Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Divisional Round
The LSU Tigers (12-6, 1-5 SEC) will host the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers (15-3, 5-1 SEC) at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA for an SEC battle. The Volunteers are coming off a dominant victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs while the Tigers have struggled, losing their last five matchups.
The Tennessee Volunteers enter this matchup ranked third in the SEC with a 15-3 overall record and a 5-1 conference record. They are seeking their second consecutive win and have won four of their last five contests. In their last game, the Vols earned a 70-59 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs where Zakai Zeigler had a big 24-point outing where he also earned six rebounds and three steals. Tennessee shot 45.1% from the field, 41.7% from beyond the arc, and 93.3% from free throw range. In addition, they combined for 39 rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, and nine blocks while turning the ball over 17 times. On defense, they allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 33.3% from the floor and 26.9% from deep.
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— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) January 19, 2023
This season, Tennessee's scoring offense is ranked 135th, averaging 74.1 points per game while shooting 44.3% from the field, 73.5% from the line, and 34% from deep. The Vols are also averaging 39.9 rebounds, 17.6 assists, 9.7 steals, and 4.4 blocks while turning the ball over 13.8 times per game. They are yielding an assist/turnover ratio of 1.27 (53rd). Defensively, they are surrendering 54.3 points per game (2nd) while allowing their opponents to shoot 33.5% from the field (1st). Santiago Vescovi is the scoring leader, averaging 12.9 points per game while contributing 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Julian Philips leads on the boards, averaging 5.6 rebounds per game while earning 10.3 points and 1.6 assists. Oliver Nkamhoua is the second most prolific shooter, averaging 10.8 points per game while shooting 58.6% from the field.