The Official Tennessee @ #13 Auburn Game Thread, 12:00 PM ET, CBS

[YankeeVol]

Tennessee Volunteers: 15-11 (7-6 SEC)

@

#13 Auburn Tigers: 22-4 (9-4 SEC)

GAME 27 | TENNESSEE at AUBURN - Feb. 22, 2020 | 12:00 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT | Auburn Arena (9,121)

Line: UT +6.5
O/U: 136

TV: CBS / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen
Satellite Radio: XM: 380 / Internet: 970
Online: CBS Sports app

Auburn Game Notes

 

[YankeeVol]

THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads its all-time series with Auburn, 78-41, dating to 1927.
• The Tigers have a 28-23 edge when the series is played in Auburn.
• Tennessee has won 11 of the last 15 meetings in the series.

 

[YankeeVol]

A WIN WOULD...
• Give the Vols three victories this season over opponents ranked in the AP Top 25.
• Stand as UT's first true road win over a ranked opponent since the Vols beat #24 Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Feb. 6, 2018.
• Snap Tennessee's three-game losing streak vs. Auburn.
• Be Tennessee's 50th regular-season SEC victory under head coach Rick Barnes.

 

[YankeeVol]

STORYLINES
• Tennessee has five regular-season games left on its schedule, and those opponents combine to own a 76-28 (.731) record and an average NET rating of 33.3.
• Due to Auburn hosting the 2020 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships, the UT basketball travel party is split between three hotels during its stay on The Plains.
• Jordan Bowden is the only active Vol who scored the last time UT faced Auburn. He had 10 points in that March 17 loss in Nashville.
• With 175 career 3-point makes, Jordan Bowden ranks ninth on Tennessee's all-time list. VFLs Jordan McRae and Vincent Yarbrough are tied for eighth with 179 3-pointers.
• In SEC road games, Jordan Bowden and John Fulkerson lead the Vols in scoring with 13.8 ppg and 13.7 ppg, respectively.
• During SEC play, freshmen account for 39.8 percent of Tennessee's total minutes played.

 

[YankeeVol]

LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee ranks fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 18,795 fans per game this season.
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in blocks (6.2 bpg) and owns the conference's best scoring defense (64.9 ppg).
• Tennessee ranks second among Division I teams in assist percentage, having assisted on 64.7 percent of its field goals this season.
• SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season. He leads the SEC and ranks 20th nationally with 2.6 bpg. His 2.7 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi has made at least one 3-pointer in every game in which he's appeared (14), averaging 2.2 made threes per game.
• Barring injury or illness, senior guard Jordan Bowden will finish his career in the top five on Tennessee's list for career games played. Saturday will be the 128th game in which he's appeared.

 

[YankeeVol]

ABOUT AUBURN
• Heading into Saturday's contest on The Plains, Auburn is coming off back-to-back road losses to Missouri and Georgia. The Tigers were without freshman forward Isaac Okoro in both games. Okoro is currently averaging 13.1 ppg and 4.8 rpg, both of which ranked second on the team prior to his injury.
• Auburn currently sits in second in the SEC with a 9-4 mark in league play and a record of 22-4 overall. Auburn began the year 15-0 and was one of two undefeated teams remaining in Division I as January reached its midpoint. All of this comes one year after the Tigers won the 2019 SEC Tournament and played their way to the program's first-ever Final Four appearance.
• Even with Okoro's injury, the Tigers are led by their senior backcourt duo of Samir Doughty and J'Von McCormick. Doughty leads the Tigers in scoring (16.0 ppg) and steals (1.1 spg) and ranks second in assists (2.6 apg). McCormick ranks second for Auburn in scoring (12.2 ppg) and steals (1.0 spg), but is the Tigers' leading assist man, with 4.5 helpers per contest.
• In the paint, the Tigers have seen solid production from senior center Austin Wiley. Wiley is averaging 10.5 ppg, which ranks third on the team, and his team-leading 9.4 rpg rank second in the SEC, trailing only Mississippi State's Reggie Perry.
• Auburn University was not given its current name until 1960. From its opening in 1856 through 1960, the institution went through multiple name changes which included the East Alabama Male College and the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Its name officially changed to Auburn in 1960 after the Alabama Legislature granted it university status. Its new name better expressed the expanded curriculum the school had been offering for years.

 

[sport3500]

A brunch or lunch meal while watching the game.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Screw it. We're winning. Book it, bet it, say it, don't spray it.


* If we don't win, I disown this post.

 

[TennesseeFan07]

The Jungle has quickly emerged as one of the more intimidating places in college basketball.

 

[YankeeVol]

The Jungle has quickly emerged as one of the more intimidating places in college basketball.

Good coaching will do that

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

The Jungle has quickly emerged as one of the more intimidating places in college basketball.

They'll all be hungover, tired and hungry that early in the morning, I hope so anyway.

 

[berryvol]

Incredible tidbit about being split up between hotels. Different road routine could be disastrous. I’m hammering the auburn spread as we speak.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

We pull the upset. Go Vols!

 

[sadiedog51]

Not going to happen folks. Pearl is 8-3 against Rick Barnes. Tennessee has about as much chance of winning as Plasvic getting 10 rebounds in one game. Considering he has played over 90 minutes this year and has a total of 9 rebounds for the year, not likely to happen. Plasvic leads the Sec in airballs in the paint.

 

[Ernest T. Vol]

It's an 11 am central start in Auburn land. I'm thinking the Tiger's bio rhythm sleep thingy may be a tad off. GBO!!!

 

[Tennesseefan2019]

I think Auburn wins 70-60

 

[Rememberthe1990s]

I hate Pearl, wish him a nice case of the flu. Go vols.

 

[HippieVol33]

Not going to happen folks. Pearl is 8-3 against Rick Barnes. Tennessee has about as much chance of winning as Plasvic getting 10 rebounds in one game. Considering he has played over 90 minutes this year and has a total of 9 rebounds for the year, not likely to happen. Plasvic leads the Sec in airballs in the paint.

Lots of positives from this post...

 

[feathersax]

Not going to happen folks. Pearl is 8-3 against Rick Barnes. Tennessee has about as much chance of winning as Plasvic getting 10 rebounds in one game. Considering he has played over 90 minutes this year and has a total of 9 rebounds for the year, not likely to happen. Plasvic leads the Sec in airballs in the paint.

Ray of sunshine, eh?

 

[UT_Dutchman]

Early game anything can happen, Go Vols!

 

[vols 30]

I hate Pearl, wish him a nice case of the flu. Go vols.

Heck yeah. All that success he had at UT does mean anything, right?

 

[LibertyVol]

I am a fan of Pearl. I am a biger fan of the Vols.

 

[SGMVols]

The Jungle has quickly emerged as one of the more intimidating places in college basketball.

Meh. They haven’t really been dominant. They’ve just lucked out a lot of close wins. I don’t think we win today, but I also don’t understand why so many of our fans think this game is unwinnable. If Auburn can lose to Georgia and Missouri, they can lose to anyone. Believe it or not folks, Bruce Pearl doesn’t walk on water.

 

[SGMVols]

Heck yeah. All that success he had at UT does mean anything, right?

Barnes has done everything that Pearl did here, but without cheating, save for making the elite eight (which would’ve happened had the basketball gods not decided to give Steph Curry powers to Ryan Cline for one night). Barnes has more wins over Kentucky in 4 years at UT than Pearl had in 6. There is no reason for Vol fans to pine for the Auburn coach.

 

[RollerVol]

let the win out begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!