COLUMBUS, Ohio --Tennessee had a fast start and a Wild finish in its first-round NCAA tournament game Friday afternoon at Nationwide Arena.

But you couldn't fully appreciate its 121-86 victory over Long Beach State until you saw the crowd of reporters and cameramen around Tanner Wild in the UT locker room.

UT fans shouldn't be ashamed to ask: Who's Tanner Wild?

Outdated answer: He's the 6foot sophomore walk-on guard from Huntington, W.Va., who has never scored a point in a college basketball game.

Updated answer: He's the 6-foot sophomore walk-on guard from Huntington, W.Va., who tied UT's team record for points in a single game with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

And you thought Chris Lofton was a clutch shooter?

Actually, Wild didn't know he was shooting for a record. He just wanted to show up in a box score.

"I had no clue there was any kind of record involved," he said. "I hadn't scored all year. I had to get my shot up."

It's only fair to point out that getting shots up against Long Beach State was ridiculously easy. Getting them to go down wasn't especially difficult, either.

Wild merely finished what his more experienced teammates started.

UT's first three baskets were 3s.

Don't underestimate the significance of those early baskets. For a program that has failed so miserably in post-season play, the shots help separate this team from most of its predecessors.

In nine of its last 11 NCAA tournament games, UT made fewer than 50 percent of its first-half shots. In four of those games, it made 33.3 percent or fewer of its first-half attempts.

The Vols made 58.3 percent of their first-half shots, including seven of 14 from 3point range, against the 49ers. They were off and running against a team that likes to run as much as they do but that doesn't do it nearly as effectively.

"I think it gave us comfort (to hit the early shots)," UT guard Jordan Howell said. "To come out hitting on all cylinders was important.

"Sometimes you can be jacked up but in the zone. We were pumped that we were in the tournament, but we were still relaxed."

Long Beach contributed to UT's comfort. The 49ers never took their foot off the accelerator even though UT clearly had a bigger, more efficient engine.

"Knowing we were playing against a team that plays like us is very comforting," Howell said. "You saw how we played against Butler when they played slow-down basketball (in a 56-44 UT loss last November)."

The only thing slow in UT's victory was defense. But the Vols picked up their defense to start the second half. The 49ers' defense only got worse.

Virginia is sure to offer more resistance in Sunday's second-round game. It held outmanned Albany to 37.9 percent shooting in an 84-57 victory.

The caliber of competition might increase, but the tempo shouldn't change drastically. Although the Cavaliers aren't as devoted to the fast break as the 49ers, they favor a quick pace.

Like the 49ers and Vols, Virginia is also guard-oriented. J.R. Reynolds scored 23 of his 28 points in the first half Friday, and fellow guard Sean Singletary had 23 points against Albany.

Virginia might challenge the Vols. But unless it abruptly changes gears, it shouldn't take them out of their comfort zone.

Said Howell: "We know we can beat anybody when we play our kind of basketball."