KNOXVILLE - The Tennessee men's basketball team will try to shake off back-to-back losses when it returns to action at 2 p.m. EST Saturday at Mississippi State.
The Volunteers (12-8, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) are coming off a disappointing 63-58 home loss to Texas A&M on Tuesday that followed last Saturday's Big 12/SEC Challenge defeat at No. 3 Kansas. The Bulldogs (13-7, 4-3) have won four of their past five games, with the most recent an 78-71 victory at Florida on Tuesday.
With the Vols nearing the midway point of the 18-game league schedule, the matchup at Humphrey Coliseum will be a big battle against another team in the top half of the SEC standings.
Here are three keys for the Vols to earn the victory:
1. Win the battle of strengths: Tennessee's defense is ranked first in the SEC in efficiency, allowing 92.1 points per every 100 possessions in league games. Mississippi State's offense is ranked third. The Vols also rank first in 2-point field-goal-percentage defense and block percentage, blocking one of every five field-goal attempts by opponents in league play. Basically, the Vols' defense is what will keep them in games this season while the offense still attempts to figure things out. Tennessee will need to turn away some shots by the Bulldogs - or at least affect them - and be better on defense than Mississippi State is on offense.
2. Everybody has to board: According to the official statistics, the Vols surrendered 23 offensive rebounds against Texas A&M. When he spoke to reporters Thursday, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said his review of the game video suggested the number was closer to 13. Even that would be a lot, though, and things won't get any easier against the Bulldogs, who are the second-best offensive rebounding team in the country, according to KenPom.com's advanced stats, getting the ball back on 40% of their misses this season. There can't be a Tennessee player caught watching shots in Starkville; everybody is going to have to go rebound for the Vols to have a chance.
3. Don't turn the ball over ... and take good shots: Tennessee has an efficient offense - when it gets good shots. The Vols shoot well from inside the 3-point line, having made more than 52% of those during league play so far. But they have turned the ball over at an alarming rate against SEC opponents, averaging one miscue every five possessions to rank last in the league. When teams don't employ pressure defense, Tennessee freshman point guards Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi seem to have some success. Mississippi State hasn't shown a ton of pressure this season - at least not in an attempt to force turnovers - but even so, Tennessee can be effective if it takes good shots. The Vols just need to make sure they value the basketball so those good shots are available.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.