SEC Hoops Preview: Tennessee Volunteers Host Arkansas Razorbacks

An important SEC match-up this Saturday as the Arkansas Razorbacks head to Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers.

Both teams are currently close to one another in the bottom half of the standings. The Volunteers, sporting a 13-15 overall record and a conference record of 6-9, are coming off of a tough loss to South Carolina. Tennessee fell behind by as much as 15 points to the Gamecocks at halftime. Duane Notice of South Carolina turned a tight game into a runaway by shooting well behind the arc. Despite the loss, Tennessee’s Devon Baulkman played well leading the team with 19 points.

Switching to the win column, Tennessee has anchored down very impressive wins throughout the season having beaten South Carolina as well as Kentucky, Florida and LSU. Tennessee senior guard Kevin Punter is still listed as day-to-day head coach Rick Barnes announced Monday. If Punter is a go for the game, Arkansas will need to slow down the senior guard who has averaged 22.2 points per game as well as 3.5 assists per game.

Most 20-point games in SEC this season
Stefan Moody 20
Kevin Punter Jr 18
Ben Simmons: 16

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 24, 2016

The Razorbacks will also need to be on the watch for fellow senior Devon Baulkman who has had ups and downs throughout the season but is playing at a high level as of late. This Tennessee team, coached by Rick Barnes, is one to be reckoned with.

This match-up is Tennessee’s third rematch game of the season. Competing against Kentucky, South Carolina and Arkansas this year, the Volunteers have split with both Kentucky and South Carolina. However, this is a different ballgame with Arkansas already having a victory over Tennessee.  Vols head coach Rick Barnes delves into the match-up.

This is a crucial game for both teams moving forward and should turn out to be a good one on the hardwood. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and you can watch the game on the SEC Network.