Tennessee basketball: Vols’ 3 Keys to victory at Mississippi State Bulldogs

Tennessee basketball travels to Starkville, Miss. to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs Tuesday. Here are the Volunteers’ three keys to win vs. MSU.

Tennessee basketball (21-7, 11-5) will have its work cut out Tuesday night on the road against the Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-8, 9-7) on the SEC Network. As a 1.5-point favorite over the Vols,  State is riding a three-game win streak and currently sit in a four-way tie for third place in the conference.

This matchup is a tight one even on paper. Both teams’ stat lines are nearly identical, with Mississippi State having a slight edge in most categories.

If the Vols want to pull one off on the road, they need to be on edge for this one.  Here’s how they win.

1. The Volunteer’s stars need to shine

Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield don’t need to have career nights, but they must make the Bulldogs feel their for Tennessee basketball to grab a ‘W’.  Admiral did have a career game against Ole Miss on Saturday with 25 points and 7 rebounds on 9 of 14 shooting.

Williams will have his hands full inside as the Dawgs do have two good bigs in Abdul Ado and Aric Holman.  Both have very good size and both are adept rim defenders. Meanwhile, Ado is currently the fifth best shot blocker in the SEC. Holman is no slouch inside either.

Schofield will be matched up against the Bulldogs’ leading scorer Quinndary Weatherspoon, the older half of the Weatherspoon brothers.  The Admiral will have his hands full defensively and will have to outwork Weatherspoon’s speed on both ends.  Tennessee basketball absolutely needs either Grant Williams or Admiral Schofield to have a very successful night or both of them to have a solid performance to put State away.

2. Be ready to take a punch

A top 20 team always has a target on their backs, and in this one, the Bulldogs have more than just a good win to gain. After all, they are locked in a four-way tie for third in the SEC with Florida, Kentucky, and Arkansas.  The prize for landing in the top four is a two-game bye in the conference tourney.

Also if State can pick up a win over the Vols, it might be just what the old resume needs to make the final push with the NCAA Tournament selection committee.  The Bulldogs should be playing inspired basketball in their home arena with so much to gain with the win.

Even a team full of seasoned vets can struggle to take the best shot from every team they play.  Tennessee basketball has shown the ability to let the opponent make a big lead disappear.  Mississippi State is certainly a team that is capable of such a feat, and Humphrey Coliseum is definitely a place that can help the Dawgs do it. Tennessee needs to play a full 40 minutes prepare to take the best punch the Bulldogs can throw.

3. DEFENSE!

Defense is always a given for any Rick Barnes coached squad.  But for this team, it is particularly important because the Vols have been woefully inconsistent in many areas. They can frequently have scoring droughts, their guards can be Jekyll and Hyde, and there are many times important pieces find their way to the bench with fouls.  However, defense is the absolute one thing they are consistent in.

Tennessee’s defense is what kept them on top of Ole Miss after letting a 20 point lead slip. It was their ability to stop the bleeding.  They used their defense to calm down the Rebel run and executed just well enough to hold on to victory. The Vols will need to lean on that in Starkville and apply intense pressure to this fairly young Bulldog team.

Prediction

State could prove to be a very tough matchup for the Vols. They’re a young team playing well and have grown over the course of the season as young teams do. The Bulldogs can just about punch their ticket to the NCAA with a win.

Part of me believes in the 1.5 point spread that favors Mississippi State with what they have to play for. Fellow All for Tennessee writer Billy Williford certainly did, as he picked Mississippi State to pull out the victory.

I, however, believe this Tennessee basketball will take previously learned lessons and win this one with their defense in spite of all that.  Vols take it 73-68.