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Tennessee Looks to Avoid Season Sweep Against Vanderbilt
No. 5 Tennessee will be on a mission when it hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday in Knoxville, seeking revenge after falling to the Commodores last month.
The Volunteers (20-5, 7-5 SEC) are coming off a 75-64 loss to Kentucky, marking the first time this season they’ve been swept by a conference opponent. Vanderbilt (17-7, 5-6 SEC) is aiming to do the same, having stunned Tennessee 76-75 on Jan. 18 in Nashville.
Tennessee Needs a Rebound Performance
A key factor in Tennessee’s loss to Kentucky was leading scorer Chaz Lanier’s struggles. Lanier, who averages 17.4 points per game, was held to just 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting against the Wildcats.
The Vols will look for Zakai Zeigler to continue his hot streak. Over the last three games, Zeigler has been Tennessee’s top scorer (18.3 PPG), including a 21-point effort in an 85-81 win over Missouri. He also leads the team with 7.5 assists per game and ranks top-30 nationally in steals (2.08 per game).
Another player Tennessee needs to step up is Igor Milicic Jr. (11.0 PPG), who has been consistently strong in recent games. Milicic has scored at least 16 points in three of his last four outings, while adding 8.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in that span.
“Milicic is the guy that we need to be the most consistent player on the court,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “We need every one of our guys to get better before the postseason.”
Can Vanderbilt Pull Off Another Upset?
While Vanderbilt’s win over Tennessee last month was one of its biggest victories of the season, the Commodores have since dropped three of their last four games and are just 2-4 overall since the upset.
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Vanderbilt is led by Jason Edwards and Devin McGlockton.
- Edwards paces the team with 17.4 points per game
- McGlockton controls the paint with 8.1 rebounds per game and adds 11.2 PPG
The Commodores are coming off an 80-68 loss to No. 1 Auburn, a game where they led 49-48 in the second half before the Tigers took over.
This has been a common theme for Vanderbilt. They were in a similar position against then-No. 6 Florida on Feb. 4, leading well into the second half before fading late.
Will Tennessee Get Payback or Will Vandy Complete the Sweep?
Vanderbilt is 2-4 against ranked SEC opponents this season, but already has one win over Tennessee under its belt.
With the Volunteers eager to bounce back at home and Vanderbilt looking to pull off another statement win, Saturday’s matchup will be a must-watch SEC showdown.
