This evening the Arkansas Razorbacks will be looking to avenge the February rout they suffered at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers. A month ago, Jujuan Smith’s 32 points carried the Vols to a 93-71 victory in Knoxville. Tonight the men in orange sit as five and a half point favorites in the recently damaged Georgia Dome.
The Razorbacks came into the SEC tournament as a bubble team but they popped that with a win over the Commodores a day ago. Arkansas finished the regular season losing five of eight but they have some positive momentum after knocking off the RPI’s No. 10 team. Tonight's underdogs have played distinctly different away from home than they did on the road; the Hogs were only two and nine off their campus.
Tennessee enters this matchup after escaping with a two point victory over a determined South Carolina team that hung tough throughout. The Vols are still in the hunt for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance and some feel that a win today could cement their spot. Bruce Pearl’s bunch went is 15-2 in conference games and four and one on neutral court games this season.
Yesterday, the SEC’s No. 1 seed found a way to win despite giving up 14 more attempts from the line than they attempted themselves, while Arkansas used a huge rebounding advantage to put away Vanderbilt. Bruce Pearl figures to have his team focused tonight and I’ve got to believe that Jujuan Smith and Chris Lofton will combine to go a bit better than five of 17 from three point land. The Razorbacks don’t figure to get eighteen more shot attempts than their opposition tonight. The Vols make a case for a No.1 seed next week and cover the five and a half.
My Pick: Tennessee -5.5
The Razorbacks came into the SEC tournament as a bubble team but they popped that with a win over the Commodores a day ago. Arkansas finished the regular season losing five of eight but they have some positive momentum after knocking off the RPI’s No. 10 team. Tonight's underdogs have played distinctly different away from home than they did on the road; the Hogs were only two and nine off their campus.
Tennessee enters this matchup after escaping with a two point victory over a determined South Carolina team that hung tough throughout. The Vols are still in the hunt for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance and some feel that a win today could cement their spot. Bruce Pearl’s bunch went is 15-2 in conference games and four and one on neutral court games this season.
Yesterday, the SEC’s No. 1 seed found a way to win despite giving up 14 more attempts from the line than they attempted themselves, while Arkansas used a huge rebounding advantage to put away Vanderbilt. Bruce Pearl figures to have his team focused tonight and I’ve got to believe that Jujuan Smith and Chris Lofton will combine to go a bit better than five of 17 from three point land. The Razorbacks don’t figure to get eighteen more shot attempts than their opposition tonight. The Vols make a case for a No.1 seed next week and cover the five and a half.
My Pick: Tennessee -5.5
