Live Updates: No. 5 Tennessee vs. Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals
Postseason basketball is finally here. No. 1-seed Tennessee opens its SEC Tournament stay this afternoon against No. 9-seed Mississippi State at Bridgestone Arena. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN.
The Vols (24-7) lost 77-72 at Mississippi State (20-12) on January 10 in Starkville and State remains the lone SEC team that Tennessee did not beat during the regular season, on its way to the outright SEC regular-season championship.
Mississippi State beat No. 8-seed LSU on Thursday in Nashville thanks to 24 points from Josh Hubbard and 12 more from DaShawn Davis. Hubbard scored 25 points against Tennessee in the win over the Vols in Starkville in January. Tolu Smith had 23 points and the Bulldogs led by as many as 15 points in the first half.
How To Watch: No. 5 Tennessee vs. Mississippi State
Start Time: Friday, 1 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Bridgestone Arena (18,500)
TV: ESPN
Streaming: WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
Radio: WNML-FM 99.1 in Knoxville. The Vol Network radio broadcast can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee.
KenPom Prediction: Tennessee 75, Mississippi State 68 (Vols 75% chance to win)
The Line: Tennessee -9.5 (via FanDuel)
A Closer Look: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State is currently one of Joe Lunardi’s last four byes — teams not going to the First Four — after the Quad 2 win over LSU on Thursday. State was a No. 11 seed in Lunardi’s seed list as of Tuesday.
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After the win over Tennessee on January 10, Mississippi State lost five of its next seven games, then won five straight, then ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak.
Friday’s game is a Quad 1 game for both teams and another opportunity to improve their respective NCAA Tournament resumes. The Vols are still chasing the program’s first No. 1 seed and needs wins in the SEC Tournament to match North Carolina in the ACC Tournament.
Mississippi State on Thursday was ranked No. 42 in the NET. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 39 overall in the KenPom.com ratings. They’re No. 22 in adjusted defensive efficiency, giving up 96.8 points per 100 possessions, and are No. 64 in adjusted offensive efficiency, at 113.6 points per 100 possessions.
Tennessee is No. 5 in the NET with a 7-6 Quad 1 record, 6-1 Quad 2 record and a combined 11-0 record in Quad 3 and Quad 4.
