The Official Tennessee vs. Ole Miss Game Thread, 9:00 PM ET, SEC Network

[YankeeVol]

Tennessee Volunteers: 11-6 (3-2 SEC)

vs.

Ole Miss Rebels: 9-8 (0-4 SEC)

GAME 18 | TENNESSEE vs. OLE MISS - Jan. 21, 2020 | 9:01 p.m. ET | Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678)

Line: UT: -7.5
O/U: 127

TV: SEC Network / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen
Satellite Radio: Sirrius: --- / XM: 374
Online: ESPN App

Ole Miss Game Notes

 

[YankeeVol]

THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Ole Miss, 74-44, dating to 1924.
• The Volunteers own a 42-12 edge when the series is played in Knoxville.
• Tennessee is riding a four-game win streak in the series, including each of the last two meetings at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• This is the only time these teams are slated to meet during the regular season.

 

[YankeeVol]

A WIN WOULD...
• Be Rick Barnes' 100th victory as Tennessee's head coach.
• Extend UT's win streak over Ole Miss to five games.
• Give the Vols nine consecutive wins over teams from the state of Mississippi.

 

[YankeeVol]

STORYLINES
• Tennessee's staff will sport Nike footwear Tuesday as part of the NABC's Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Week.
• The Vols are 16-5 all-time in Suits & Sneakers games, including a 10-2 mark at home.
• Tennessee made history Saturday at Vanderbilt when it held the Commodores without a 3-pointer for the first time since the 3-point line was introduced 34 years ago (snapping a streak of 1,080 games with at least one make).
• After being inactive for the first 15 games of the season, redshirt freshman forward Uroš Plavšic was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA on Jan. 14. He is averaging 4.5 points in 13.5 minutes off the bench in his first two college games.

 

[YankeeVol]

LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee leads the SEC in both scoring defense (59.6 ppg, 11th nationally) and field-goal percentage defense (.382, 21st nationally).
• Tennessee ranks seventh among Division I teams in assist percentage, having assisted on 64.6 percent of its field goals this season.
• Junior forward Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season and ranks second in the SEC and 20th nationally with 2.6 bpg.
• Pons leads all SEC players with 3.4 bpg during league play.
• Junior John Fulkerson is shooting a team-best .649 from the field while averaging a career-best 11.1 points per game this season.
• Fifth-year senior and preseason All-SEC guard Lamonté Turner announced on Dec. 21 that he will no longer suit up for the Vols due to thoracic outlet syndrome. The Vols are 3-3 without him.
• The Vols could potentially play a lineup that features five different nationalities: American, Finnish, French, Serbian, Uruguayan

 

[YankeeVol]

ABOUT OLE MISS
• Ole Miss is currently in the midst of a five-game losing skid. Their last time out, the Rebels fell in a four-point nail biter to SEC leader LSU, 80-76, Saturday night in Oxford.
• Ole Miss currently sits at 9-8 overall, but the Rebels have competed with nearly every opponent they've played this season, with five of their eight defeats coming by 10 points or fewer.
• Under second-year head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels look to steady the course and make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. In his first season at the helm, Davis took a squad who had won just 12 games in 2017-18 to an eight-win improvement, a fifth-place finish in the SEC and a trip to the Big Dance.
• The bright spot for Ole Miss has come from preseason first-team All-SEC selection Breein Tyree. Tyree is the Rebels' leading scorer and has averaged an eye-popping 29.7 ppg in his three appearances for Ole Miss in SEC play, which leads the SEC during conference action. Against LSU, he poured in a career-high 36 points to lead all scorers.
• Sophomore forward KJ Buffen has also been a big contributor for the Rebels, ranking third on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg), first in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and blocks (0.8 bpg) and second in steals (1.5 spg) while starting all 17 contests.
• Notable Ole Miss alumni include James Meredith, the university's first African American student. Meredith, following the inaugural address of then-president John F. Kennedy, chose to exercise his constitutional right to an equal education. He is most noted for his work during the civil rights movement, with his planned solo march known as the March Against Fear, and his work with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

 

[DowntownVol]

A must-win game if UT has any postseason aspirations whatsoever.

 

[Caculator]

9:00? Are we on a west coast swing?

 

[Ernest T. Vol]

9:00? Are we on a west coast swing?

Cats and Dogs are on at 7 pm as the warm up game. Vols are prime time.

 

[RollerVol]

thanks YV....probably be a close game...Ole Miss can play tough, but another winnable game we need badly...

GO BIG ORANGE!

 

[livefaith]

A must-win game if UT has any postseason aspirations whatsoever.

Ahhhh, it's January 21, and the "Must Wins" have already begun.

 

[calban]

Some more Deja vu
In our 16 win season we were 2-3 in the SEC and headed to Ole Miss where we lost.

Game ahead (2 overall) an got um at our place. DO IT!

 

[ScottyP5]

HUGE opportunity for another step towards March! C’mon Vols! Let’s get this dubbbb

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Ahhhh, it's January 21, and the "Must Wins" have already begun.

It will be a struggle to stay over .500. This is a needed win.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

It not only gonna be late getting home, it gonna be cold as ****.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Bowden is lighting it up tonight.

 

[JohnWardForever]

Bowden is lighting it up tonight.

Hope so, but this ain't Vandy. Kermit can coach.

 

[Tennesseefan2019]

The BasketVols will win 69-59 over Ole Miss

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Hope so, but this ain't Vandy. Kermit can coach.

Kermit aint playing defense tonight. Hope this ages well.

 

[Tennesseefan2019]

Hope so, but this ain't Vandy. Kermit can coach.

 

[Ace]

Go Vols!!!!!

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Ahhhh, it's January 21, and the "Must Wins" have already begun.

It is not an over-reaction to say that this is a must-win game. It without a doubt is exactly that. Our SEC schedule is extremely backloaded. If you lose this game, then go to Allen Field House and (more than likely) lose, you're looking at 11-8 with two games left against Kentucky, two against Arkansas, two against Auburn, and Florida. I don't like our chances the rest of the season if you can't beat a 9-8 team on a 5-game losing streak at TBA. Protect home court.

 

[CAVPUT]

The BasketVols will win 69-59 over Ole Miss

Can we get 60+?

 

[livefaith]

It is not an over-reaction to say that this is a must-win game. It without a doubt is exactly that. Our SEC schedule is extremely backloaded. If you lose this game, then go to Allen Field House and (more than likely) lose, you're looking at 11-8 with two games left against Kentucky, two against Arkansas, two against Auburn, and Florida. I don't like our chances the rest of the season if you can't beat a 9-8 team on a 5-game losing streak at TBA. Protect home court.

The definition of MUST is not that same as CHANCES. MUST is a literal playoff style "lose and you're out" situation. This is not.

 

[livefaith]

It will be a struggle to stay over .500. This is a needed win.

Yes, winning this will make the path much easier. Lose and the mountain get's far taller.