The Official #8 Tennessee vs. USC Upstate Game Thread, 5:00 PM ET, SEC Network

#1
YankeeVol

YankeeVol

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#1
#8 Tennessee Volunteers: 5-0 (0-0 SEC)

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vs.

South Carolina Upsate Spartans: 0-7 (0-2 Big South)

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GAME 6 | TENNESSEE vs. USC UPSTATE - Dec. 23, 2020 | 5:01 p.m. ET | Thompson-Boling Arena (4,191)

Line: UT -32.5
O/U: 143

TV: SEC Network / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen
Satellite Radio: XM: TBA / Internet: TBA
Online: WatchESPN app

USC Upsate Game Notes

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#2
#2
THE SERIES

• Tennessee won its only previous meeting with USC Upstate, beating the Spartans 74-65 in Knoxville on Nov. 16, 2013.
• The Volunteers are a perfect 25-0 all-time against current members of the Big South Conference.
• Vols head coach Rick Barnes also has an unblemished career record against current Big South teams (21-0).
• Barnes and USC Upstate coach Dave Dickerson are both members of the Gary Williams coaching tree. Barnes was an assistant under Williams at Ohio State during the 1986-87 season. Dickerson was on Williams' Maryland staff from 1996-2005. The Terrapins won the National Championship in 2002.
 
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#4
#4
LAYUP LINES

• Tennessee has won 78 percent of its games as a ranked team during the Rick Barnes era (60-17).
• Wednesday completes a nine-day span during which the Vols played four games.
• Seniors John Fulkerson and Yves Pons were both named to the Wooden Award preseason top-50 watch list. Pons also earned a spot on the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy College Player of the Year.
• Tennessee's starting lineup this season has featured five left-handers. A survey of all Division I SIDs yielded no other teams that have started five southpaws this season.
• Undefeated Tennessee has been extremely balanced offensively this season. Only once thus far has a Vol scored more than 20 points, as reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Jaden Springer had 21 off the bench in the Dec. 18 win over Tennessee Tech.
 
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#5
#5
DEFENSE WINS

• Tennessee leads the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing just 51.2 points per game.
• According to KenPom, the Vols rank third nationally and first in the SEC in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing only 86.4 points per 100 possessions so far this season. College teams average close to 70 possessions per game.
• The Vols are forcing 18.2 turnovers per game while converting those turnovers into 20.2 points per game. Tennessee's turnover margin stands at +8.4 (seventh nationally).
• Reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons has 78 blocks in his last 36 games.
• Making three straight field goals against this Tennessee team has been a mighty task so far this season. No UT opponent has strung together more than five consecutive makes. See Page 3
 
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#6
#6
ABOUT USC UPSTATE

• Last season, USC Upstate was a youth-filled team featuring seven sophomores and seven freshmen. This season, second-year head coach Dave Dickerson returns all five starters from last year's squad with things looking up for the future of the program.
• Through seven games, the Spartans still have yet to claim a win, holding an 0-7 overall record and an 0-2 mark in the Big South heading into Wednesday's matchup with the Vols.
• Despite an 0-7 start to the year, sophomore Tommy Bruner has seen an impressive opening to his second year in Spartanburg. Through six games played, he's averaging 14.5 points and an eye-popping 5.2 assists per contest, while also being a thorn on the defensive end with 1.7 steals per night.
• Classmate Khydarius Smith has played himself into a starting role. Through seven games, the Fort Mill, South Carolina, native is averaging 6.6 points per game and leads the team in both rebounds (4.7 rpg) and blocks (1.6 bpg). He rejected a career-high four shot attempts in the Spartans' contest with Georgia Southern earlier this month.
• Upstate has also seen consistent production from one of the team's seasoned veterans, junior Bryson Mozone. Mozone ranks second on the team in scoring (12.9 ppg), third in rebounding (3.9 rpg) and fourth in both assists (0.9 apg) and steals (0.6 spg).
• USC Upstate is a publicly funded university in the University of South Carolina system, founded in 1967. The school was originally founded as the University of South Carolina Spartanburg, before changing its name to USC Upstate in 2004.
 
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#15
#15
Actually, I think it’s going to be more something like 83 - 57. Having posted back to back 100 point games in a row, and being this close to Christmas after playing a game just two days ago, I think Barnes will want the guys to have a solid effort, but not destroy themselves just trying to obliterate the opponent
 
#16
#16
But if the buckets fall and they get another 100 point game, more power to them. :) I think we’re going to be taking this game as an opportunity to fine-tune things and sharpen up on the offense.
 
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#17
#17
supersmo18 said:
Actually, I think it’s going to be more something like 83 - 57. Having posted back to back 100 point games in a row, and being this close to Christmas after playing a game just two days ago, I think Barnes will want the guys to have a solid effort, but not destroy themselves just trying to obliterate the opponent
Click to expand...
Upstate has given up 107 and 95 to Winthrop (they played each other twice already) 95 to Eastern Kentucky and 91 to Furman. I’m not sure we will be able to avoid scoring less than 100.
 
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#18
#18
supersmo18 said:
Actually, I think it’s going to be more something like 83 - 57. Having posted back to back 100 point games in a row, and being this close to Christmas after playing a game just two days ago, I think Barnes will want the guys to have a solid effort, but not destroy themselves just trying to obliterate the opponent
Click to expand...
Yeah i mean they didn’t “try” that hard to get to 100 the other night. 100 in this game is pretty doable
 
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#19
#19
creekerballer said:
Upstate has given up 107 and 95 to Winthrop (they played each other twice already) 95 to Eastern Kentucky and 91 to Furman. I’m not sure we will be able to avoid scoring less than 100.
Click to expand...
I love this. "Sorry, we tried to not drop a Benjamin on ya, but ya know, because skillz... we couldn't help it. Merry Christmas."
 
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#23
#23
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#25
#25
VolArmy74 said:
I hate that we are stuck playing all these winless teams. But it is what it is this year. I think if we take care of business in the SEC we should still be a top 2 seed, especially if we can by some absolute miracle actually win the SECT.
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I hate it because it's not much of a challenge for our guys. That and hearing people say,"They haven't played anybody.".
 
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