5 players Tennessee doesn’t want to see in the SEC Tournament

On Wednesday night, Tennessee knocked off Auburn and will likely be the top seed in the SEC Tournament, but these players could still put a scare into Rick Barnes when the Volunteers finally get to Nashville.

Tennessee forward Tobe Awaka (11) guards Auburn Johni Broome (4)
Tennessee forward Tobe Awaka (11) guards Auburn Johni Broome (4) | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA
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Johni Broome might be the best big man in the conference, but Texas A&M’s 6-foot-7 215-pound forward is the SEC’s top rebounder. Garcia is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game and a staggering 4.5 of those come on the offensive end. Zach Edey is averaging 4.6 offensive boards a game at 7-foot-4. 

In the last matchup between Tennessee and A&M, Garcia was a non-factor, with just eight rebounds and no points in an 86-51 Vols win, but there’s a reason he’s cracked this list. On February 10, in the first meeting, Garcia scored just six points in 33 minutes, but he came off the bench to grab 17 rebounds, nine on the offensive end. The Aggies outrebounded the Vols 43-35 and won 85-69 in College Station. 

On a neutral floor, Tennessee will be a double-digit favorite over the Aggies, but upsets a made by extra possessions, and with Garcia, A&M is the No. 1 team in the country in offensive rebounding percentage, coming down with 41.6% of their own misses. 

Schedule

Schedule