If playing meaningful college basketball games on the doorstep of March is the objective, then Tennessee and Auburn definitely have that covered.
The No. 4 Volunteers and No. 11 Tigers collide Wednesday night (7 on ESPN2) inside the Food City Center for a showdown that could have ramifications on the Southeastern Conference race and on seeding for the looming NCAA tournament. Both teams are 21-6 overall, with Tennessee 11-3 in SEC play and tied for first with Alabama, and with Auburn 10-4 and tied with South Carolina for third.
“This time of year, I think everybody realizes that the regular season is coming to an end,” Vols coach Rick Barnes said Tuesday afternoon in a news conference. “If you look at the way conferences set up their schedules, they’re really looking to get the teams in terms of preseason projections playing each other this time of year.
“This time of year, if you’re not excited, there is something wrong.”
Tennessee still has No. 14 Alabama, No. 18 South Carolina and No. 16 Kentucky on the schedule after facing Auburn, with Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks providing the unexpected tough test after being picked last in the league before the season. This would mark the first time in program history that the Vols could face four consecutive top-20 teams.