Coming off a tough loss to Arkansas to open SEC play, Tennessee basketball needs to come out firing on all cylinders Tuesday night against a solid Texas team at the Food City Center. The Longhorns enter the matchup at 9–5 after dropping an overtime thriller to Mississippi State, and Sean Miller’s squad will be hungry to bounce back.
Tennessee has been playing much better basketball as of late, but Arkansas dominated the Vols for the final ten minutes of last Saturday's game. The Vols fell apart down the stretch, so putting up 40 minutes of complete basketball will be needed to avoid another loss. Let's dive into three bold predictions for the battle between Tennessee and Texas.
1. Amari Evans hot streak contniues
Freshman wing Amari Evans has been on fire as of recent. He been giving Rick Barnes some very valuable minutes off the bench. Over the last three games he's averaging 12 points in jsut 16 minutes of action.
Evans has been hot, and I think the streak will continue. He's been shooting the ball lights out and playing hard on defense. I see no reason why he would slow down versus a mediocre defensive team like Texas.
It wouldn’t be a shock if Evans stays on his red hot run.
2. Tennessee scores 90 points
Texas is ranked 111th in the nation in BartTorvik defensive efficiency. This is a horrible number for a power conference team. Tennessee should be able to exploit this all night, getting buckets in transition and attacking the rim.
Tennessee also shot just 38% from three against Arkansas, so the Vols have been heating up from beyond the arc lately. Rick Barnes will want to make a statement Tuesday night. Tennessee isn’t an offensive superpower, but it can match Texas’s pace, and if the Vols get enough stops, they’ll have plenty of chances to score.
Don't be shocked if the Vols put up a big number.
3. Rebounding Could Be an Issue for Tennessee
Tennessee is an outstanding rebounding team. Right now, they are number one in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage. It just so happens that Texas is a very good rebounding team, too.
Felix Okpara and JP Estrella are both probable to play, but if they are out or not at 100%, Texas could give Tennessee a run for their money on the glass. Avoiding second-chance opportunities for Texas will be crucial, as the second-chance points will keep them in the game. If Okpara and Estrella are healthy, the Vols should be able to maintain their advantage on the boards.
There’s a real chance that Texas makes life very difficult for the Vols on the glass.