Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
THE STORY: The Vols also are part of a four-way gridlock for fourth place in the SEC. Whichever team emerges from that logjam will earn a bye through the opening round of the conference tournament. In contrast, the Rebels have lost two in a row and five of seven.
TV: 8 p.m. EST, SEC Network/ESPN3.
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (15-11, 5-7): The Rebels are well equipped to handle the tough frontcourt matchup presented by the Vol duo of Jeronne Maymon and Jarnell Stokes. Ole Miss has seven players on its roster who stand 6-7 or taller, and rank second in the SEC in rebounding margin in league play. Freshman Jelan Kendrick and junior Reginald Buckner both played in Saturday’s loss to Kentucky despite getting into a pull-apart argument outside the team locker room following last week’s loss to Vanderbilt.
ABOUT TENNESSEE (14-13, 6-6): The Vols have work to do if they want to reach the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight year. Three of Tennessee’s 13 wins have come against teams ranked in the top 15 at the time. Coach Cuonzo Martin talked about seeing Maymon, the team’s top scorer and rebounder in conference games, step out and take more 3-point shots. The Vols had 17 turnovers in Saturday’s loss at Alabama, their highest total of miscues in a game since a Jan. 24 loss at Vandy.
TIP-INS
1. So which team has a better chance at making the NCAA field? It depends on which rating system you follow. Mississippi is 62nd in the RPI and 115th in the Pomeroy ratings. Tennessee, meanwhile, is 110th in RPI and 73rd in the Pomeroy ratings. Regardless, both teams probably need strong finishes and at least one win in the SEC tournament to stay viable.
2. Has Stokes already hit the freshman wall? He’s scored in double figures just once in the past five games. Keep in mind, however, Stokes didn’t even turn 18 years old until last month and technically should still be in high school.
3. A big game could help Ole Miss forward Terrance Henry make history. He stands 24 points away from 1,000 for his career. If he gets there, he’d become just the second Rebel to compile 1,000 rebounds and 100 blocks.
Related posts:
NCAAB - Volunteers continue their march toward a postseason title (Tony Finn) 
0
NCAAB - Thursday NCAA upset alert: Belmont over Wisconsin (James Payton) 0
NCAAB - College basketball betting preview: Wolverines at Illini (Tony Finn) 0
NCAAB - College basketball betting preview: Duke at Maryland (SportsOptions.com) 0
NCAAB - College basketball betting preview: NC State at Duke (SportsOptions.com) 0
RSS
Google
MyYahoo!
MyMSN
NewsGator
BlogLines