Tennessee will begin their 2018 SEC schedule playing against the same team they ended their 2017 conference schedule against.
The No. 3 Vols (11-1) will host Georgia (8-4) on Saturday to tip-off SEC play for both squads. Tennessee comes into Saturday’s game having won seven-straight games, and Georgia is riding a three-game winning streak themselves.
Tennessee owns a 95-60 all-time record over Georgia, but the Bulldogs have owned the Vols in recent history. Tennessee beat Georgia in last year’s season finale to clinch a share of the SEC regular season title, but before that the Bulldogs had won five-straight games over UT, and they’ve won nine of the last 12 games they’ve played against the Vols.
Saturday’s game will feature two very experienced coaches. Georgia’s Tom Crean is in his first year with the Bulldogs, but this year marks his 19th season as a college basketball head coach. Rick Barnes is in the midst of his 32nd year as a head coach and his fourth with Tennessee.
Georgia enters Saturday’s game with a very solid defense and a good offense. The Bulldogs are holding opponents to just 38 percent shooting from the floor, and they’re averaging a little over six blocks per game as a team. Sophomore forward Nicolas Claxton has about half of those blocks, averaging 3.1 per game to go along with 13.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a game.
Sophomore forward Rayshaun Hammonds (15.0) and junior guard Tyree Crump (11.3) also average double figures in scoring, and Derek Ogbeide (9.3) and TeShaun Hightower (8.2) round out the leading scorers for the Bulldogs.
The Dawgs are giving up just 70.5 points per game while scoring 79.2 points a game themselves. Tennessee, meanwhile, is holding opponents to 37.7 percent shooting and just 66.4 points while scoring 85.5 points per game.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Vols’ match-up with the Bulldogs on Saturday. And if you can’t make it to the game, here’s how you can watch and listen to the Tennessee vs. Georgia game.
Tip-Off: 3:30 Eastern, January 5th, Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, TN)
TV: SEC Network
Streaming Online: WatchESPN.com or ESPN app
Radio: Vol Network (99.1 FM or 990 AM in Knoxville/surrounding areas)
Line: Tennessee (-14)
