GAME THREAD: Arkansas @ Tennessee, Sunday, 2 pm EST, SECN+

#1
R

RetroVol

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#1
Here's the scouting report. Gemini won out again. I did try the others, ChatGPT and Grok were okay. Claude didn't pick up on the coaching change.

Opponent Overview: Arkansas Razorbacks
Date: Sunday, January 11, 2026
Record: 11-7 (0-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Kelsi Musick (1st Season)



The Big Story: A Total Rebuild
This is not the same Arkansas team from recent years. Mike Neighbors resigned in March 2025 following a disappointing 10-22 season. The program hired Kelsi Musick from Oral Roberts to lead a complete overhaul. Musick is known for high-octane offenses, but the transition to the SEC has been rocky so far. The roster has seen massive turnover, with last year's record-breaking scorer Izzy Higginbottom departing after her "lone season on The Hill," leaving a squad heavily reliant on transfers and freshmen.

Style of Play
  • "System" 2.0: Musick brings her "dribble-drive" philosophy from Oral Roberts. Expect them to try and push the pace, take quick shots, and spread the floor.
  • Offense First: They can score in bunches against mid-majors, but SEC size has bothered them. They struggle to defend the paint and rebound against bigger teams.
  • Defensive Liabilities: They are coming off a 93-58 loss to South Carolina and gave up 77 to Alabama. They allow high shooting percentages and can be punished inside.

Key Players to Watch
  • #10 Taleyah Jones (5-10, Sr., Guard): The engine of the offense. She followed Coach Musick from Oral Roberts, where she was the Summit League Newcomer of the Year. She is currently their leading scorer (~17.8 ppg) and a high-volume shooter who can get hot from deep.
  • #22 Bonnie Deas (5-9, Fr., Guard): An exciting Australian prospect who won a Silver Medal at the FIBA U-19 World Cup. She is already a top scoring option (~11 ppg) and plays with a lot of international flair and maturity for a freshman.
  • #34 Jenna Lawrence (6-3, Jr., Forward): One of the few players with some size. She is averaging double-figures (~11.4 ppg) and is critical for them on the boards, though she will be undersized against Tennessee's posts.
  • #11 Wyvette Mayberry (5-7, Sr., Guard): A transfer from Kansas (and Tulsa before that). Experienced guard who adds stability to a very new backcourt.

SEC Performance So Far
They are 0-3 in conference play.
  • L vs. Vanderbilt (71-88)
  • L at Alabama (48-77)
  • L vs. South Carolina (58-93)

Keys to the Game for Tennessee
  • Punish the Paint: Arkansas is significantly undersized. Their "big" is 6-3, and they lack depth behind her. We need to feed the post early and often to get them in foul trouble and generate high-percentage looks.
  • Dominate the Glass: In their loss to South Carolina, they were demolished on the boards. If we crash the offensive glass, we should get plenty of second-chance points.
  • Run them off the Line: Coach Musick's system relies on volume 3-point shooting to stay in games. We need disciplined close-outs on Jones and Deas. If we force them to drive into our help defense, they will struggle to finish.
  • Controlled Chaos: They want a track meet, and while we like to play fast too, we have the depth to sustain it better. If we can press them without fouling, their inexperienced guards will turn it over.
  • Odds/Predictions: While official lines for Sunday aren't posted yet, Tennessee will likely be a double-digit favorite at home. Analytics project a comfortable Tennessee win given Arkansas's defensive struggles (giving up 80+ pts in SEC play).

Social Media & Fan Buzz
The vibe among Arkansas fans is "patience," but frustrations are mounting with the lack of defense.
On the Rebuild: "This 2nd unit doesn't know what they're doing lol. The growing pains are real." — Reddit (r/NCAAW)
On their style vs. elite teams: "We are a chaos engine right now. Pace and volume threes are the only way we upset anyone." — YouTube Fan Channel
On Freshman Bonnie Deas: "She is the bright spot. She plays with so much confidence for a freshman. I just wish she had some help in the paint." — Arkansas Fan Forum
On the South Carolina Loss: "We hung around for a quarter, but the depth killed us. We just don't have the bodies to compete with SEC size for 40 minutes yet." — X (Twitter)
A common refrain: "Trust the system, but man, watching us get outrebounded by 20 every night hurts."
Click to expand...



Game Details
  • Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, TN)
  • Time: 2:00 PM ET
  • TV/Streaming: SECN+ (WatchESPN app)
 
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#10
#10
After reading the Key Players to Watch section, I ran it through all the AIs and each of them claimed not enough data to form an opinion on how well the Lady Vols match up against "international flair."

A small college homemade AI prototype named (maybe sponsored by) "Carls Junior" did offer that most of our roster have proven adept with Sharpies.



I'll see myself out...
 
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#20
#20
Hope to see us put it together on both ends against Arkansas.

The SEC scheduling Gods were in our favor and we’ve been fortunate to start with 4 games where we could get our feet under us in conference play. Have to take advantage and use it as an opportunity to get better.

Would really like to see us not allow any extended runs. A basket or two, sure, but the last couple games we’ve given up 10+ pt runs in short spurts. Against better teams that will have the game out of reach in no time flat. High time we see defense and offense meet in the middle and play a complete game on both ends of the floor.

A lot of it will start with our board play. We HAVE to put a body on someone and secure the defensive rebound.
 
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