Tennessee basketball vs. Mississippi State: Scouting report, score prediction

Tennessee basketball is coming off back-to-back big offensive games heading into Starkville, Mississippi.

The No. 18 Vols (16-6, 7-3 SEC) face Mississippi State (14-8, 5-4) on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2). UT scored 90 and 81 points in its past two games against Texas A&M and South Carolina, respectively.

Here is what to know about the matchup:

Iverson Molinar is one of the SEC's best

Mississippi State guard Iverson Molinar is one of the SEC's top players once again. The junior guard is scoring 18.2 points per game this season but has upped his scoring to 20.6 points per game in SEC play.

"He’s a candidate for the SEC Player of the Year," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Monday. "He’s phenomenal around the basket. You look at what he does around the rim, the way he’s got everything you can imagine, that a terrific guard would have. That’s a guy that is getting game-planned for every night and he’s still delivering."

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Molinar has scored at least 20 points in five of his past eight games, including a 30-point game at Kentucky on Jan. 25. Molinar does most of his damage inside the arc, as he's not a standout 3-point shooter.

3-pointers vs. 2-pointers

Tennessee was 14-for-27 on 3-pointers in its 81-57 win against South Carolina on Saturday. The Vols have made at least 10 3-pointers in four of their past five games, and their 14 against the Gamecocks were the most they've made in an SEC game.

Mississippi State has taken the fewest 3-pointers in the SEC with 376. Tennessee has taken 585 and is one of two SEC teams with at least 200 made 3-pointers.

Replacing Olivier Nkamhoua

Tennessee will be without Olivier Nkamhoua likely for the remainder of the season. The Vols' junior forward suffered a left ankle injury against South Carolina that will require surgery.

UT likely will start guard Justin Powell in place of Nkamhoua, while it will rely more on the post trio of John Fulkerson, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Uros Plavsic. Huntley-Hatfield has perhaps the biggest chance to expand his role.

Freshman forward Jonas Aidoo, who has played 15 minutes this season, also could factor into UT's plans.

"We will need some guys and it is a great opportunity for guys," Barnes said. "We are going to see who wants to capture it and go with it.”

Zakai Zeigler is adding to Tennessee's offensive success

Zakai Zeigler was named the SEC freshman of the week after scoring 32 points and hitting 6 of 11 3-pointers against Texas A&M and South Carolina.

The 5-foot-9 freshman guard has scored at least 11 points in six of UT's past eight games.

"I think what is most important to him is that we win the game and how he plays," Barnes said. "He has been such a dynamic spark coming off the bench that it is really hard to take him out of that role right now.”

More: Trains, sacrifices and a last chance: Zakai Zeigler's journey to Tennessee basketball

SEC Tournament positioning

Tennessee has won five straight SEC games since its 107-79 loss at Kentucky on Jan. 15. That winning streak has pushed UT firmly into the race for a double-bye in the SEC Tournament.

The Vols have a two-game edge on Mississippi State, and a win would give UT a significant margin heading into the final seven games of SEC play. UT and MSU are two of the six teams with winning records in conference play.

Auburn, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee have emerged from the pack with LSU's slide.

Score prediction

Tennessee 67, Mississippi State 62: Tennessee has found an offensive rhythm in the past few games, including an elite performance at South Carolina on Saturday. The Vols keep it going in Starkville.

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 basketball vs Mississippi State: Score prediction, scouting report