Tennessee basketball vs. Florida: Scouting report, prediction

Tennessee basketball is trying to keep its perfect home record intact against Florida.

The No. 20 Vols (13-5, 4-3 SEC) host the Gators (12-7, 3-4) on Wednesday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Here is what you need to know:

Josiah-Jordan James is shooting better

Josiah-Jordan James had a miserable game at LSU, shooting 1-for-8 on 3-pointers. But the junior guard has found consistency in his shot since that Jan. 8 outing.

James is 7 of 17 from 3-point range in his past four games, which included an injury-shortened stint at Vanderbilt on Jan. 18. He was 5-for-10 combined against South Carolina and Kentucky. He was 2-for-6 in the rematch against LSU on Saturday.

James has largely struggled shooting this season; he's 26.7% on 3-pointers. But the recent uptick is promising for Tennessee.

Colin Castleton unlikely to play

Florida possesses a potential matchup issue for the Vols with Colin Castleton, but the 6-foot-11 forward is dealing with an injury that could be long term. Castleton, a second-team All-SEC pick last season, is averaging 15.4 points and 9.1 rebounds.

He ranks second in the SEC in shooting (53.6%), blocks (2.8) and rebounds.

Tennessee limited Castleton to 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in two games last season. He did not play in the first meeting in Gainesville, Florida.

Rick Barnes liking effort from freshman pair

UT coach Rick Barnes continued to laud praise on the way freshman forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is developing after Saturday's game. He also was complimentary of freshman guard Kennedy Chandler's effort defensively in the past two games.

"He came up with six big rebounds," Barnes said of Huntley-Hatfield. "He is going to get quicker and better around the rim, understanding that he’s going to have to play quicker when he gets rebounds and gets a chance to score the ball. I thought he was more locked in on defense."

Regarding Chandler, Barnes said he was 10 times better defensively against LSU than he was in the first meeting. He added that Chandler played "probably his best effort game at Vanderbilt."

Tennessee's free-throw conundrum

Tennessee was 1-for-7 at the free-throw line in the first 29 minutes Saturday, including a pair of 0-for-2 trips. The Vols hit nine of their final 11 attempts, a fitting summary of Tennessee's free-throw shooting season.

UT is shooting 67.4% at the free-throw line, which ranks No. 12 in the SEC. The slow start at the line Saturday followed a 25-for-29 effort against Vanderbilt, which was UT's second-best showing this season.

Tennessee averaged 11.6 attempts per game with a high of 18 in its first 10 games. It is averaging 21.9 attempts per game in the past eight games, including five games with at least 20.

UT ranks last in the SEC in attempts (291) and makes (196).

Victor Bailey Jr.'s role is shrinking

Victor Bailey Jr. did not play Saturday for Tennessee, the first time in two seasons that the guard has not appeared in a game in which he was available.

Bailey was Tennessee's leading returning scorer after averaging 10.9 points in 2020-21. But he has struggled, averaging 3.8 points and shooting 22% on 3-pointers.

He has not played double-digit minutes since being used for 20 at Alabama on Dec. 29. He is averaging 4.7 minutes in the past six games, including Saturday.

Freshman Jahmai Mashack has continued to earn more minutes for his defense and rebounding.

Prediction

Tennessee 76, Florida 59: It's simple. Tennessee is a different team at Thompson-Boling Arena, where it is 10-0 this season.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee men's basketball vs. Florida scouting report, prediction