The Vols’ men’s basketball team returns home on Tuesday night after a week away on the road.
No. 3 Tennessee (14-1, 3-0 SEC) will host Arkansas (10-5, 1-2 SEC) on Tuesday night for their first home game since they opened SEC play against Georgia a week and a half ago. The Vols are currently riding a 10-game winning streak and have won their first three SEC games by an average of 27 points. Arkansas, meanwhile, has lost two consecutive games after winning their first SEC game of the conference season.
The Vols and Razorbacks are tied at 20 wins apiece in their basketball series that dates back to the 1930s. Tennessee ended a six-game losing streak to Arkansas last year when they downed them 84-66 in the SEC Tournament to advance to the SEC Tournament Finals. The Vols avenged a 95-93 overtime loss to the Razorbacks earlier that season with the win.
Arkansas is one of the youngest teams in the country. The Razorbacks don’t have a single senior on the roster and had to replace a lot of talent and production off last year’s team.
The Razorbacks are led by star sophomore Daniel Gafford. The 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game this season, and he’s a projected first round NBA Draft pick. Arkansas also has a duo of guards who can score the ball effectively in Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe. Both average over 14 points per game, and Jones averages 4.9 rebounds and three assists per game.
Junior point guard Jalen Harris is effective as the Razorbacks’ floor general, averaging 8.8 points and 6.5 assists a contest while only turning the ball over an average of 1.5 times a game.
Arkansas averages 79.6 points per game and shoots 44.9 percent as a team, but their defense has been their weak point so far this season.
The Razorbacks are holding opponents to just a 39.3 percent shooting percentage this season, but they’re giving up 71 points per game. Arkansas is also only shooting 64 percent from the free throw line as a team, which ranks them 322nd out of 353 Division I teams.
Tennessee enters Tuesday’s game with the second-best team shooting percentage in the country (51.5 percent), and they’ve only allowed teams to make 37.2 percent of their attempts. That ranks fifth in college basketball.
Jordan Bowden has been on fire in SEC play so far. He’s come off the bench and scored 20 points against Georgia, 20 points against Missouri, and 17 points against Florida. He’s currently averaging 19 points per game off the bench in conference play.
If you can’t make it to the game tonight, here’s how you can watch and listen to the Tennessee vs. Arkansas game.
Tip-Off: 7:00 Eastern, January 15th, Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, TN)
TV: ESPN2
Streaming Online: WatchESPN.com or ESPN app
Radio: Vol Network (99.1 FM or 990 AM in Knoxville/surrounding areas)
Line: Tennessee (-14)
