Tennessee vs. Auburn: Preview and Prediction
The No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers (21-6, 11-3 SEC) take on No. 11 Auburn (21-6, 10-4) in Knoxville Wednesday and look to extend their claim to the SEC regular season title. But, Auburn is just trailing one game behind for a stake in that claim.
The SEC Title Race
Tennessee is looking for its 5th straight win after dismantling Texas A&M over the weekend. The Vols are 13-1 at home this season with a net rating of +32.7 point differential per 100 possessions.
But with four contests remaining, Auburn has a real shot at winning the SEC regular season title if they can pull the upset in Knoxville. Auburn’s next three games aren’t too tough as the team plays Mississippi State, Missouri, and Georgia to finish the regular season. Tennessee has to finish the season against four Quad-1 teams in Auburn, at Alabama, South Carolina, and Kentucky. But, if Tennessee can sweep all four of those tough games, not only will the Vols win their second regular season title under Rick Barnes, but should convince the selection committee that this team deserves a 1-seed going into the tournament.
Aidoo vs Johni Broome
Johni Broome is an elite forward who is averaging 16.1 points per game while also leading the team with 8.6 rebounds per game. Broome is also an elite rim protector, averaging over 2 blocks per game. Jonas Aidoo, meanwhile, is averaging 12 PPG and 7.6 RPG. Aidoo is going to have to play like he did against Arkansas and not like he has this season against other big elite forwards. He’s going to have to outwork Johni Broome on the boards and give Tennessee some second-chance points. If Aidoo can’t hold his own against Broome, it could be a long night. But, if Aidoo plays like we know he can, we could be in for a special night.
Dalton Knecht Will Be Too Much For Auburn
Don’t get me wrong, Auburn is playing some great defense this season. But, Dalton Knecht has performed against good defenses before. If Knecht goes for 20+, it’s hard to see how that doesn’t translate into a Vol win.
Knecht is averaging 20.1 PPG and is hitting threes at a 40.3% rate. He is only trailing Mark Sears who has 20.4 ppg in the SEC. Knecht will have another big night in front of a raucous Tennessee crowd and that will end up being the difference.
Jaylin Williams Status
Bruce Pearl on Tuesday said that “Jaylin will travel with the team” and be a game-time decision. Broome’s partner and Auburn’s No. 2 scorer went down on Feb. 17 with a knee injury against Kentucky but traveled with the team to Georgia last week. Williams is averaging 13 ppg and shooting 41.4% on 3-pointers.
Score Prediction: Tennessee 79 Auburn 72
The Vols are 13-1 at home for a reason. There are no other fanbases as rowdy as Tennessee’s and with the SEC regular season title on the line and Bruce Pearl being in the building, it might be straight pandemonium. Auburn is a formidable opponent and Pearl is a great coach so it does stay close for most of the game but Knecht and the Vols will be too much in the second half.
