You can look at all the stats involved for both teams to get an idea of how this game might go, or you could just look at the last eight years, since Rick Barnes arrived in Knoxville. He's owned Mississippi State in that time, going 11-2 against us. The two wins? We won in 2017 and in 2020, years in which the Vols were down. Bad news - they aren't down this year. The simple truth is that UT has been by far the tougher team on the floor for most all of those games in the Barnes era and have physically imposed their will on us, including last years two games, an 11 point UT win in Starkville and a 34-point evisceration in Knoxville. In their current five game winning streak against us, we've cracked 60 points one time. ONE TIME. It's just been domination throughout Barnes' tenure. Maybe you want to expect something different on Wednesday, but put me in the camp of "I'll believe it when I see it."
If you want the stats...
They are elite defensively. #2 at KenPom, #6 at Torvik, #5 in FG % defense allowing only 37.6% shooting, #32 in scoring defense, #42 in 3pt FG % defense. Holy cow we might not crack 50, much less 60. To give us our due, we are still measuring out very good defensively - #10 at KenPom and 12 at Torvik. Top 10 in three point defense and top 20 in FG defense and points per game.
Offensively they are very good but not as great there as they are defensively. They are currently a top 100 team in ppg but they don't shoot it all that well, 226th nationally. It helps to be shooting 78% from the line, but they don't get there a ton. They shoot a lot of threes, about 26 per game, but are about dead solid in the middle of the country in making them 34% (166th of 351). They're just outside the top 100 in tempo but again middle of the pack in fast break points. They are a top 100 team in offensive rebounds, so that helps them get more opportunities. We are a top 100 team in defensive rebounding but after what I saw on Saturday I'm not sure we will stay there. They also don't turn it over much and are top 50ish in fewest turnovers per game and turnover margin.
Dalton Knecht (he definitely pronounces the K in his name) leads them in scoring. Transfer from Northern Colorado. He has a nice game. Shoots it well from three but big enough at 6-6 to take it to rim and finish. Behind him are some familiar UT names - Jonas Aidoo, Josiah Jordan James, Zakai Ziegler, and Santiago Vescovi. James and Vescovi are fifth year seniors. Aidoo and Ziegler are juniors. Those four have played a lot of games together and it shows.
I'd love to have some confidence going into this one, but I have none at all. I'm anticipating another butt-whipping. Prove me wrong Dawgs.
If you want the stats...
They are elite defensively. #2 at KenPom, #6 at Torvik, #5 in FG % defense allowing only 37.6% shooting, #32 in scoring defense, #42 in 3pt FG % defense. Holy cow we might not crack 50, much less 60. To give us our due, we are still measuring out very good defensively - #10 at KenPom and 12 at Torvik. Top 10 in three point defense and top 20 in FG defense and points per game.
Offensively they are very good but not as great there as they are defensively. They are currently a top 100 team in ppg but they don't shoot it all that well, 226th nationally. It helps to be shooting 78% from the line, but they don't get there a ton. They shoot a lot of threes, about 26 per game, but are about dead solid in the middle of the country in making them 34% (166th of 351). They're just outside the top 100 in tempo but again middle of the pack in fast break points. They are a top 100 team in offensive rebounds, so that helps them get more opportunities. We are a top 100 team in defensive rebounding but after what I saw on Saturday I'm not sure we will stay there. They also don't turn it over much and are top 50ish in fewest turnovers per game and turnover margin.
Dalton Knecht (he definitely pronounces the K in his name) leads them in scoring. Transfer from Northern Colorado. He has a nice game. Shoots it well from three but big enough at 6-6 to take it to rim and finish. Behind him are some familiar UT names - Jonas Aidoo, Josiah Jordan James, Zakai Ziegler, and Santiago Vescovi. James and Vescovi are fifth year seniors. Aidoo and Ziegler are juniors. Those four have played a lot of games together and it shows.
I'd love to have some confidence going into this one, but I have none at all. I'm anticipating another butt-whipping. Prove me wrong Dawgs.
