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Tennessee basketball: Ranking 10 most important games in 2018-19

By Billy Williford

LEXINGTON, KY - FEBRUARY 06: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the 61-59 win against the Kentucky Wildcats in the game at Rupp Arena on February 6, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - FEBRUARY 06: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the 61-59 win against the Kentucky Wildcats in the game at Rupp Arena on February 6, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – APRIL 01: Chris Silva #30 of the South Carolina Gamecocks goes up for a dunk in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 1, 2017, in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Steppig – Pool/Getty Images) /

No.10 – South Carolina Gamecocks

February 13, 2019 (SEC Network)

Thompson-Boling Arena; Knoxville, TN

We said it last season, and we will say it again, as long as Frank Martin is coaching the Gamecocks, they will be hard to beat.

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Despite the 17-16 record, the Gamecocks beat Auburn, Florida, and Kentucky last season and gave the Vols all they could handle in both games. In the first game in Columbia. SC, the Vols needed all 25 points from Lamonte Turner. On a night where Jordan Bone and Jordan Bowden combined for just two points, Turner won the game

It was a similar story in Knoxville later in the season. The Vols won 70-67, but it was SEC Player of the Year, Grant Williams leading the way with 22 points.

So what makes this game hard for the Vols? For starters, it comes in the middle of a tough stretch of games. Before hosting the Gamecocks, Florida is in town. After those two games is where the schedule gets tricky. The next three opponents are Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and LSU.

If Tennesse can win the Florida and South Carolina games during that stretch, it could help them build momentum to finish the season. They need to win games they are supposed to win to be considered a real player in the NCAA Tournament.

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