The Official #8 Tennessee vs. Mississippi State Game Thread, 7:00 PM ET, ESPNU

#1
YankeeVol

YankeeVol

Bestest Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
141,436
Likes
70,726
#1
#8 Tennessee Volunteers: 11-2 (1-0 SEC)
FlGhi5HaUAAs7Oe


vs.

Mississippi State Bulldogs: 11-2 (0-1 SEC)
20221228_MB_vs_Alabama_Gallery_0034.jpg



GAME 14 | TENNESSEE vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE - Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 | 7:01 p.m. ET | Knoxville, Tenn. | Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678)

Line: UT -9.5
O/U: 122.5

TV: ESPNU / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen / Live Stats
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM: 84 / Internet: 84
Online: WatchESPN.com

Miss St Game Notes

FlfNbQhXgAAFH98
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax, I4Vols, Volfan1000 and 4 others
#2
#2
THE SERIES

• Tennessee leads its all-time series with Mississippi State, 88-44, dating to 1924.
• When the series is contested in Knoxville, the Vols own a 47-11 advantage.
• Tennessee has won seven of the last eight meetings overall, including three straight at home.
• The Vols beat the Bulldogs twice last season, logging wins in Starkville and Tampa.
• During the Barnes era, UT is 16-5 against the state of Mississippi's SEC teams.
• During Chris Jans' tenure as an assistant coach at Wichita State, the Shockers faced the Vols twice, with each team winning on its home floor. Wichita State advanced to the 2013 Final Four after losing in Knoxville on Dec. 13, 2012. And after the Vols fell at Wichita on Dec. 14, 2013, the Shockers went on to earn a No. 1 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, which they entered undefeated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StarRaider, Volfan1000, JoAllan and 3 others
#3
#3
SCOUTING REPORT
• Tennessee ranks among the top 10 nationally in seven different stat categories—and top-five in six of those categories.
• Tennessee ranks second in the nation in offensive rebounding, pulling down 14.8 per game.
• The Volunteers have won 10 straight SEC home games and 23 consecutive home games overall.
• Only three Division I freshmen have attempted more free throws than Julian Phillips (70), but he did not get to the line at Ole Miss.
• Jahmai Mashack ranks sixth in the country in steal percentage (5.83). He is one of three Vols with at least 25 steals.
• UT's bench is giving the Vols 24.7 points per game despite the squad being regularly shorthanded.
• The Associated Press issued 19 top-25 polls during the 2022 calendar year, and Tennessee appeared in each of them.
• During the Rick Barnes era (2015-present), Tennessee has now made 32 appearances in the top 10 of the AP Top 25.
• UT ranks fifth nationally in average home attendance (16,793).
 
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax, I4Vols, Volfan1000 and 4 others
#4
#4
THE NATION'S BEST DEFENSE

• For the sixth straight week, the Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country per KenPom, allowing only 80.7 points per 100 possessions.
• Tennessee owns the best 3-point defense in Division I (.212) as well as the best overall field-goal percentage defense (.332).
• In 13 games, Tennessee's opponents have only managed to make 62 3-pointers—4.5 per game. Three Vols have combined to make 72.
• Eight times this season, the Vols have held their opponents to 50 points or less. Tennessee has now done that 28 times during the Barnes era (2015-present).
• Only two opposing players have scored 20 or more points against the Vols this season.
• Tennessee trailed at the break only once this season and is outscoring its opponents 35.1 ppg to 24.2 ppg (+10.9 ppg) in first-half action.
 
  • Like
Reactions: feathersax, I4Vols, Volfan1000 and 4 others
#6
#6
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE

• Mississippi State (11-2, 0-1 SEC) has dropped two straight games after starting the season 11-0 and ascending to as high as No. 15 in the AP Poll.
• In their final game before the start of SEC play, the Bulldogs fell to Drake at a neutral site, 58-52, then were defeated by No. 8 Alabama in their SEC opener on Wednesday, 78-67.
• Currently slotted at No. 37 in the NET rankings, Mississippi State's non-conference slate was highlighted by neutral-site wins over Marquette and Utah and a victory at Minnesota.
• Head coach Chris Jans is in his first season at the helm of the Mississippi State program after five seasons as the head coach at New Mexico State, where he guided the Aggies to a .792 winning percentage and three NCAA Tournament appearances while being a three-time WAC Coach of the Year.
• Redshirt junior forward Tolu Smith, a preseason first-team All-SEC selection, has been a force this season for the Bulldogs—averaging team-high totals of 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
• Smith's 59.3 field-goal percentage ranks second in the SEC, while he is also elite at getting to the free-throw line—ranking sixth in the nation and first in the SEC in free-throw attempts this season (96).
• Just behind Smith statistically for the Bulldogs is senior forward D.J. Jeffries, who averages 9.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Jeffries is coming off an 11-point, 15-rebound effort against Alabama. He averaged 12.5 ppg in Mississippi State's two games against Tennessee last season.
• Tennessee Director of Video and Analytics Luke Schapker served as a manager at Bowling Green during Jans' lone season as BGSU's head coach in 2014-15.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000, IndianaVol13 and hooter vol
#9
#9
Sometimes these D vs D contests seem to clear a shooter's head, and someone shoots lights-out for at least a half. Hope it's one of ours, and that it happens in the first half.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lankykong and Plecoptera
#14
#14
Miss State’s first 6 or 7 are juniors and seniors. Could sure use JJJ to match up with 6-7, 215 DJ Jeffries. 6-10, 245 Tolu Smith is their best player.

Aidoo and maybe Phillips might have to be ready to defend those 2.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jax_Vol and Volfan1000
#15
#15
Interesting game 1 and 2 in the conference in points given up, but if you look at schedule there is a big difference in who we've played and held in check and who they've played.

Their SOS has them at 219th, ours has us at 50th. They have played only one true road game so far at Minnesota. We've played two, at Arizona and at Mississippi. They've played just 1 ranked team (Bama) and lost. We've played 3 already and are 2-1.

I think we win this one we have the better offense and the more battle tested team plus it's the first game at TBA in SEC play.
 
#16
#16
MoCo_Vol said:
Interesting game 1 and 2 in the conference in points given up, but if you look at schedule there is a big difference in who we've played and held in check and who they've played.

Their SOS has them at 219th, ours has us at 50th. They have played only one true road game so far at Minnesota. We've played two, at Arizona and at Mississippi. They've played just 1 ranked team (Bama) and lost. We've played 3 already and are 2-1.

I think we win this one we have the better offense and the more battle tested team plus it's the first game at TBA in SEC play.
Click to expand...

I figured out SOS would be a little better than that. Interesting.
 
#17
#17
omghulkhands said:
I figured out SOS would be a little better than that. Interesting.
Click to expand...
With it mainly being OOC only games you’ve got a bunch of LM/MM with high SOS’s because of the way they schedule OOC (multiple road games against P5 teams) plus neutral tourney site games. We also played one of the lower ranked SEC teams to open the slate as well, by seasons end our SOS will be Top 25 and likely higher.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lankykong, omghulkhands, MoCo_Vol and 1 other person
#18
#18
omghulkhands said:
I figured out SOS would be a little better than that. Interesting.
Click to expand...

We've played 5 sub 225 ranked teams on KenPom. But, we still have to play the current 6, 9, 10, 14 (x2), 18 (x2), 33, 39 (x2), and 47. So, the schedule will move up in difficulty.
 
#19
#19
omghulkhands said:
I figured out SOS would be a little better than that. Interesting.
Click to expand...

Well teams like TTU, McNeese State, Alcorn State, Eastern Kentucky, and Austin Peay drag it down. But to be that high without having gone through SEC play is pretty good.

Like bTo said, should be top 25 once we're done. South Carolina is the only team projected on the schedule that is a "bad" team for our SOS.
 
#20
#20
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Miss State’s first 6 or 7 are juniors and seniors. Could sure use JJJ to match up with 6-7, 215 DJ Jeffries. 6-10, 245 Tolu Smith is their best player.

Aidoo and maybe Phillips might have to be ready to defend those 2.
Click to expand...


Tennessee needs to win the turnover and rebounding battles in this game and I predict a 65-59 type outcome for the good guys.
 
#21
#21
Volfan1000 said:
Tennessee needs to win the turnover and rebounding battles in this game and I predict a 65-59 type outcome for the good guys.
Click to expand...

Need to play smart. There won’t be many possessions and this isn’t the matchup to throw away easy points for highlight reel plays. Just put it in the hole and go play defense (TWSS). Keep them off of the free throw line.

O/U is 121
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000
#22
#22
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Miss State’s first 6 or 7 are juniors and seniors. Could sure use JJJ to match up with 6-7, 215 DJ Jeffries. 6-10, 245 Tolu Smith is their best player.

Aidoo and maybe Phillips might have to be ready to defend those 2.
Click to expand...

Any recent news on JJJ?

Wish he was healthy, but starting to think that he may be headed for a medical hardship waiver this year.
 
#24
#24
Jax_Vol said:
Any recent news on JJJ?

Wish he was healthy, but starting to think that he may be headed for a medical hardship waiver this year.
Click to expand...

Barnes made comments that JJJ might play some tonight. He’s been practicing for a few days.

JJJ doesn’t need a medical year. He still has a COVID year available. If he were to take a medical year AND a COVID year in 2024-25 he can’t play in the second 50% of 2022-2023. He still has a couple of weeks before hitting that threshold. I can’t see him sticking around for 2 more seasons after the current one though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top