The Tennessee basketball team is finally back on Tuesday night versus Louisville at the Food City Center. The Vols have suffered a three-game losing streak, and they have lost forward Cade Phillips for the year.
In an effort to combat this, Rick Barnes has made a shakeup to the starting lineup, with DeWayne Brown II starting for the Vols. It will be his first career start versus an excellent Louisville squad. His outstanding defense will be needed, as Louisville is one of the best three-point-shooting teams in the country. The Cardinals are 37.5% from beyond the arc this year, plus they shoot threes on 55% of their possessions, which is first in the country.
Tuesday night will be a battle. Let's fire off some bold predictions for the big-time matchup.
1. Nate Ament scores 20 points
One of the big factors in Tennessee's losing streak was Nate Ament struggling. Ament has been shooting only 37.4% from the field this year, but after a week of practice, the Freshman stud is going to pop off. 20 points is a doable number and would be a significant help for the Vols
I'm sure a major point of emphasis for Rick Barnes was having Ament finish with contact during practice. Ament will be needed to step up on Tuesday, and I think he will.
Watch out Louisville Ament is coming.
2. DeWayne Brown II has career night
A big surprise this year has been DeWayne Brown II. He has only played in limited minutes but in his time off the bench Brown has been a substantial factor.
Brown is going to bring plenty of energy for the Vols. I don't think he will break his career-high of 13 points, but Brown will have a career day in terms of all-around performance. He will clean up the boards and do the little things that don't show up on the box score.
Browns extended minutes will pay dividends for Rick Barnes.
3. Tennessee wins 79-78
This team is just too good to lose four straight. The final bold prediction is that the Vols come away with a very close win. Tennessee's toughness and rebounding will be the deciding factor.
The Vols will thrive off the home crowd, giving them an extra boost down the stretch. Louisville is a very good team, and it won't come easy, but Tennessee will get the job done. It will have to be a full 40 minutes of playing sound defense and hitting big shots when needed.
Tuesday night the streak ends.