Mississippi State Basketball: MSU faces tough test at No. 18 Tennessee

Mississippi State Basketball: Men’s Hoops at #18 Tennessee Preview

On the heels of an 81-73 loss to red-hot Alabama, Mississippi State (9-7, 4-4 SEC) is back on the road to take on another ranked opponent, this time in the form of the 18th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Both teams are searching for a win, with each having lost their last two. The Bulldogs won last year’s meeting in Starkville, 86-73.

Scouting Tennessee

The Volunteers were the preseason pick to win the Southeastern Conference and got off to a strong start to the season at 7-0. After a 71-63 loss to Alabama, The Vols responded with three consecutive wins and were ranked as high as No. 6 in the country.

However, back-to-back losses have dropped Tennessee down in the latest polls to No. 18 entering Tuesday’s contest. Florida blew out the Vols, 75-49, and lost at home to No. 19 Missouri, 73-64.

Head coach Rick Barnes returns many key contributors from last year’s team while adding two five-stars to his roster. Tennessee comes into Tuesday with a record of 10-3 (4-3 SEC). ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently has them as a 3 seed in his latest Bracketology.

Senior forward John Fulkerson leads the way for the Vols, averaging 11.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Oregon transfer guard Victor Bailey Jr. is scoring just below Fulkerson at 11.6 points a game. Crafty point guard Santiago Vescovi is scoring at a 9.3 clip and is shooting 40.3% from three.

Uber-athletic 6’6” guard Yves Pons comes into the game averaging 8.3 points and two blocks. Second-year guard Josiah James gives the Vols 8.4 points a game while shooting 41% from the field.

The aforementioned five-star freshmen include guards Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer. Johnson is scoring right at nine points per game, with Springer third on the team at 10. Springer has missed the last two games with an ankle injury and could miss Tuesday’s game as well.

The Volunteers handle the ball well, averaging just over 11 turnovers a game. They shoot just under 34% from three and 45% from the field.

Keys to a Bulldog Win

Tolu Smith will need to have a big game for Mississippi State to defeat Tennessee on Tuesday. If State can get a third scorer in double-figures, the Bulldogs will have a good chance to win. Smith seems to be most likely to end up in double-digits, and MSU will need his scoring to knock off a top-25 team.

Mississippi State also needs its frontcourt to stay out of foul trouble. Tennessee likes to score from in close with Fulkerson and Pons, so MSU will need Abdul Ado and Smith to play many minutes to protect the rim.

Prediction

I think that Tuesday’s game will be a dogfight with both teams desperate for a win. Mississippi State comes out of Knoxville with a huge win in a close one, handing Tennessee its third-straight loss.