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Are you concerned about Tennessee basketball yet? You probably should be after back to back poor performances. You could blame the Memphis loss on simply not being able to hit shots, but the Cincinnati loss was a total offensive and defensive failure.
We’re two weeks away from SEC play, and the Volunteers are playing their worst ball of the season. They get a breather today to try and iron some things out against Jacksonville State, where the Vols are favored by 20 points.
The Gamecocks are 4-7 on the year, but have won two straight, beating Evansville and Delaware State. They’ve dropped games against common opponents so far this season, losing to Chattanooga and VCU.
It’s mainly a three-man attack for Jacksonville State. 6-8 power forward Jacara Cross leads the way, scoring north of 11 points per game. 6-4 sophomore guard De’Torrion Ware is also over 11 points per game, while 5-11 guard Derek St. Hilaire scores ten per contest.
That’s the trio to watch for the Gamecocks, but this game is more about Tennessee finding some sort of offensive rhythm again. They’re a different team when they can get Yves Pons going, which hasn’t happened lately. We’ve noted the struggled of both Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden, which simply can’t happen if Tennessee wants to make the big dance in March.
Tennessee has this one today, then a matchup against Wisconsin next Saturday ahead of SEC play in January.
Gameday Information
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
TV Channel: None
Radio: Vol Network
Streaming: WatchESPN
Odds: Tennessee -20.5