ForumsLess than 48 hours after a 69-56 dismantling of the Auburn Tigers Thursday night, Tennessee hits the hardwood again on Saturday. Looking to win its sixth consecutive SEC game under acting head coach Tony Jones, the Vols face SEC Western Division leader, Alabama.
Make no mistake, this contest meets the definition of “big game” for Tennessee.
Alabama leads the all-time series 72-65, one of just two Southeastern Conference schools to hold an advantage over the Vols. In addition, the Crimson Tide come to Knoxville sporting a league-best 6-1 conference record.
After an inauspicious start to the conference season with consecutive losses to Arkansas and Florida, the Vols bounced back with five straight victories. A win Saturday, and Tony Jones hands the reigns back to Bruce Pearl with a respectable 6-2 league mark. A loss means a more mediocre 5-3 record, which would include two home losses.
Both teams will look to establish an advantage inside. Led by recently-rejuvenated Brian Williams, who is shooting a league-leading 64% from the floor in SEC play, Tennessee has outscored 20 of its 22 opponents. Meanwhile, Alabama has yet to be outscored in the paint this season.
“Very good basketball team; probably playing as good as any team in the SEC,” Tony Jones said of Alabama. “Anthony Grant is doing a great job. They’ve got a great player in JaMychal Green.”
“They are second in the nation in field goal percentage defense, so we’ve got to do a good job scoring the basketball. We’ve got to stop them on the interior, but it’s going to be a formidable task.”
It’s a task the Vols will attempt to conquer without their leading scorer. Scotty Hopson reportedly took some shots with the team on Friday, but will not play against Alabama today, according to Bruce Pearl.
These two teams last met in January of 2010. Wayne Chism exploded to score 11 of Tennessee’s final 14 points in a 63-56 Tennessee victory in Tuscaloosa.
Fox Sports South will provide regional television coverage. Dave Neal will call the game, while Larry Conley will provide analysis.
Probable Starters:
| Pos | No | Name | Ht | Wt | Cl | Hometown | PPG | RPG | APG |
| G | 2 | Melvin Goins | 5-11 | 180 | Sr. | San Diego, Calif. | 8.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| G | 24 | Josh Bone | 6-3 | 197 | Sr. | Nashville, Tenn. | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| G | 23 | Cameron Tatum | 6-6 | 192 | Jr. | Lithonia, Ga. | 10.3 | 3.6 | 2.1 |
| F | 12 | Tobias Harris | 6-8 | 226 | Fr. | Dix Hills, N.Y. | 14.6 | 7.6 | 1.6 |
| C | 25 | John Fields | 6-9 | 222 | Sr. | Fayetteville, N.C. | 3.6 | 3.8 | 0.2 |
| Pos | No | Name | Ht | Wt | Cl | Hometown | PPG | RPG | APG |
| G | 12 | Trevor Releford | 6-1 | 180 | Fr. | Kansas City, Mo. | 9.8 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
| G | 24 | Charvez Davis | 6-3 | 186 | Sr. | Montgomery, Ala. | 9.5 | 2.2 | 1.0 |
| F | 5 | Tony Mitchell | 6-6 | 210 | So. | Swainsboro, Ga. | 14.9 | 7.6 | 1.3 |
| F | 1 | JaMychal Green | 6-8 | 228 | Jr. | Montgomery, Ala. | 15.7 | 7.7 | 1.7 |
| F | 44 | Chris Hines | 6-8 | 227 | Sr. | Evergreen, Ala. | 5.1 | 6.5 | 1.5 |
{ 1 comment }
HaHa – Tony Jones sounds just like Cleveland on the Cleveland Show.
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