Tennessee basketball: Vols back in the Championship Game looking for revenge

With the win over the Kentucky Wildcats, the Tennessee basketball team is back in the SEC Championship Game for the second straight year. Here is the preview of Auburn vs. Tennessee.

The magically season isn’t over yet. The Tennessee basketball team took care of Kentucky in the SEC Semifinals. The Vols senior class hold a 6-4 record against John Calipari and Kentucky. Furthermore, Tennessee has won four of the last six matchups, which is remarkable to think about.

Now the focus turns to the Auburn Tigers, who are on fire, winners of their past seven games. And, they just beat Tennessee a few days ago in the regular season finale.

There is a lot riding on this game for the Vols, win and you could be a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, lose and you are a No.2 seed, maybe in the same bracket as Duke.

Before we break down both teams, below is all the information you need to turn into the game if you aren’t going to be in Bridgestone Arena.

No.5 Auburn Tigers vs. No.3 Tennessee Volunteers

When: Sunday, March 17 at 1:00 p.m. E.T.
Where: Bridgestone Arena; Nashville, Tennessee
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Line: Tennessee -5
Over/Under: 145.5

VIEW OF THE VOLS

Record: 29-4 (15-3 SEC)
Last 5: 4-1
Last 10: 7-3

If you missed the game against Kentucky you still have time to go back and watch it; you won’t be sorry. I jokingly said that the SEC needs to step in and allow Tennessee and Kentucky to play again because it is such a good matchup. But, in all seriousness, the Vols can’t take Auburn lightly.

Tennessee took 28 three-point shots against the Tigers a few days ago while only attempting 33 shots from inside the arc. That’s losing basketball.

The back-to-back SEC Player of the Year showed why he won the award against Kentucky. Quiet for the first ten minutes of the game. Grant Williams turned it on in the second half. Williams finished with 20 points on 5-for-10 from the floor, including 1-for-2 from the three-point line.

VIEW OF THE TIGERS

Record: 25-9 (11-7 SEC)
Last 5: 5-0
Last 10: 9-1

Bruce Pearl has his Auburn Tigers rolling, winners of seven straight games. Although their road to the Championship Game wasn’t as tough as Tennessee’s, winning three games in three games is never easy to do.

What wins in March?  Guard play does, and Auburn’s guards are playing on another level this postseason. Against the Gators, Auburn shot 44.8 percent from the three-point line with Jared Harper leading the way going 5-for-7 from deep.

Harper only scored five points against Missouri to start the tournament, but in the past two games, he’s combined for 47 points on 8-of-15 from the three-point line. And, you can’t forget about Bryce Brown who has scored 11, 17, and 19 so far this tournament.

PREDICTION

I expect this to be a hard-fought game from both teams. Bruce Pearl always puts a scrappy bunch on the court, and the Vols aren’t the type of team to back down from a fight.

Lamonte Turner he a big shot that ended up winning the Kentucky game. He hasn’t been the same player as he was last season. Turner is forcing his shot on the offense, and it’s really impacted Tennessee losing four games. He’s 4-for-31 from the three-point line in the past seven games and 2-for-19 in March.

But, the past two games we have seen Turner let the offense come to him. If he continues to play the way he did the past two games by not shooting Tennessee out of a win, give me the Vols. Tennessee 81 Auburn 75.