Three Things to Know: Mizzou Faces Top Ranked Tennessee

The No. 15 Missouri Tigers have another challenge in the SEC in front of them, this time against the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Tennessee, despite its four SEC losses, plays basketball like one of the best teams in the country, hence the ranking. They held the top spot in the AP Poll for five weeks until a blowout loss to the Florida Gators, one that took many by surprise. They added three more SEC losses after that, but despite the defeats, are still playing at a high level.

Beating anyone in Knoxville will not be easy. They have only one loss at home to the Kentucky Wildcats by a narrow 78-73 margin. Outside of that game, Tennessee has done as good a job as anyone, including the Missouri Tigers, at protecting home court.

That being said, here are three things to know about the fourth-ranked Volunteers ahead of Missouri’s road test against them:

Simply put, the Volunteers are one of the best defensive teams in the country. In fact, KenPom lists them as the top defensive team in the nation with the best defensive efficiency ranking of 85.4 with a three-score advantage over the second-place team.

The Volunteers are also allowing the lowest points per game of any team in the SEC at 58.6. They force 13.4 turnovers per game as well. Tennessee’s defensive intensity and desire to play hard-nosed defense is impressive and legitimately better than everyone in the country. There’s a catch to that intense defense, however.

That catch is on the offensive side of the ball. The Volunteers are not as talented when it comes to scoring the ball as others in the SEC, scoring the second-lowest points per game in the conference. KenPom also lists them as the No. 40 best defense in the country.

The vast difference between the levels of play on both sides of the ball for Tennessee is puzzling and is probably what is holding them back from turning those wins into losses. They have talented scorers in the likes of Chaz Lanier, Jordan Gainey and Igor Milicic Jr. but still struggle to put the ball in the hoop.

In a conference where scoring is so important, it’s impressive that Tennessee has hung around and dominated like they have nationally and in the SEC. Not doing that at a high level will hold them back late in SEC play and in March Madness, two areas Tennessee would presumably like to find success in.

As of now, with a lone injury and a surprising mid-season transfer, the Volunteers have eight players who consistently earn minutes each game. The core starting five of Zakai Zeigler, Gainey, Lanier, Milicic and big man Felix Okpara are a solid group of five to lean on with Darlinstone Dubar, Cade Phillips and Jahmai Mashack to fall back on.

Milicic and Zeigler were both injured in a 20-point blowout against and were both kept off the initial injury report for the game. A group of eight players isn’t bad for the SEC, but when injuries plague them, life gets harder.

The Missouri Tigers are the exact opposite. At certain points, each scholarship player on the roster was playing in a given game. That number has narrowed out to 10 or 11 players now but head coach Dennis Gates is absolutely not afraid to dig into his bench.

The Volunteers were undefeated and deemed the top team in the country for a five-week stretch before a shocking blowout loss against Florida. They dropped another 11 days later in Nashville against the Vanderbilt Commodores, then lost two more back-to-back against Auburn and Kentucky.

Vanderbilt was the only unranked team they’ve lost to so far. They played arguably the best they have all season and Tennessee simply wasn’t ready for it. The win also thrust Vanderbilt into the top 25 for a week.

The point being, Tennessee has shown vulnerabilities in conference play. It will take a Mississippi State-tier offensive performance for the Tigers to leave Knoxville with a victory, something they’ve proven they can do. Another road win for the Tigers would certainly legitimize its season and would send a scare to the Volunteers,

Where Mizzou Places in Bracketology, KenPom and More in First Week of February
Mizzou Basketball Remains Ranked After Week 14 Poll Updates
Tennessee Guard Expected to Return From Injury for Mizzou Matchup