Tennessee is in desperate need of a victory to keep their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive, but that task could be made even more difficult than it already was going to be thanks to an injury to one of UT’s starters.
The Vols (12-8, 4-3 SEC) are down in Starkville to take on Mississippi State (13-7, 4-3) today in an SEC match-up. But Tennessee might be without one of their starters for the game, as freshman guard Josiah-Jordan James is questionable for the contest.
Without James, the Vols will have to rely even more on a bench that’s been underwhelming as of late.
Tennessee enters Saturday’s contest on a two-game losing streak, losing to No. 3 Kansas on the road and falling to Texas A&M at home. The Vols gave the Jayhawks a tough fight in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, but UT put forth arguably their worst overall performance of the season in a 63-58 loss to the Aggies in Knoxville on Tuesday.
Mississippi State, meanwhile, has won four-straight SEC games and have won four of their last five contests with their only loss coming by one point on the road against Oklahoma in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
The Bulldogs feature a balanced attack on offense and defense, and they have a candidate for SEC Player of the Year on their roster. Sophomore forward Reggie Perry is averaging a double-double on the season, scoring 16.9 points a game and grabbing 10.0 rebounds while also averaging 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Perry has been even better in SEC play, averaging 20.9 points and 10.7 rebounds in seven conference contests. The sophomore has 11 double-doubles on the season.
All-time, the Vols are 85-43 against Mississippi State, including 30-28 against the Bulldogs in Starkville, Tennessee has won four of their last five games against Mississippi State in Humphrey Coliseum, and they’ve beaten the Bulldogs in four-straight match-ups.
Take a look at everything you need to know for today’s match-up. If you couldn’t make it to the game, here’s how you can watch or listen to today’s Tennessee vs. Mississippi State game.
Tip-Off: 2:00 Eastern, February 1st, Humphrey Coliseum (Starkville, MS)
TV: ESPNU (Drew Fellios and Dalen Cuff)
Streaming Online: ESPN.com/watch or ESPN app
Radio: Vol Network
Line: Mississippi State (-5.5)
