The Official #9 Tennessee @ LSU Game Thread, 4:00 PM ET, ESPN

[YankeeVol]

#9 Tennessee Volunteers: 15-3 (5-1 SEC)

@

Louisiana State Tigers: 12-6 (1-5 SEC)

GAME 19 | TENNESSEE at LSU - Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023 | 4:05 p.m. ET | Baton Rouge, La. | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215)


Line: UT -11
O/U: 131

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

LSU Game Notes

 

[YankeeVol]

THE SERIES

• Tennessee leads its all-time series with LSU, 66-50, dating to 1933.
• When the series is contested in Baton Rouge, the Tigers own a 28-26 advantage.
• The Vols have lost four straight at the PMAC, with their last victory in Baton Rouge coming in 2015. Thus, no active Vol has ever won in Baton Rouge.
• LSU has controlled this series in recent years, winning six of the last eight clashes overall.
• Each team won on its home court last season.
• First-year LSU head coach Matt McMahon is a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he starred on the hardwood at Oak Ridge High School under coach Chuck Carringer.
• McMahon was a graduate assistant on the Tennessee basketball staff under head coach Buzz Peterson in 2001-02.

 

[YankeeVol]

SCOUTING REPORT

• The Vols have held the No. 2 spot in the NCAA's NET ratings since Jan. 3.
• Tennessee ranks among the top 10 nationally in five different statistical categories.
• These Vols have won eight games by 30 or more points.
• During conference play, Tennessee leads the SEC in scoring defense (57.3 ppg), field-goal percentage (.496), free-throw percentage (.803), rebounding defense (28.7), assists (17.8) and assist/turnover ratio (1.30).
• The Vols have won five straight SEC true road games (and eight straight SEC games away from home; 2022 SEC Tournament).
• Tennessee leading scorer Santiago Vescovi missed Tuesday's game after reaggravating a left shoulder injury last Saturday vs. Kentucky.
• Zakai Zeigler is averaging a league-best 6.8 assists during SEC play.
• Starting forwards Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic have combined to shoot .667 in SEC play (46 of 69).
• Julian Phillips is one of only four freshmen in the SEC—and 16 across Division I—averaging at least 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
• UT's bench is giving the Vols 22.8 points per game.

 

[YankeeVol]

ABOUT LSU

• LSU (12-6, 1-5 SEC) has lost five straight games since winning its SEC opener over Arkansas on Dec. 28. Saturday's matchup with No. 9 Tennessee marks the Tigers' third straight game against a ranked opponent, as LSU fell at No. 4 Alabama last Saturday and at home to No. 16 Auburn on Wednesday.
• Currently ranked No. 106 in KenPom and No. 122 in the NET, LSU is 1-5 in Quadrant I games this season, but have only suffered one loss outside of Quadrant I—a home loss to Florida on Jan. 10.
• LSU is 9-2 at home this season. Tennessee has lost four straight games in Baton Rouge, last escaping with a victory in 2015.
• Matt McMahon is in his first season at LSU after seven successful seasons at Murray State. McMahon is a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee—located roughly 30 minutes from Knoxville. He served as a graduate assistant with Tennessee's team during the 2001-02 season.
• 2022 OVC Player of the Year KJ Williams followed McMahon from Murray State to LSU—one of three players to do so after the 2021-22 season. Williams is LSU's leader in scoring (17.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg) and has scored in double figures in all but two games.
• LSU Director of Player Development Ronrico White is a Knoxville native and the son of Vol great Tony White—the 1987 SEC Player of the Year and third-leading scorer in Tennessee history. Ronrico White starred locally at Bearden High School before playing four years as Chattanooga. He entered college coaching prior to the 2017-18 season and served on staffs at Emory & Henry College, Gardner-Webb and Murray State before starting at LSU prior to this season.

 

[Volfan1000]

ESPN broadcaster Courtney Lyle is a former Knoxville sportscaster at WATE.

 

[cardvolfan]

ESPN broadcaster Courtney Lyle is a former Knoxville sportscaster at WATE.

She is an excellent broadcaster.

 

[cwbytruckers]

I just hope we get to see The Santi Claus today. He is more important to this team than I realized.

 

[HighWaterVol]

Let’s have a big road win today!

 

[Vols till I fall]

Really doubt it, but does Barnes pull the RS off of Freddie Buckets due to Vescovi being out?

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Really doubt it, but does Barnes pull the RS off of Freddie Buckets due to Vescovi being out?

He’s not playing this year according to CRB.

 

[Vols till I fall]

Surprised some of these lsu guys have connections to Knoxville

I'm also surprised that we lead the series vs LSU

 

[CAVPUT]

Let’s have a big road win today!

Just hope the team has the "want it" in them today. Would be a bad and damaging loss if we lay another smelly egg vs LSU today.

 

[cardvolfan]

Surprised some of these lsu guys have connections to Knoxville

I'm also surprised that we lead the series vs LSU

We had a stranglehold for a number of years when Dale Brown coached. Then, he got some players finally, and started beating us. He had a finger problem, too.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I don’t care if it’s by 1 or 100. Just get out of there with a win. We never win in Baton Rouge.

 

[Vols till I fall]

I'll be really interested to see if that last game was just an offensive fluke for ZZ

Really hoping that's the ZZ we are going to see on a nightly basis

Uros is emerging too

 

[PEPPERJAX]

I don’t care if it’s by 1 or 100. Just get out of there with a win. We never win in Baton Rouge.

The last victory we had in BR was 2015 iirc. The quality of the teams LSU has had protecting their home court played a big factor in their success. If we play well, then we win. This LSU team is going to need a lot of help to pull off the upset. Meaning we will have to play like complete crap.

 

[walkenvol]

f

Just hope the team has the "want it" in them today. Would be a bad and damaging loss if we lay another smelly egg vs LSU today.

So if we play hard and get good shots but most of those shots don’t fall then we just “didn’t want it” enough?

 

[InVOLuntary]

So what is the status of:

Vescovi
Uros
Key

Also, does the new guy see the floor this season?

 

[Sea Ray]

I don’t care if it’s by 1 or 100. Just get out of there with a win. We never win in Baton Rouge.

For sure. I'm really surprised by the 11 pt spread

 

[tn4elvis]

For sure. I'm really surprised by the 11 pt spread

We are a much better team. They are challenged offensively and we defend really well. As long as the game isn’t 8 against 5 we should be fine.

 

[cwbytruckers]

So what is the status of:

Vescovi
Uros
Key

Also, does the new guy see the floor this season?

No the new guy is a redshirt and will on practice with the team and hit the weight room to be ahead of the game next season.

 

[Vols till I fall]

Freddie buckets will be the first all around scorer Tennessee has had in quite some time

 

[JRVOL11]

we rarely ever beat lsu, so i feel this one will definitely be a tough one to win

 

[cardvolfan]

we rarely ever beat lsu, so i feel this one will definitely be a tough one to win

I’ve seen 4-5 posters calling this an easy win, a no-doubter even. I just have to smile. Should we win? Yes. Will we win? Probably so. I wish I could give a definitive prediction, but I can’t.

 

[rdk4121]

So what is the status of:

Vescovi
Uros
Key

Also, does the new guy see the floor this season?

They said a little earlier in the week that Key and Uros should be good to go, Santi was more of a game time decision. Personally don't think he'll play in this one, but that's just a guess.