GREENSBORO, N.C. — You can’t say Winthrop men’s basketball coach Gregg Marshall had only a few days to prepare for today’s NCAA tournament game. He began preparing for it a year ago in Arizona.

The Eagles had just lost a first-round NCAA tournament game to Gonzaga when Marshall began laying the foundation for the school’s next postseason venture.

"We talked about that in the locker room," he said. "About making a commitment, doing the things conditioning-wise to get back here. So if we’re fortunate enough to get back here, we’ll have a great shot at advancing in the tournament."

Winthrop qualified for this year’s tournament by beating Coastal Carolina 51-50 for the Big South Conference tournament championship. Its reward was a No. 15 seed and a first-round match against second-seeded Tennessee.

The Coastal Carolina game got Winthrop to the tournament, but other games have improved its chances of advancing. The Eagles upset Marquette at Marquette, lost close games at Auburn and Alabama, and played No. 1-seed Memphis to 10-point game in Memphis.

"It worked out in a lot of ways to play that type of schedule," Marshall said. "For financial reasons, for RPI reasons and lastly, it gives guys confidence that we can play with those teams. There’s no doubt in our minds that we can play with the best teams in the country if we play well."

Translation: Winthrop is the most confident No. 15 team in the tournament. And that’s not just because the Eagles upgraded their non-conference schedule.

The biggest mystery of the tournament is UT’s No. 2 seeding. Sure, the Vols played a demanding non-conference schedule, had a huge victory over Texas and won the SEC East. But they also lost four of their last six games and didn’t win either the conference regular-season or tournament championships.

UT relies on hustle, full-court pressure and 3-point shooting. It doesn’t intimidate teams — not even 15th seeds — with its talent or size.

No wonder, Winthrop senior forward James Shuler says, "We match up well with Tennessee."

Seeding aside, UT vs. Winthrop looks more one-sided on the way to the game than in the game itself.

The Vols fly charter. The Eagles rarely fly at all.

"We’re in a bus league," Marshall said. "Being the geographic center of the Big South is an advantage. Sometimes, we go the day of the game and drive back that night.

"I don’t put a whole lot of stock in going at 2 o’clock the day before the game when you’ve only got to travel two hours to Asheville."

The bus rides go far beyond Asheville. The Eagles bused to Alabama, too, and returned about 5 in the morning.

Marshall’s wife, Lynn, who is a former college basketball player, sometimes goes along for the ride. So do the Marshalls’ 8-year-old son Kellen, and 5-year-old daughter, Maggie. Last year, Lynn home-schooled her children to enhance their travel opportunities.

But once the Marshalls and Eagles get off the bus, it’s hard to characterize this first-round matchup as a mom-and-pop operation vs. a major basketball corporation.

This is the Vols’ sixth NCAA tournament in 23 years. It’s Winthrop’s sixth in eight years.

Apparently, Winthrop hasn’t lasted long enough in the tournament to get the attention of UT center Major Wingate.

"I’d never heard of Winthrop," Wingate said Wednesday.

To put that in perspective: Winthrop is located in Rock Hill, S.C., 100 miles from Florence, S.C., where Wingate grew up.

Winthrop might not be a household word in Wingate’s house, but it’s a big deal in the Big South. The Eagles have won six conference tournaments and five regular-season titles in eight years.

Winning big in a small league hasn’t lost its appeal to Marshall, who has been mentioned as a candidate for bigger jobs and even interviewed for the UT vacancy in 2001.

Two weeks ago, he sprinted down the court to shake hands with Coastal Carolina coach Buzz Peterson after winning the Big South tournament.

"I was excited," Marshall said. "It hasn’t gotten old for me or our players.

"What’s gotten old is one-and-done (in the NCAA tournament). We need to try and advance."

The Eagles get their chance this afternoon at Greensboro Coliseum.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.