Jan 11, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler (5) drives to the basket in the course of the second half towards the Texas Longhorns at Moody Heart. Necessary Credit score: Scott Wachter-Imagn Photos No. 6 Tennessee hits the street to face Vanderbilt on Saturday and doesn’t have to return far into its historical past to appreciate the risks of a visit to Nashville.
It will be the most important residence sport of the yr for the Commodores (14-3, 2-2 SEC), who’ve misplaced the final two within the collection towards the Volunteers (16-1, 3-1). However 2023 just isn’t all that way back that Vanderbilt cannot bear in mind the enjoyment of a victory within the in-state collection.
Vanderbilt delivered a 66-65 victory over Tennessee at residence in February of 2023 to spark a 10-1 run that spanned into the SEC match.
The Commodores acquired a three-point play from Devin McGlockton with 0.6 seconds remaining in Wednesday’s 66-63 residence win over South Carolina. AJ Hoggard added staff highs in factors (14) and assists (4).
Inside minutes of that victory, consideration had already turned to the Vols, with McGlockton and Hoggard — each of their first years at Vanderbilt after transferring from Boston School and Michigan State, respectively — requested about their ideas on the rivalry.
“Me, I am simply treating it how I normally deal with Michigan State vs. Michigan — we do not like them and so they do not like us,” Hoggard stated.
Stated McGlockton: “I do know it should be severe. I went to the (Tennessee-Vanderbilt) soccer sport and it was fairly intense.”
The Vols blew open an in depth sport early within the second half with Georgia on Tuesday, getting 19 factors from Jordan Gainey in a 74-56 residence win.
Tennessee has been on the street to restoration following a disastrous 73-43 loss at Florida on Jan. 7. The Vols additionally gained their solely street sport since, incomes a 74-70 victory at Texas 4 days later.
There stay lingering issues over a capturing hunch for Chaz Lanier, a Nashville native who’s Tennessee’s main scorer at 18.2 factors per sport. Lanier was 2 of 16 from the ground towards Georgia, 3 of 11 towards Texas and three of 16 towards Florida, leaving him with 18.6-percent capturing over the three video games. He’s additionally 3 of 34 from 3-point vary within the stretch.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes stated he expects the downturn to move.
“One of the best of the most effective, I’ve seen them undergo some interval the place they wrestle to shoot,” Barnes stated after the Georgia sport. “It isn’t the simplest factor on this planet.”
Each groups have depth and expertise within the backcourt.
Tennessee level guard Zakai Zeigler (12.1 factors, 7.5 assists) led a second-half offensive surge towards Georgia to complete with 16 factors, seven assists and simply two turnovers. Zeigler additionally picked up a career-best six steals to determine a program document of 215 in his profession.
Gainey (11.6 factors), who has come off the bench in each sport, has taken cost on offense when wanted. The Georgia contest marked his tenth double-figure scoring sport.
A key to the result would be the matchup of the 6-foot-7 McGlockton (10.9 factors, 8.2 rebounds) for Vanderbilt towards Tennessee’s larger frontcourt led by 6-10 Igor Milicic Jr. (10.4 factors, 8.6 rebounds) and 6-11 Felix Okpara (6.9 factors, 6.2 rebounds).
–Subject Stage Media
