The Official #1 Tennessee @ Texas A&M Game Thread, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN

[YankeeVol]

#1 Tennessee Volunteers: 19-1 (7-0 SEC)

@

Texas A&M Aggies: 8-11 (1-6 SEC)

GAME 21 | TENNESSEE at TEXAS A&M - Feb. 2, 2019 | 8 p.m. ET | Reed Arena (12,989)


Line: UT -11.5
O/U: 149


TV: ESPN
Radio: Vol Network
Satellite Radio: Sirius: 78, XM: 210
Online: WatchESPN.com

 

[YankeeVol]

THE SERIES

Tennessee leads the all-time series with Texas A&M, 7-5, dating to 1951. The Vols have won each of the last two meetings.

The series is deadlocked at 2-2 when it is played in College Station.

 

[YankeeVol]

A WIN WOULD...

Extend Tennessee's win streak to 16 games, which would stand as the longest win streak in the program's 110-year history.

Stretch the Vols' true road game win streak to eight.

Give UT an nine-game win streak in regular-season SEC contests.

Tie as UT's best SEC start since the 1981-82 season (8-0).

Make the Vols 5-1 all-time as the AP's top-ranked team.

Give Tennessee 20 wins earlier than any previous season. The 2007-08 SEC Championship team notched its 20th victory on Feb. 5.

 

[YankeeVol]

STORYLINES

Saturday is UT's first appearance in the Lone Star State since falling to Loyola-Chicago in last year's NCAA Tournament.

This is Rick Barnes' longest win streak since he led Texas to a 17-0 start to open the 2009-10 season.

At tipoff Saturday, 70 full days will have elapsed since Tennessee's last loss.

This is Tennessee's best start to SEC play since it won its first eight league games in 1981-82.

The Volunteers received 48 of 64 first-place votes in this week's AP Top 25 poll. This is the third week in history that Tennessee has been ranked No. 1.

The Vols have shot 50 percent or better in 14 games this season and rank second in the country with a .510 field-goal percentage.

Only two Division I players have more free throw attempts than Grant Williams this season (169), and he also ranks third in makes (140).

 

[YankeeVol]

LAYUPS

Grant Williams leads the SEC in scoring (20.4 ppg), ranks second in field-goal percentage (.573), sixth in free-throw percentage (.828) and seventh in rebounding (7.4 rpg).

Admiral Schofield is the SEC's fourth-leading scorer (17.0 ppg).

Williams and Schofield both earned a spot on the 25-man Wooden Award Midseason Watch List.

Point guard Jordan Bone owns the ninth-best assist/turnover ratio (3.49) in Division I and ranks 15th in the country in assists per game (6.5 apg).

Lamonté Turner is averaging 11.6 points off the bench in SEC play.

During league play, SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jordan Bowden ranks second on the team and ninth in the SEC with 16.2 points per game. But he missed Tuesday's game at South Carolina with a knee injury.

 

[YankeeVol]

ABOUT TEXAS A&M

Billy Kennedy and Texas A&M (8-11, 1-6 SEC) entered the season fresh off a Sweet Sixteen appearance in last year's NCAA Tournament. However, the Aggies lost several key pieces from that team, including three of their top four players. The lone Aggie starter set to return was Admon Gilder, but a medical issue has forced him to sit out the season.

Sophomore guard TJ Starks (13.3 ppg, 3.6 apg) has stepped up as the leader for this year's squad, pacing the team in scoring and assists. Sophomore forward Savion Flagg (12.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.6 apg) has also taken on an increased role following the departure of Tyler Davis and Robert Williams from last year's team.

Junior forward Josh Nebo (8.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.6 bpg) is a force in the paint. He is shooting 77 percent from the field this season and ranks second in the SEC in blocks with 50. Junior guard Wendell Mitchell (11.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.7 spg) rounds out the double-digit scorers for Texas A&M.

The Aggies have a couple of solid wins so far this season, beating Alabama on the road and Kansas State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge last week. A&M also played a tough non-conference schedule with games against Gonzaga, Minnesota and Washington all contested away from home.

 

[YankeeVol]

Game Notes - Texas A&M

 

[VOLsome]

WGWTFA!!! GBO!

 

[ttocswob]

Vols take victory like taking cash from the aTm...

Hope the starting 5 put this away early, maybe allow CRB to fine tune the line up a bit, and get some work for the bench.

GBO!!!

 

[PandamoniumReigns]

A&M will be up for this game. On paper, TN should demolish them. But I wouldn't be surprised to see a much closer game than many expect. A somewhat young team with absolutely nothing to lose. A-la Vanderbilt.

Of course, I sincerely hope they beat the Aggies by 50.

 

[scottchatt]

Go get the win. It’s time to dominate. We have at least 5 players better than anyone on their team. Take the fight to them for 40 mins. Go Vols!

 

[Dudleys87]

Vols by 10
In a hard fought game

 

[spyfish007]

I think this is another 20 point win. Big challenges coming soon, but not today.

 

[JohnnyPayne]

Just gotta take care of business. Every game is critical when you’ve got a target on your back!

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

GBO!!!! Keep on keeping on!!!! Take it to em Vols!!!!!

 

[TrapVol]

Some interesting Texas A&M stats:

They only shoot 28.5 percent from 3-point range, which ranks 338th (out of 351) in the nation. They also average 14.3 turnovers per game.

That's pretty much the opposite of what you would need to upset Tennessee.

 

[VolsFan-TX]

I will be there. The DFW area alumni are meeting for food/drinks before the game at the Dixie Chicken.

 

[Rebel VOL]

Nothing to worry about here guys, A&M is terrible. Vols by 15 and it's never close.

 

[whodatvol]

Could be over early if Stark’s plays his usual one man band. Nebo is a rejector, anxious to see how we handle scoring in the paint. Finishing thru contact @ the basket has been a weakness of this team

 

[TennesseeFan07]

How is Bowden?

 

[UT_Dutchman]

Go Vols! This team has been historically tough for us to beat.

 

[Titan&Volfan4life]

Stay focused, play rock solid D and being home the WIN!

VFL...GBO!!!

 

[xJesusx56]

I will be there. The DFW area alumni are meeting for food/drinks before the game at the Dixie Chicken.

Do they meet there often? I took a travel assignment at Med City Dallas and will be moving to the area within a week or two.

 

[Special Ed]

UT is currently 7-0 in the SEC, not 8-0.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

Go Vols! Go Big Orange!! Rocky Top!!!

Ric Flair!!!!!!!!!!!!