No. 6 Tennessee basketball returns to action, hosting No.14 Mississippi State at Food City Center on Tuesday. Read more for a full Tennessee vs Mississippi State prediction and preview.
The No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers will meet No. 14 Mississippi State in their third consecutive home game against a ranked SEC opponent on Tuesday night at Food City Center. Tennessee basketball is facing its third top-15 opponent of the season.
Mississippi State is the only team the Vols did not defeat last season while claiming the SEC regular-season championship. On January 10, 2024, Tennessee fell 77-72 at Starkville before falling 73-56 in its opening game in the SEC Tournament, missing out on a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.
Both programs are 3-2 in conference play this season.
General Information:
Teams: Tennessee (16-2, 3-2) and Mississippi State (15-3, 3-2)
Tip-Off Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPN2
Latest on Mississippi State basketball:
The Mississippi State Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 10 in the SEC preseason polls, have captured attention so far. Chris Jans’ squad is 15-3 on the season and 3-2 in SEC play, tied for fifth in the conference.
Tennessee will be Mississippi State’s fourth-ranked opponent in a row. The Bulldogs faced — and lost to — then No. 6 Kentucky (95-90) and No. 1 Auburn (88-66). In its most recent outing, Mississippi State picked up an overtime win over No. 21 Ole Miss.
The matchup versus Ole Miss saw five players score in double figures: guard Riley Kugel with 21, forward KeShawn Murphy with 18, guard RJ Melendez with 12, forward Cameron Matthews and guard Josh Hubbard with 10.
Sophomore guard Josh Hubbard leads Mississippi State. After having an impressive freshman campaign, scoring 17.1 points per contest, 5-foot-11 is averaging 16.6 points and 2.9 assists per game this season.
“He’s a hard-nosed scorer,” guard Zakai Zeigler said. “You know, he’s the type of guy that wants to just put the ball in the basket and whether you’re there or not, he’s a really good shot-maker.”
Mississippi State has done a great job defending the rim, but they have struggled defending the three-point line. This season, the Bulldogs’ opponents are shooting 35% from three-point range, ranking 250th in the country. In addition, Mississippi State concedes 35.4% of its points from the three-point line, which is significantly higher than the national average.
The Bulldogs’ offense averages 82.9 points per game on 64 shots per night. Additionally, the Bulldogs average 13.8 offensive rebounds per game, ranking fourth in the SEC, while the Volunteers rank fifth.
Latest on Tennessee basketball:
Tennessee basketball has been rated sixth in the AP Poll for the second week in a row.
The Vols were 1-1 in last week’s contests, handling business against No. 23 Georgia (74-56) and losing heartbreakingly to Vanderbilt (76-75).
“The great thing about our guys is they hate to lose,” assistant coach Justin Gainey said. “This is the most competitive group of guys that I’ve been around.”
The Volunteers look to get back on track as they take on the Bulldogs in their sixth SEC matchup of the season.
Tennessee is one of the top teams in the nation in its home arena, with a 13-0 record at Food City Center. The Vols are also top in the SEC allowing 58.8 points per game, but Vanderbilt challenged that on Saturday.
In Saturday’s loss, four starters had 16 or more points: Felix Okpara (16), Igor Milicic Jr. (16), Zakai Zeigler (16), and Chaz Lanier (17). Zeigler also added 10 assists to record a double-double.
Coach Barnes’ team struggled when guard Zakai Zeigler sat in the first half because of foul trouble, which ultimately led to them trailing.
The Volunteers will attempt to take care of business at home while maintaining their undefeated streak on Rocky Top.
Tennessee vs Mississippi St prediction: Volunteers by 9 (78-69)
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