Tennessee basketball vs. Ole Miss: Score prediction, scouting report

Tennessee basketball's pursuit of an SEC regular-season title starts Wednesday.

The No. 10 Vols (10-2) open against Ole Miss (8-4) on Wednesday (5 p.m. ET, SEC Network). Tennessee has won 69 games against SEC teams in the regular season and SEC Tournament in the past five seasons.

Here is what to know about the matchup:

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Santiago Vescovi is heating up

Santiago Vescovi was 5-for-5 on 3-pointers against Austin Peay, matching his season high. It was Vescovi's best shooting showing thus far this season and raised his 3-point percentage to 32.1%.

"Santi shooting, whether he is making them or not, is always going to open up space for everybody else," forward Olivier Nkamhoua said. "When he is making them, it really makes the court open up and makes the game easier for everybody.”

Vescovi is tied with Olivier Nkamhoua as UT's leading scorer with 11.8 points per game. He has a team-high 27 made 3-pointers.

Josiah-Jordan James still dealing with knee soreness

Josiah-Jordan James is still limited due to knee soreness that has been bothering him throughout the season. The senior guard is averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game.

James has not played since Dec. 7 against Eastern Kentucky. He has missed seven games following an offseason knee procedure. Vols coach Rick Barnes said James is "doing a little bit more" with trainer Chad Newman and strength and conditioning coach Garrett Medenwald.

What Rick Barnes said about Ole Miss, Kermit Davis

Rick Barnes lauded the way that Ole Miss rebounds and guards under coach Kermit Davis, who has a 72-65 record in his fifth season in Oxford.

"His teams are going to play hard," Barnes said. "They are going to try to make you get out of your comfort zone, so we’re going to have to be ready.”

Barnes noted Ole Miss mixes defenses, ranging from man-to-man to multiple zone looks including a 1-3-1 that gave UT problems in its past meetings with the Rebels.

Tennessee's recent history with Ole Miss

Tennessee has won six of its past seven meetings against Ole Miss, including a come-from-behind 66-60 win in Knoxville in January.

The Vols lost their most recent trip to Oxford 52-50 after a brutal offensive stretch to close the game. Yves Pons swished a jumper with more than 13 minutes to play, but UT didn't score again from the field for 12:27 as a nine-point lead evaporated. UT was 5-of-20 shooting in the second half with 11 turnovers.

Score prediction

Tennessee 63, Ole Miss 56: Tennessee gets its first road win of the season and starts SEC play well.

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. Ole Miss: Score prediction, scouting report