The Official #6 Tennessee vs. Florida Game Thread, 5:00 PM ET, ESPN2

#1
YankeeVol

YankeeVol

To some, war is hell. To us, it’s sanctuary.
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#1
#6 Tennessee Volunteers: 12-4 (2-1 SEC)
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vs.

Florida Gators: 11-5 (1-2 SEC)
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GAME 17 | TENNESSEE vs. FLORIDA - Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 | 5 p.m. ET | Knoxville, Tenn. | Food City Center (21,678)


Line: UT -9.5
O/U: 159.5

TV: ESPN2 / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen / Live Stats
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM: 81
Online: WatchESPN.com

Florida Game Notes

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#2
#2
THE MATCHUP

• The Volunteers have won six straight home games against the Gators, a stretch that dates back to 1/6/16, over eight years ago.
• Tennessee is 7-2 in its last nine outings versus Florida after going 1-4 in the prior five matchups.
• This is the seventh time in the last 10 meetings, going back to 2/21/18, UT is ranked and Florida is not. The Gators were ranked and the Vols were not in nine of the prior 11, from 2/12/11 to 1/7/17.
• Ranked UT teams are 15-8 (.652) against unranked Florida. On the other hand, the Gators are 13-11 (.542) when ranked and UT is not.
• Florida came in at eighth in the SEC preseason poll after registering a 16-17 (9-9) record and playing in the NIT last year.
• Junior guard Walter Clayton Jr., is averaging 15.9 ppg to pace five Gators scoring in double figures.•
Florida's Todd Golden and Missouri's Dennis Gates, both of whom are in just their second season in the SEC, are the only two head coaches in the league whom Rick Barnes has not defeated.
 
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#3
#3
WONDERFUL WEEK

• Dalton Knecht notched 36 points, including 20 after halftime and 10 in the final 5:36, to help UT rally to victory at Georgia (1/13/24) after trailing by 11 with under 6:10 left.
• Knecht also tallied 28 points, including 26 after the break, at Mississippi State (1/10/24), as UT came back from a 15-point deficit to thrice tie the game.
• Across the two SEC road contests, Knecht averaged 32.0 ppg, including 23.0 ppg in the second half alone. His 64 points tied for the fourth-most in a two-game stretch by any SEC player over the last seven seasons (2018-24).
• Knecht became the second SEC player in the last four years with a two-game span in which he scored 28-plus both times and averaged at least 32.0 ppg, joining LSU's K.J. Williams (Feb. 2023).
• On the week, Knecht shot 22- of-38 (57.9%) from the field and 9-of-17 (52.8%) beyond the arc.
• Knecht became the first Vol with two straight 25-point games since Admiral Schofield in Dec. 2018 and first in SEC play since Kevin Punter Jr., in Jan. 2016.
 
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#4
#4
NEWS & NOTES

• Dalton Knecht, Purdue's Zach Edey, New Orleans' Jordan Johnson and McNeese State's Shahada Wells are the only four DI players with multiple 35-point games this season.
• Jonas Aidoo amassed 10 points, a career-best 15 rebounds and a co- career-high five blocks in the win at Georgia (1/13/24). He became the first Volunteer with 15-plus rebounds since Kyle Alexander (17) on 1/8/19 at Missouri and the first with seven-plus offensive rebounds since Yves Pons (eight) on 2/4/20 at Alabama. Aidoo is the only Volunteer in the last 15 seasons with a 10p/15r/5b game and is the first SEC player toachieve that line since Auburn's Walker Kesser in an overtime affair on 2/8/22 at Arkansas.
• The Volunteers are 0-3 on Wednesdays this season and 12-1 on all other days of the week, with the lone other setback coming against second-ranked Purdue on a Tuesday (11/21/23) in Honolulu.
• Tennessee has eight 20-point showings in its last eight games, with at least one in six of them.
 
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#5
#5
INAM: "IT'S NOT ABOUT ME"

• The Volunteers have posted 20-plus assists six times this season, including in five of the past eight contests. They have 25-plus twice this season, with a high of 27 against George Mason (12/5/23).
• Tennessee ranks No. 17 in the country this year, per KenPom, with a 61.9 percent assist rate.
• Last season, Tennessee placed second nationally, per KenPom, with a 66.2 percent assist rate. It also logged a 64.9 percent mark in SEC play.
 
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#6
#6
NATIONALLY KNOWN

• On 1/10/24, Dalton Knecht was named to both the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List and the Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List.
• Santiago Vescovi claimed Blue Ribbon Preseason Fourth Team All-America honors. He was one of four SEC players on the list, joining Mississippi State's Tolu Smith (Second), Texas A&M's Wade Taylor IV (Second) and Auburn's Johni Broome (Third).
• Vescovi, for the second straight year, also made both the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List and the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List.
 
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#9
#9
Gotta take care of business on the home court and can't be looking ahead to the matchup with Bama this weekend.

They do have a solid big in Samuel (6'10" 235lbs) who puts up 13.6 ppg, and 8.4 rpg and even if he sits Alex Condon (6'11" 230lbs) puts up solid numbers as well off the bench 8.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg. So we need Aidoo and Awaka to play good defense but stay out of foul trouble, I expect we'll see JP in this game some to help out.
 
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#17
#17
TheMookieMonster said:
Florida is a bit of a sneaky team. 40th in KenPom. Our 2nd toughest test so far behind MSU. Need to bring it tonight, especially since our crowd likely won’t be that big with the time change.
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The roads are so bad that the university closed today and just announced it’ll be closed tomorrow too.

And trust me as an alum, UT NEVER closes unless road conditions on campus are apocalyptic.

They should’ve just kept the game at the original time. Moving it into daylight hours isn’t going to make it any safer. None of the snow is going to melt even during the day with temps in the low 20s and overcast skies.
 
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#18
#18
TheMookieMonster said:
Florida is a bit of a sneaky team. 40th in KenPom. Our 2nd toughest test so far behind MSU. Need to bring it tonight, especially since our crowd likely won’t be that big with the time change.
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I think it will be close. They look fo score early and Tennessee couldn't resist North Carolina or Georgia's ability for quick shots. Tennessee needs to make this a halfcourt game on the defensive side.
 
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#20
#20
SGMVols said:
The roads are so bad that the university closed today and just announced it’ll be closed tomorrow too.

And trust me as an alum, UT NEVER closes unless road conditions on campus are apocalyptic.

They should’ve just kept the game at the original time. Moving it into daylight hours isn’t going to make it any safer. None of the snow is going to melt even during the day with temps in the low 20s and overcast skies.
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School is not open for normal. It is just the Winter Mini Session. Still I get your point that UT rarely cancels classes. I was a commuter student for a few years, and there were a couple of tough days to drive in.
 
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#22
#22
As a long time Tennessee and SEC follower, the Florida rivalry has always been an interesting one for me.

Florida and Tennessee have had a lot of individuals that have worked at both universities including Bob Woodruff and Don DeVoe and John Sines and Doug Dickey and Joe DiPietro.

Basketball is the only major sport that we have beaten Florida at with consistententcy as we beat Billy Donovan regularly under coaches like Martin and Pearl.

Alligator Alley was a terrific road venue for Tennessee to travel to and play in. I do not remember very many victories happening when we played there.

I was born in Winter Park, Florida and pull for the Gators to win every time except when they play Tennessee.
 
#24
#24
Volfan1000 said:
As a long time Tennessee and SEC follower, the Florida rivalry has always been an interesting one for me.

Florida and Tennessee have had a lot of individuals that have worked at both universities including Bob Woodruff and Don DeVoe and John Sines and Doug Dickey and Joe DiPietro.

Basketball is the only major sport that we have beaten Florida at with consistententcy as we beat Billy Donovan regularly under coaches like Martin and Pearl.

Alligator Alley was a terrific road venue for Tennessee to travel to and play in. I do not remember very many victories happening when we played there.

I was born in Winter Park, Florida and pull for the Gators to win every time except when they play Tennessee.
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Go Tars!
 
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