The Official Tennessee vs. UT Chattanooga Game Thread, 7:00 pm ET, SEC Network +

[YankeeVol]

Tennessee Volunteers: 0-0 (0-0 SEC)

vs.


Chattanooga Mocs: 0-0 (0-0 SoCon)

NOV. 11 » THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA » KNOXVILLE, TENN. » 7:01 P.M. ET


Line: UT -3
O/U: 149


TV: SEC Network+
Radio: Vol Network
Satellite Radio: Sirius: --, XM: --
Online: WatchESPN

 

[YankeeVol]

Overall: UT leads, 33-5

In Knoxville: UT leads, 22-2

In Chattanooga: UT leads, 11-3

Neutral Sites: No meetings

Current Streak: Tennessee has won four straight

Last Meeting: Tennessee won, 76-63, in Knoxville, 1/2/12

Barnes vs. UTC: No meetings

Barnes vs. McCall: No meetings

 

[YankeeVol]

Rick Barnes has led his teams to 14 consecutive wins in season-openers/home-openers.

UT's average attendance in home-openers at TBA is 16,823. Attendance for last year's home-opener vs. UNC Asheville was 11,564 (Nov. 13, 2015).

This is Tennessee's 30th season in Thompson-Boling Arena, where the Vols are 27-2 in lidlifters. That includes three opening wins vs. Chattanooga.

 

[YankeeVol]

Give Tennessee a two-game win streak in season-openers.

Give the Vols a 28-2 record in home-openers at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Extend UT's home-opening win streak to 25 games, dating to 1992.

Extend Tennessee's home winning streak against non-conference opponents to 18 games. That streak dates to December 2013.

 

[YankeeVol]

Chattanooga went 29-6 last season in its first year under head coach Matt McCall, who previously worked as an assistant coach on Billy Donovan's staff at Florida from 2011-15. During McCall's four-year tenure with the Gators, Florida was 4-4 against the Vols.

Last season, McCall was named the 2016 Southern Conference Coach of the Year after guiding UTC to a school-record wins total, the regular-season SoCon Championship (15-3), the SoCon Tournament title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The upstart Mocs recorded road wins at Georgia, Illinois and Dayton last season.

Last year's top-three scorers all return for Chattanooga and include senior forward Tre' McLean (12.1 ppg, .365 3FG), senior forward Justin Tuoyo (11.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.3 bpg) and senior guard Greg Pryor (9.8 ppg, 3.5 apg).

McLean was a first-team All-SoCon performer last year, while Tuoyo has been tabbed as the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons. Tuoyo averaged 2.3 blocks last year.

Chattanooga forward Casey Jones was tabbed as the preseason SoCon Player of the Year prior to last season, but he went down with a season-ending injury after averaging 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in the first eight games of the season.

The Mocs' roster features six players from the state of Tennessee, including sophomore guard Dylan Brewster, who is a graduate of Lenoir City High School.

 

[vols 30]

1st page

 

[YankeeVol]

Since the start of the 2005-06 season, the Vols have beaten every in-state Division I team. Those schools include Austin Peay (1-1), Belmont (3-0), Chattanooga (4-0), ETSU (6-0), Lipscomb (1-0), Memphis (4-5), Middle Tennessee (5-1), Tennessee Tech (3-0), Tennessee State (3-0), UT Martin (2-0) and Vanderbilt (15-9).

During that span, UT is 47-16 (.746) against in-state Division I teams.

 

[YankeeVol]

In terms of under and upperclassmen, this is the youngest Tennessee team in 20 years.

Kevin O'Neill's 1996-97 Vols had only three upperclassmen, just like this current UT squad.

 

[Dallasbowlin]

I had a gif here, but it just went away mysteriously. So,uhh, awkward.

 

[YankeeVol]

 

[SeniorDrill]

This is gonna be the biggest problem for our Vols that I see. "Chattanooga did not play fast; they averaged 67.6 possessions a game (UT was just under 71 a game) and most of that was attributable to defensive possession length – their opponent’s possessions went much deeper into the shot clock than the national average. Their pace of play is somewhat curious because the Mocs press. McCall is a Billy Donovan disciple and utilizes some of the same full court and half court press schemes that the Gators have used over the years. They are gonna try and put constant pressure on the Vols young ball handlers.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Wow, 30th year in the TBA. TN took the opening top for a break away dunk versus Marquette in the men's opener. It was a JUCO point guard... Clarence Swearenger maybe?

Seems like it was dunked at the end where TN's bench sits, which is weird. Maybe it was left to right on TV instead of left to right from the seats behind the benches.

 

[Dallasbowlin]

Just win this game. I don't care how, just win.

 

[tnvols72]

Chattanooga wins

 

[calban]

Tn 78
utc 75

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Vegas has UT by 4, not a total shocker, but thought it would be a closer line. Not really sure what to expect in this one, would think it's likely a close game either way.

 

[vols 30]

Vegas has UT by 4, not a total shocker, but thought it would be a closer line. Not really sure what to expect in this one, would think it's likely a close game either way.

Agree. The injured player for them could be a factor.

 

[Lefteye]

Lead off double by Yankee. Good one man thanks.

 

[IndianapolisVol]

Thanks Yank !


UT 234 UTC 37

 

[VolPack22]

Guys I'm from Chattanooga and this UTC team is coming off arguably its best season ever and they have a lot of confidence and aren't afraid of any team they play. They beat some really good teams last year and return essentially the same team. If we haven't taken a step in the right direction this will for sure be a loss. All I'm saying is if we lose this game out of the gate it will not be our worst loss of the season by far. There are going to be worse teams we will lose to. They will win the SoCon while we will finish in the bottom of the SEC. They are a very good and underrated team. I'll be rooting for us and hopefully we pull it out but based off what I saw last year, UTC should win this game.

 

[YankeeVol]

There's a reason the line is only 4 VolPack22...

 

[SeniorDrill]

Agree. The injured player for them could be a factor.

This team is deep. They lost a starter but they got back the pre-season SouCon Player of the Year last year who was on the Lou Henson Mid Major Player of the Year watch list before he was lost for the season in December of 2015.

 

[Stoked]

You know, SD can be a good poster when he doesn't beat his pro-Donnie/anti-Barnesy agenda to death.

Even if he'd be respectful to the VN members, he'd be tolerable when posting on those topics. Honestly, I was in Donnie's corner before all of the abusive SD/Buzz posts.

Why bring that nonsense into this post, especially when he said nothing about him. That's what derails trails.


Vols 75
UTC 71

 

[pdogg]

Makinde London getting eligible (hardship waiver) today would be huge for them and big difference in this game. I'm hearing there is a good chance he will. Should know something by 1pm either way.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Why bring that nonsense into this post, especially when he said nothing about him. That's what derails trails.


Vols 75
UTC 71

Positive reinforcement of the behavior.

TN 88
UTC 51