The Official #12 Tennessee vs. Arkansas Game Thread, 9:00 PM ET, ESPN2

#1
YankeeVol

YankeeVol

Let's Go Peay
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
144,925
Likes
75,818
#1
#12 Tennessee Volunteers: 21-8 (10-6 SEC)
Fp5S5RGX0AIuxa5


vs.

Arkansas Razorbacks: 19-10 (8-8 SEC)
miller1.jpg



GAME 30 | TENNESSEE vs. ARKANSAS - Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 | 9:05 p.m. ET | Knoxville, Tenn. | Thompson-Boling Arena (21,768)


Line: UT -6
O/U: 134

TV: ESPN2 / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen / Live Stats
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM: 84 / Internet: 84
Online: WatchESPN.com

Arkansas Game Notes

Fp_zCUOakAE5OL2
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: xtremevolfan, I4Vols, Volfan1000 and 1 other person
#2
#2
THE SERIES

• Tennessee leads its all-time series with Arkansas, 24-22, dating to 1936.
• The Vols own a 15-4 advantage when the series is contested in Knoxville, with Tennessee winning each of the last four meetings at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• UT has won five of the last seven meetings overall in this series.
• Rick Barnes is 3-2 in head-to-head coaching matchups with Eric Musselman.
• Tuesday marks the fourth straight meeting in this series for which Tennessee has been ranked No. 16 or higher in the AP Top 25.
• Tennessee will conduct a Senior Day ceremony at midcourt prior to tipoff Tuesday. This is the second year in a row that the Vols' Senior Day opponent is Arkansas.
• No strangers to raucous crowds, Arkansas and Tennessee rank third and fourth in the nation, respectively, in average home attendance this season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xtremevolfan, DuckInAPen, I4Vols and 2 others
#3
#3
SCOUTING REPORT

• The Vols remain at No. 3 in the NCAA's NET ratings after holding steady at No. 2 from Jan. 3 through Feb. 8. Tennessee has six Q1 wins.
• Tennessee and Baylor are the only teams in the country that own at least three wins over teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the NET ratings.
• Tennessee this season has a program-record 12 wins by a margin of 20 points or more. That includes five such victories over SEC foes.
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in scoring defense (58.8 ppg), assists per game (16.7) and assist/turnover ratio (1.54).
• Zakai Zeigler's 160 total assists lead the SEC and rank second nationally among underclassmen. He already has the 10th-most assists ever by a Vol in a season. NBA Draft pick Kennedy Chandler finished with 161 assists in 34 games last year.
• Josiah-Jordan James returned from a four-game injury absence Saturday and sparked a dominant win over South Carolina, scoring a team-high 18 points in 21 minutes.
• The Vols haven't played a game with the rotation fully healthy since Feb. 8.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xtremevolfan, I4Vols, HeadVol77 and 1 other person
#4
#4
THE NATION'S BEST DEFENSE

• For the 14th straight week, the Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country per KenPom, allowing only 86.9 points per 100 possessions.
• Tennessee owns Division I's best 3-point defense (.247), second-best field-goal percentage defense (.359) and the nation's third-best scoring defense (56.7 ppg).
• 12 times this season, the Vols have held their opponents to 50 points or less. No other Division I team has more than 10 such performances.
• Only four teams have reached the 70-point mark against these Vols.
• Only eight opposing players have scored 20 or more points against the Vols this season.
• In SEC home games, Tennessee forces 13.9 turnovers per game and owns a +4.3 turnover margin. SEC teams are shooting .362 from the field and .269 from 3-point range this season at Thompson-Boling Arena.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xtremevolfan
#5
#5
ABOUT ARKANSAS

• Arkansas (19-10, 8-8 SEC) is coming off an 86-83 loss at No. 2 Alabama on Saturday in a game that it led for more than half of regulation.
• The Razorbacks started 1-5 in SEC play but have now won seven of their past 10 conference games.
• Currently ranked No. 14 in the NET rankings, Arkansas is 3-7 in Quadrant 1 games—owning wins over San Diego State at a neutral site, Texas A&M at home and at Kentucky.
• Arkansas is 2-7 in road games this season, with the lone wins coming at South Carolina and Kentucky.
• Consensus top-three recruit in the nation freshman guard Nick Smith Jr. has provided a boost for the Razorbacks, returning to the lineup after missing 13 straight games due to injury. In total, Smith Jr. has missed 19 games this season due to injury.
• Smith Jr., who is averaging 20.0 ppg over Arkansas's last three games, saw just a combined 21 minutes of action in his first two games back against Mississippi State and Texas A&M on Feb. 11 and Feb. 15, but is averaging 33.3 minutes during the last three games.
• Freshman guard Anthony Black, another projected lottery pick, is also one of five Razorbacks to average double-figure scoring with 12.7 ppg and a team-leading 4.3 apg. Black was ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.
• Junior guard Ricky Council IV, a Wichita State transfer, is Arkansas' leading scorer at 16.8 ppg. Council IV was the 2022 AAC Sixth Man of the Year at Wichita State.
• Through the games of Feb. 26, Arkansas ranks No. 15 in KenPom.com's ratings. The Razorbacks rank No. 11 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 49 in adjusted offensive efficiency.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xtremevolfan
#7
#7
I’m beginning to think that Mashack should start the rest of the year even when Julian Phillips gets back. He’s stronger going to the rim, he’s just as good of a shooter, statistically speaking, and he’s as good or better defensively. We need Phillips back but I think coming off the bench. Zeigler-Vescovi-Mashack-Olivier-Aidoo have been the starters recently. I think JJJ needs to get back in there though once he’s all the way healthy, if that’s possible. I think I would have Zeigler-Vescovi-Mashack-JJJ-Aidoo. A debate could be made for Olivier over Aidoo, but if Olivier isn’t scoring then Aidoo is at least going to be that big rim protector inside. Also, JJJ might feel better coming off the bench anyways, so I would just stick with this starting 5 if that’s the case. Keep telling Mashack to attack the rim. Drive and kick it to an open guy for 3 or take the layup or the foul at the rim. I really think Mashack is the X-factor going forward. He can get this team to another level when everyone is healthy. With his defense and his continuing to improve offensive game. I also pointed out that we could try Mashack at PG, and he’s actually brought the ball up quite a few times the past couple games. He’s not looked bad doing it either. An off-season of work and he may be a able to do it even more.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000
#8
#8
CNeagleVolFan said:
I’m beginning to think that Mashack should start the rest of the year even when Julian Phillips gets back. He’s stronger going to the rim, he’s just as good of a shooter, statistically speaking, and he’s as good or better defensively. We need Phillips back but I think coming off the bench. Zeigler-Vescovi-Mashack-Olivier-Aidoo have been the starters recently. I think JJJ needs to get back in there though once he’s all the way healthy, if that’s possible. I think I would have Zeigler-Vescovi-Mashack-JJJ-Aidoo. A debate could be made for Olivier over Aidoo, but if Olivier isn’t scoring then Aidoo is at least going to be that big rim protector inside. Also, JJJ might feel better coming off the bench anyways, so I would just stick with this starting 5 if that’s the case. Keep telling Mashack to attack the rim. Drive and kick it to an open guy for 3 or take the layup or the foul at the rim. I really think Mashack is the X-factor going forward. He can get this team to another level when everyone is healthy. With his defense and his continuing to improve offensive game. I also pointed out that we could try Mashack at PG, and he’s actually brought the ball up quite a few times the past couple games. He’s not looked bad doing it either. An off-season of work and he may be a able to do it even more.
Click to expand...
Don't think Phillips plays so it's likely a moot point. Having assumed that, I wonder who Mashak draws defensively? Rhetorical?
 
#10
#10
Is anyone else thinking that Arkansas and Auburn are in need of signature wins to solidify their place in March Madness and feel like we are going to hosed?
 
  • Like
Reactions: GiveHim6InSC
#13
#13
bleedingTNorange said:
The OP was referring to the rest of the season, are you saying you don’t think we see Phillips again this year?
Click to expand...
Yeah you’re right I’m referring to all season. I really think Mashack has earned the right to start. I’ll be interested to see what type of minutes Key gets down the stretch. If he played anywhere close to like he did against Mizzou he would be such an important player for us. He’s just too inconsistent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volfans1
#15
#15
CNeagleVolFan said:
Yeah you’re right I’m referring to all season. I really think Mashack has earned the right to start. I’ll be interested to see what type of minutes Key gets down the stretch. If he played anywhere close to like he did against Mizzou he would be such an important player for us. He’s just too inconsistent.
Click to expand...
I think Phillips will come off the bench when he returns much like we just saw from JJJ, and as we know with Barnes who starts lots of times doesn’t mean much. As I’ve posted a few times recently I’m interested to see how Key does in maybe a lesser role with the emergence of Mashack and returns of JJJ & Phillips, I think it’s pretty clear that he’s not a guy that is gonna be chased around like Vescovi and likely be able to hit shots, but I do still think he’s got a consistent form and as a 3-4th option on the floor he’s a guy who could hit a few 3’s each game at a high clip. You put him out there in small ball lineups with JJJ and there’s some great spacing and I think he may find more success in that role than being asked to be a primary scorer like he has many nights for us.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000, volfan__18, HeadVol77 and 3 others
#16
#16
Wouldn't surprise me at all if Barnes starts the 5 seniors tonight.

Key
Santi
JJJ
ON
Uros

Doubt that's the lineup for long, but he may start the game that way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000 and Larkin
#18
#18
bleedingTNorange said:
The OP was referring to the rest of the season, are you saying you don’t think we see Phillips again this year?
Click to expand...
Nope. I don't think he's back tonight. With JJJ back, I think they'll try to get past this one if not both regular season games with the hope he's 100% for tournament play.
 
#19
#19
CAVPUT said:
Nope. I don't think he's back tonight. With JJJ back, I think they'll try to get past this one if not both regular season games with the hope he's 100% for tournament play.
Click to expand...
Gotcha, again though OP was referring to season as a whole, not just tonight.
 
#21
#21
MoCo_Vol said:
Wouldn't surprise me at all if Barnes starts the 5 seniors tonight.

Key
Santi
JJJ
ON
Uros

Doubt that's the lineup for long, but he may start the game that way.
Click to expand...

Very possible. They’ve all already started games this season and it’s a pretty balanced lineup. Plus ZZ gets to come off of the bench. But - I think that Mashack gets the start again. TN doesn’t want to dig a hole like they did with Missouri.
 
#25
#25
OrngeJuiceJones said:
Do any of the seniors have an extra year? Are they all going thru with senior night festivities?
Click to expand...

Key is the only senior without an option for an additional COVID year. Olivier, Uros, Josiah, and Santiago can all return if the want to and the staff wants them to return. Just my opinion, but I’d think that Uros is a possibility and even JJJ if he wants to attempt to play a year uninjured. I would think that SV and ON will go play in an international professional league. I also have a feeling that JJJ would take the same approach and go earn a little bit of cash playing in Europe or somewhere.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top