Unexpected schedule shift changes Tennessee basketball's trip to Georgia

Now that the Vols have proven they can win a big road game, another challenge awaits, as the Georgia Bulldogs will host Tennessee. Known nationally as a football powerhouse, Georgia has quietly built one of the best basketball teams in the country, making the next test anything but easy for Rick Barnes.

The game was originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday night at the Stegeman Coliseum in Athens at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network, but things have ultimately changed.

Due to inclement weather expected to hit the Southeast, the game has been moved from Tuesday night to Wednesday at 7 p.m. and will still be on the SEC Network.

Tennessee vs Georgia tip off moved to Wednesday

This benefits the Vols, as they will now have another day to rest and prep for the Bulldogs. Both teams played on Saturday, but Tennesse likely didn't leave Tuscaloosa until early Sunday morning.

Georgia is 16-4 this season with big wins over Cincinnati, Arkansas, and Auburn. The Bulldogs are one of the fastest teams in the nation, with a 74.3 adjusted tempo on Bart Torvik, and they boast great guard depth with Jeremiah Wilkinson, Blue Cain, and Marcus Millender. The Vols will have their hands full trying to defend them for a full 40 minutes, but Tennessee showed it’s up to the challenge after putting on a defensive clinic against Alabama on Saturday.

This also gives Tennessee an extra day for Jaylen Carey to recover. He suffered a non-contact injury to his knee in the contest against Alabama, which looked very scary. Rick Barnes said, “I think he might have hyper-extended it. They told me he was in the back running in case we needed him, but I think that’s what it was. He planted it pretty hard. Pretty good collision right there.”

This is a positive development that Carey is likely okay, but an extra day to rehab the knee will be vital. His presence will be needed down low on recovering offensive rebounds, as the Bulldogs are 307th in the nation in defensive rebound percentage.

With the game moved back, Rick Barnes now has another chance to scheme up a gameplan to stop one of the most unique offensive teams in the nation.