KNOXVILLE – Tennessee probably thought it had faced J.J. Frazier for the last time when Georgia’s senior guard poured in 29 points with six assists in propelling the Bulldogs to a win in Knoxville in February.
The Volunteers thought wrong.
Frazier will have a final chance to terrorize Tennessee again when the eighth-seeded Bulldogs and ninth-seeded Vols face off in the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday afternoon.
“The best way to defend J.J. right now,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Monday, “I would think that if you could tell me where they’re staying, I’m going to get the chef to spike his food.”
Barnes was joking, of course, but Tennessee’s best hopes of slowing the hottest scorer in the SEC may hinge on the 5-foot-10 Frazier somehow not making it to Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.