NCAAM: Tennessee vs Arkansas
Tennessee and Arkansas will square off in Fayetteville, AR, this Saturday afternoon. Tennessee will put their eight-game conference win streak on the line as the Vols and Razorbacks go to battle on the hardwood.
How to Watch – No. 16 Tennessee (19-6, 10-3 SEC) @ No. 23 Arkansas (20-6, 9-4 SEC)
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022
- Start Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. CT
- TV: ESPN
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN/The ESPN App
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
Odds and Statistics
Betting odds will be updated upon their release.
- Fanduel Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives Tennessee a 59.6 percent chance to win the game.
Additional Read from RTI: Meet Jonas Aidoo: Tennessee’s Next Big Thing
Previous Matchups
- Tennessee and Arkansas have squared off nearly 50 times on the hardwood, with the Vols leading the close series with the Hogs 23-21. However, Tennessee has only taken the series lead after winning four of their last five matchups.
- As noted in the Tennessee Game Notes, “Saturday’s game marks the first time in the history of this series that both the Vols and Razorbacks will be ranked in the AP Top 25 at tip-off.
- Arkansas has always played Tennessee well at home, though, winning six straight matchups in Fayetteville and leading Tennessee 11-4 overall.
Probable Starters (via UT Sports)
Stat Leaders
Tennessee:
- Points: Santiago Vescovi – 13.8 PPG, 43.1 FG%, 72.3 FT%
- Rebounds: Josiah-Jordan James – 5.6 RPG, 3.8 DRPG, 1.8 ORPG
- Assists: Kennedy Chandler – 4.9 APG, 2.7 TOPG, 33.2 MPG
Arkansas:
- Points: JD Notae – 18.8 PPG, 41.9 FG%, 75 FT%
- Rebounds: Jaylin Williams – 9.3 RPG, 7.8 DRPG, 1.5 ORPG
- Assists: JD Notae – 3.5 APG, 2.7 TOPG, 33.2 MPG
Mail Time
Q: Where has Arkansas been all season?
A: The Razorbacks have had a wild year to say the least. Expectations were high to start the season for Eric Musselman’s squad, which began the year rattling off win after win against non-conference opponents. However, Arkansas was buried after a disastrous stretch between December and January. The Razorbacks lost five out of six games and were written off by many. However, since then, Arkansas has been on a tear. The Razorbacks have found their stride once again and have won 10 out of their last 11 including a win over No. 1 Auburn. The Razorbacks dug themselves a significant hole to begin 2022, but have erupted out of it since and are playing good basketball.
Q: What kind of road atmosphere can Tennessee expect?
A: An electric one. Did you see the Auburn game? It was absolute chaos. The students rushing the court literally prevented a brawl from breaking out between the Auburn and Arkansas players. It was a madhouse. Bud Walton Arena’s fans are known to get up for big games and make no mistake, Tennessee is a big game. Arkansas is putting together a red-out for the game, likely trying to cover over any orange that may be in the crowd. According to SeatGeek, as of 11:30 am on Friday, less than 100 tickets remain for the contest and the minimum ticket is over $140. This is going to be a big afternoon for the fans in Fayetteville. They are salivating for another Top 20 win.
Last Five Games
Tennessee
- 2/15/22 – W – Kentucky 63 @ Tennessee 76
- 2/12/22 – W – Vanderbilt 64 @ Tennessee 73
- 2/9/22 – W – Tennessee 72 @ Mississippi State 63
- 2/5/22 – W – Tennessee 81 @ South Carolina 57
- 2/1/22 – W – Texas A&M 80 @ Tennessee 90
Arkansas
- 2/15/22 – W – Arkansas 76 @ Missouri 57
- 2/12/22 – L – Arkansas 67 @ Alabama 68
- 2/8/22 – W/OT – Auburn 76 @ Arkansas 80
- 2/5/22 – W – Mississippi State 55 @ Arkansas 63
- 2/2/22 – W – Arkansas 99 @ Georgia 73
Prediction:
Two good teams will meet in an unbelievable environment on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville. And in reality, both teams have done a good job of erasing their mistakes from earlier in the season. After suffering some horrendous losses before/during conference play, Arkansas is as hot as any team right now as winners of 10 of their last 11. Meanwhile, even though Tennessee spent most of the season as a poor road team, the Vols have been victorious in two challenging road environments in the midst of their current eight-game conference win streak. It’s hard to pick this game. Tennessee is the better team on paper, but Arkansas does have the best win among both teams. In fact, both teams’ best win came at home against a Top 4 opponent. I think that no matter what happens, this will be a close game, just like it is a close overall series. The key for Tennessee will be if Fulkerson, Aidoo, Huntley-Hatfield, or Plavsic can step up and lock down the responsibilities of the paint. That was a critical factor in Tennessee’s win over Kentucky, and the Vols do have the horses to repeat that performance. At this point, I think I am rambling because I still can’t pick a winner. For that reason, I’m leaning towards the home team. I do think Tennessee will win in Knoxville to close the season, though. These teams will play twice between Saturday and the final game of the season on March 5.
No. 16 Tennessee 75, No. 23 Arkansas 76
