No. 6 Tennessee will be looking to sweep the season series when it travels to Vanderbilt on Wednesday night. The Vols have won five of their last six games, but they fell four spots in the polls following a loss at Florida last Wednesday. Vanderbilt was able to snap its three-game losing streak with a 74-71 win against Ole Miss on Saturday.
Tennessee has been one of the most consistent teams in college basketball this season, playing low-variance games due to its strong defense. The Vols went 14-2 in their first 16 games, winning their first four SEC games during that stretch. They suffered their first conference loss in a home game against Kentucky three weeks ago, but they responded with another four-game winning streak. That streak was capped by an impressive 82-71 win against then-No. 10 Texas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, but the Vols lost to Florida last Wednesday in their following game. They bounced back with an ugly 46-43 win over then-No. 25 Auburn on Saturday.
big @sza guy
MIC'D UP ??? @olivier_rn pic.twitter.com/nBQOury7Qt
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) February 7, 2023
The Vols have dominated this series in recent years, winning 11 straight meetings. They shot just 27% from the floor against Auburn, but they held the Tigers to an even lower clip (23.6). Josiah-Jordan James posted a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds in one of his best outings of the season, while Tennessee held an opponent to 50 points or fewer for the 11th time this season. The Vols continue to struggle on the offensive end, ranked No. 261 in 3-point percentage (32.3), No. 234 in effective field goal percentage (49.4) and No. 216 in turnover rate. They have been able to salvage some possessions with the nation’s third-best offensive rebounding percentage. Vanderbilt comes into this game at No. 184 in adjusted defensive efficiency, so this could be an opportunity for Tennessee to correct some offensive issues.
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