KNOXVILLE - Tennessee's basketball team is back on the court Monday at 7 p.m. for a battle against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The 20th-ranked Vols (4-0) most recently claimed a 35-point win over Alabama State on Nov. 20. That same night, the Mocs (3-2) fell by 36 on the road at Florida State.
Tennessee has dominated the series, having won 33 of the 39 games all-time, but it was the Mocs that came into Knoxville in the most recent meeting and won 82-69 on Nov. 11, 2016, the second season under Barnes. Only two players on these rosters - Tennessee senior guards Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner - played in that game, with Turner scoring 12 points in 23 minutes and Bowden playing only six minutes and not scoring.
Here are three things to look for entering the game:
Can this be a "depth" game? After Monday, the Vols' schedule gets substantially more difficult, with Florida State, either Virginia Commonwealth or Purdue in the Emerald Coast Classic, followed by Memphis, Cincinnati and Wisconsin all up on the upcoming schedule. The Vols have had depth issues the past couple of seasons - there's a difference between playing a seven-man rotation and having only seven players you trust - and games against a mid-major such as UTC is the perfect type of "show me" game for a coach like Rick Barnes, who is practically begging anybody on his bench to show they can contribute to take pressure off the starting five.
Minutes in the post: It may be a loss that barely moves the meter on paper, but Zach Kent's decision to step away from the program further depletes the interior depth for the Vols. Currently, Tennessee has John Fulkerson, Yves Pons and Olivier Nkamhoua as the lone post options. Barnes suggested that 6-foot-6 freshman guard Josiah-Jordan James may have to log minutes inside, which he could do from a defensive perspective due to his 208-pound frame. Freshmen Drew Pember and Davonte Gaines could wind up being options as well. Both are slightly built (Pember is listed at 6-9, 207 and Gaines 6-7, 178) but the benefit to playing either at the 4 is that they could provide mismatches on the other end of the court.
Guarding the 3: The Mocs present a challenge not unlike Murray State in that they are committed to the 3. UTC's starting lineup features multiple perimeter options in guard David Jean-Baptiste and Vanderbilt graduate transfer Matt Ryan, as well as a couple of playmaking options in 6-7 forward Rod Johnson and guard Maurice Commander. All are capable 3-point shooters, which was unlike the Racers in that they had one primary shooting option. UTC averages 8.4 3-pointers per game this season and have three games with at least nine. The Vols are well-equipped to handle the Mocs with their superior length, but it could get interesting if the visitors can throw some different actions at the Vols that the younger players may not have seen.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.