Georgia Bulldogs vs Tennessee Volunteers Prediction & Match Preview - February 10, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball
After some schedule adjustments, the Tennessee Volunteers will host the Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday night.
The Volunteers were originally scheduled to face the Florida Gators, but the game was suspended due to the latter dealing with COVID-19 related issues.
However, the NCAA quickly jumped on the opportunity and rescheduled the Volunteers to take on a different conference rival, the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Tennessee Volunteers were initially scheduled to play against the Bulldogs on March 3rd, but the game has been pushed up to keep both teams in rhythm as we approach the final third of the season.
Match Details
Fixture: Georgia Bulldogs vs Tennessee Volunteers - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 10, 8:00 PM ET
Venue: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers Preview
The Tennessee Volunteers dropped five places in the AP Top-25 Poll after going 1-1 last week, with their loss coming to the unranked Ole Miss Rebels.
If the Volunteers are to regain their ranking and try to ensure a promising seed come tournament time, they will need to become more consistent.
In their latest game against the Kentucky Wildcats, the Volunteers came out with the victory, but it was a tale of two halves.
The Tennessee Volunteers had early foul trouble and made multiple careless errors heading into the break down 42-34. Once halftime hit, they came out looking like a whole new team. They took better care of the basketball and played at a much faster pace, outscoring the Wildcats 48-29 in the final 20 minutes.
Here's what Tennessee's head coach, Rick Barnes, had to say about his team's inconsistent performance:
"Too many fouls early. We got ourselves in trouble. What we did in the second half was what we were trying to get done in the first half."
If the Tennessee Volunteers are to live up to the talent they have on their roster, they will need to learn to put together a focused performance for a full 40 minutes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
When things are clicking for the Volunteers, they look like one of the country's best teams.
Key Player - Jaden Springer
Jaden Springer is the key player for the Tennessee Volunteers. The freshman guard scored a career-high 23 points in his previous outing on 52.9% shooting.
Much like the team's play, Springer's scoring numbers have been all over the map this season. At times, he looks like he is the best player on the court who will score whenever he touches the ball. However, there are other times when he finishes a game with just one field goal.
If Springer can continue his career-high scoring night, the Volunteers will have no issues defeating the Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday night.
Tennessee Volunteers' Predicted Lineup
F John Fulkerson, F Yves Pons, G Santiago Vescovi, G Jaden Springer, G Keon Johnson
Georgia Bulldogs Preview
The Georgia Bulldogs head into Tennessee on Tuesday night with the hopes of coming away with an upset and boosting their chances at earning a place in the March Madness Tournament.
The Bulldogs currently have a 12-6 record on the year and have won three consecutive games.
In their last three games, the Bulldogs have converted on 54.43% of their shoots and have scored 46.83% of their attempts from behind the arc.
The Georgia Bulldogs will need to have their best performance of the year to knock off the Tennessee Volunteers. If they can continue to shoot the ball above 50% from the field, they will have a likelier chance to do so.
Key Player - Sahvir Wheeler
Sahvir Wheeler is the key player for the Georgia Bulldogs. The sophomore guard ranked in the top-six nationally for assists, averaging 7.44 per game, according to teamrankings.com.
Wheeler is also the leading scorer for the Georgia Bulldogs this season, with 13.6 points per game. In the last three games, he scored a total of 39 points.
If the Bulldogs are to defeat their conference rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers, Wheeler will need to produce close to a double-double in points and assists.
Georgia Bulldogs' Predicted Lineup
F P.J. Horne, F Tounmani Camara, F Sahvir Wheeler, G Justin Kier, G Tye Fagan
Georgia vs Tennessee Match Prediction
The Tennessee Volunteers could lose to a less-talented opponent. We saw it just last week when they were upset by Ole Miss. However, against the Georgia Bulldogs, they will have a matchup advantage in the backcourt with Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer, who combined for 50 points in their last game.
We expect it to be a closely contested outing before the Tennessee Volunteers pull away late in the game.
Where to watch Georgia vs Tennessee
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.