebounded Maryland while only turning the ball over 12 times. If the Vols cannot turn the Eagles over, the game will likely be played in the 60s - an advantage for the underdogs.

There is little chance the Vols will lay an egg large enough to allow American to stay in the game, but after narrowly escaping Winthrop two years ago there is no reason for over-confidence. Coach Jones will have American ready to compete; whether they have enough depth and firepower for 40 minutes is the question.