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Tennessee vs Mississippi State: 2022 SEC Tournament game preview, TV schedule

By Matt Melton

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 19: Zakai Zeigler #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to drive to the basket during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 19, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 58-48. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 19: Zakai Zeigler #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to drive to the basket during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 19, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 58-48. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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2022 SEC Tournament Game Preview: Tennessee vs Mississippi State

When: Friday, March 11 at 6:00 pm ET on SEC Network

Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

After a dominant performance over South Carolina on Thursday night, Mississippi State advances to the quarterfinal round on Friday to face the two-seed Tennessee Volunteers.

Making their debut this week in Tampa, Tennessee comes to the 2022 SEC Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the conference having won their last four straight, a stretch that includes wins at home over both Auburn and Arkansas. In their most-recent contest, the Volunteers defeated the Razorbacks 78-74 in a game they never trailed, as well as shooting a phenomenal 12-for-18 from three-point range.

The SEC’s No. 2 seed entering this week, Tennessee finished the regular season with an impressive 14-4 record in conference play, as well as finishing with a 23-7 overall record. An elite defensive team ranked No. 3 in the country according to KenPom, points could be hard to come by against the Volunteers as they only allow 63.3 per game to opponents, as well as scoring 73.6 themselves.

Leading the Volunteers are two guards both averaging 13 PPG in Kennedy Chandler and Santiago Vescovi, both of which were All-SEC selections during the 2021-22 regular season. In addition to those two, Josiah-Jordan James and Zakai Zeigler play key roles in the backcourt, while John Fulkerson headlines an impressive frontcourt alongside Uros Plavsic and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield.

Mississippi State advanced to the quarterfinal round with an impressive 73-51 win over South Carolina, a game in which the Bulldogs dominated the second half out-scoring the Gamecocks 37-17. Despite the Bulldogs only shooting a combined 39.7% from the field, Mississippi State did out-rebound the Gamecocks 49-39, as well as forcing 18 South Carolina turnovers.

The No. 10 seed this week in Tampa after going 8-10 in SEC play, Mississippi State now owns an 18-14 record for the year, and will now be playing Tennessee for the second time this season, having lost previously at home 72-63. A team that averages 71.2 PPG on 45.7% shooting, Mississippi State is also a strong team defensively allowing only 66.7 PPG to opponents.

Leading the Bulldogs is star guard and First Team All-SEC selection Iverson Molinar, as well as two experienced post players in Garrison Brooks and Tolu Smith, with Smith coming off a double-double on Thursday night. Shakeel Moore and Andersson Garcia both started for the Bulldogs on Thursday, while DJ Jeffries, Derek Fountain, and Cam Carter were the primary options off the bench.

Next. 2022 SEC Tournament preview, what to watch for. dark

While Tennessee should be considered the favorite going into this matchup, this could potentially be an upset opportunity for a Mississippi State team that could present some matchup problems at times. Tennessee should win, but it could be closer than you think.

Prediction: Tennessee 74, Mississippi State 69

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