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Missouri basketball's first SEC tournament opponent is set. Here's what to know about Tennessee

matt stahl, columbia daily tribune
·4 min read
Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi (25) dribbles down the court during an NCAA college basketball game between the Missouri Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Saturday Feb. 11, 2023.
Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi (25) dribbles down the court during an NCAA college basketball game between the Missouri Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Saturday Feb. 11, 2023.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Missouri basketball’s first SEC tournament opponent is set. The Tigers will take on Tennessee Friday, after the Volunteers beat Ole Miss to move into the tournament quarterfinals.

After the game, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said one of the keys to victory would be overcoming Missouri's defense.

"They're one of the best teams in the country at turning you over and getting steals," Barnes said. "Again, it's understanding taking care of the basketball, it's gonna be really important, and not letting them get out in transit with turnovers."

Before the Tigers take the court for Friday’s game, which is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN, here’s what to know about the matchup

Cold finish

Early on during the 2022-23 campaign, Tennessee looked like one of the best teams in college basketball. The Volunteers earned early season wins over Gonzaga, Kansas and Maryland, and looked like they were going to spend the entire year on top.

Then things went south. During the SEC/ Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28, Tennessee beat No. 10 Texas in Knoxville but followed it up with a loss to Florida in Gainesville.

After that, UT rebounded with an ugly 46-43 win over Auburn, but then disaster struck. The Volunteers lost to Vanderbilt on a buzzer-beater, then dropped the Missouri game in the exact same manner.

Tennessee hasn’t seemed to fully recover from the stretch. It beat Alabama in its next game, but has since dropped matchups against Kentucky and Texas A&M, plus a rematch with Auburn in the season finale.

Missing piece

When Missouri last faced Tennessee, Zakai Zeigler was making plays. The Tennessee guard had 10 assists in the matchup, nearly helping the Volunteers earn a comeback victory.

Zeigler also contributed 11 points, three rebounds and two steals to the effort. He was a major focus of Tennessee’s attack throughout the season.

Unfortunately for the Volunteers, Zeigler won’t be playing against Missouri. He will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee and had the leg fully immobilized during the Volunteers' open practice on the Bridgestone Arena.

Given how important Zeigler was to the Volunteers, his absence could be a major problem for the team as it faces tougher opponents in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes work with his team during the second half of a second round SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament game against Mississippi at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 9, 2023.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes work with his team during the second half of a second round SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament game against Mississippi at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 9, 2023.

The last matchup

Tennessee was favored to beat Missouri when the two teams last met. The Tigers were struggling on the road, losing to Florida, Texas A&M and Mississippi State early in away SEC games, with their only road win coming at Ole Miss.

Then, Missouri showed up in a big way. Dennis Gates and company dominated the first half, heading to the locker room up 44-32.

In the second, the Volunteers came storming back. Tennessee had cruised into the lead and was up two points when DeAndre Gholston grabbed the final inbound pass and started running up the Thompson-Boling Arena court.

The rest is history. Gholston threw up a prayer from the logo and it landed. Missouri won the game 86-85.

"Their guards keep going downhill and they drive the ball hard," Barnes said Thursday of the Tigers. "They're gonna make you pay for turning it over, that's what I can tell you."

How the Volunteers got here

Ole Miss gave Tennessee a game early on in Thursday’s matchup. The two teams dueled back and fourth for most of the first half, and the Volunteers weren’t able to pull away in any meaningful manner.

The Rebels were even able to take the lead for portions of the half. Part of the issue for the Volunteers was their 14 turnovers throughout the game.

"Just sloppiness and us being undisciplined," UT's Josiah Jordan-James said. "Like coach said, for us to win the next game, we're gonna have to be a lot more disciplined, get a lot smarter in the next 24 hours."

At the first-half buzzer, Jordan James hit a 3-pointer to give Tennessee a 39-33 lead. Then, in the second half, the Volunteers did what they were supposed to.

Tennessee ended the matchup with a 70-55 victory. Jordan-James led the Volunteers with 20 points.

Jordan-James also led the team in rebounds, with seven. Olivier Nkamhoua was first in assists, with four.

The Rick Barnes record

Last year’s Tennessee team was hot at the right time for the SEC tournament. The No. 2 seed Volunteers marched through Mississippi State and Kentucky on the way to a championship game matchup with Texas A&M.

The 2021-22 Volunteers dominated that game, winning 65-50 against the No. 8-seeded Aggies. It was the school’s first conference tournament win since 1979, fifth ever.

Since the SEC revived its basketball tournament, Rick Barnes is its most successful coach in the event, with a 10-5 overall record. Barnes is the only Volunteer coach since the renewal of the tournament to have a winning record in it.

In the all-time series between Tennessee and Missouri, the Volunteers hold an 11-9 edge.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri basketball: What to know about Tennessee SEC tournament game