The #11 Auburn Tigers travel to Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville to face the red-hot #4 Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday night. Both teams have impressive records (Auburn: 21-6, 10-4 SEC; Tennessee: 21-6, 11-3 SEC) with the Vols leading the conference. The Tigers blew out Georgia 97-76 in Athens in their most recent. Tennessee comes in off an 86-51 blowout win vs. Texas A&M in their last.
Auburn’s Balanced Offense and Strong Defense
Johni Broome. He’s a walking bucket. Broome also dominates the boards. Their ability to spread the scoring load and play physical defense will be crucial. The Tigers average 5.9 BPG and excel at forcing turnovers with over 8 per game.
Tennessee’s Balanced Attack
Dalton Knecht is the clear-cut top two candidate for SEC Player of the Year. He’s averaging over 20 points per game, shooting 40% from three. Jonas Aidoo contributes significantly on the glass with 7.6 RPG. Zakai Zeigler orchestrates the offense with 5.8 APG. Tennessee counters with a strong defensive presence, holding opponents to just 66.6 points per game.
Matchup Intangibles
The “Orange Tsunami” in Thompson-Boling Arena can be intimidating. Can Auburn silence the crowd?
Momentum and Home-Court Advantage
Tennessee rides a four-game winning streak, while Auburn has lost two of their last four. The game is in Knoxville where the Vols are 13-1. Tennessee has not scored less than 86 points at home this month. The Tigers are 4-4 on the road. They have allowed at least 76 points in their last three road games in February.
Close Calls Tight Games
Out of the last five meetings, four were decided by single digits.
Recent Dominance
Auburn is 7-2 against Tennessee in their last nine meetings, including a 79-70 victory in 2023.
Prediction
Both teams are evenly matched. Auburn’s balanced offense and usually tight defense could pose a challenge to Tennessee’s attack and strong defense. However, Tennessee’s home-court advantage, momentum, and crowd give them a big edge. Toss out the recent history of close games. Tennessee stays on top of the SEC and runs away with this one 91-76.
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