The No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers will play host to the No. 6 ranked Tennessee Volunteers after a week off from its nail-biting win against No. 23 Georgia.
“They play as good of defense as anybody in the country,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “They’re one of the best one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country, and they can really shoot it well from three. They’ve got three or four guys that can really, really knock it down, and it’s a tough cover.
Pearl and his squad will need to game plan for one of the best players in the conference in senior guard Chaz Lanier, who is averaging 18.4 points and shooting 42% from deep. Lanier has been able to be that go-to guy offensively that Barnes lost last year in former All-American Dalton Knecht.
“He’s been one of the most impactful transfers in college basketball,” Pearl said. “He’s got great size like Dalton (Knecht), incredibly quick release, and he’s made big shots. He’s made contested shots. He could shoot them from three. He’s got a mid-range game.”
“He’s been someone that Coach Barnes trusts and they’ve been able to count on.”
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes has consistently been known for his tough and physical defenses over the years as his team is top-three in defensive efficiency this season. Led by reigning SEC-defensive player of the year Zakai Zeigler who is averaging a career-high in steals with 2.1 per contest.
“They have a system of defenses where they are able to guard everything,” Pearl said. “They do it with great ball pressure. They do it by extending catches. They do it with athleticism. They don’t take possessions off. Everything we do will be extremely well scouted and fits within the framework of what they guard and so it’ll come down to being able to execute, and you know make some tough shots.
As a team, the Volunteers are the best at defending the three point-shot, holding teams to shoot under 30% for the season. Though they have had their own problems with not fouling three-point shooters, as that could be a weakness that helps the Tigers in this matchup.
Rebounding will also be key as Tennessee’s Felix Okpara and Igor Milicic average a combined 14.8 rebounds per contest. With star Johni Broome status uncertain for this game, it will be up to Dylan Cardwell and Chaney Johnson to block out and keep the Vols off the boards and not allow any second chance points.
The matchup of the game will be between Chad-Baker Mazara and Jahmai Mashack, who will most likely be guarding Mazara. When Johni is not on the court for the Tigers, Mazara is the No. 1 option offensively.
The Tigers will take on the Volunteers on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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William Halliday is a junior journalism major from Memphis, Tennessee. He started with the Plainsman in fall 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @wphalliday3
