Tennessee vs. South Carolina: SEC title on the line
The No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers (23-6, 13-3 SEC) take on No. 16 South Carolina (24-5, 12-4) in Columbia, South Carolina on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
Vols-Gamecocks Battle for SEC Title
Tennessee can secure their second SEC regular season title with a win at South Carolina after Florida defeated Alabama. Both teams are coming into the game red hot, with the Vols on a 6 SEC-game winning streak and the Gamecocks winners in 13 of their last 15. During that streak, South Carolina beat the Vols in Knoxville back in January, holding Tennessee to just 59 points, a season-low. Undoubtedly, Tennessee is looking for revenge and what better way to get that than by winning the SEC?
The Matchup
According to ESPN, The Vols have a 73.2% chance to win in Columbia on Wednesday night. The Vols do match up well against the Gamecocks, granted they have lost once to them already. But, the Vols also couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat in that game. And, while the Gamecocks can score, it isn’t their strong suit. South Carolina’s game is similar to the Vols of old, as they play lockdown defense and win close. Their lead scorer, Meechie Johnson, isn’t in the same league as Knecht as he is only averaging 14.2 ppg and shooting 40.9% from the field. And, other than Meechie, South Carolina doesn’t have a very deep bench or a solid number 2 scorer.
Another matchup that the Vols will take advantage of is the forward position. Aidoo is 4 inches taller and 10 pounds heavier than Murray-Boyles. Aidoo is also outrebounding and scoring Murray-Boyles. I suspect Aidoo will play very aggressively and have a big night. And don’t forget about Awaka either, the duo will be tough to outplay for a full game.
Tennessee showed in a tough match in Tuscaloosa that they don’t have to rely on Knecht. Against the Tide, the Vols had 4 players in double digits and the bench stepped up as well. That’s something South Carolina is going to struggle with if they can’t slow the tempo and this becomes a shootout. Zeigler has shown he can take charge and change the pace on a whim last week. Expect him to do it again with a tired South Carolina defense in the second half.
Score Prediction:
Tennessee 77, South Carolina 69: The Vols are getting red hot at the right time. A huge road win against a talented Alabama squad was a tipping point for this team and the Vols will have another great team showing on Wednesday night whether Knecht gets hot or not. South Carolina’s great defense will keep this a close and slow game in the first half, but the Vols' electric offense will be too much.
