Time: 8 p.m.

TV: SEC Network

KNOXVILLE—Tennessee (8-4) is looking to recover from a tough loss to rival Memphis. They’ll have to do so against a hot Ole Miss (11-2) team on a three-game winning streak. The Vols have won their last 11 games against the Rebels when playing in the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena.

McRae scores two of his 26 points against Memphis.
Photo by Reed Carringer

It’s tough to gauge how good the Rebels are this year, as they’ve yet to beat an RPI top 50 team (0-2) and have played one of the weakest schedules in the country (ranked 268th nationally). However, they are talented. Junior forward Marshall Henderson is the SEC’s leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points per game and shooting 37.7% from 3. Expect Richardson, Tennessee’s best defender, to cover him most of the night in an attempt to keep the sharp-shooter from catching fire.

Senior forward Murphy Holloway is having a monster year thus far and is averaging a double-double (15.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game). Without  Maymon in the paint, Stokes and Hall will need to defend him without fouling. The Vols can ill-afford for either Hall or Stokes to spend long periods of time on the bench with foul trouble, and Holloway and Buckner (10.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game) will not shy from taking it directly at the Vol big men.

Offensively, the Vols desperately need leading-scorer Trae Golden to find his game if they hope to continue their home-winning streak against the Rebels. Golden has been battling a shoulder injury and is just 1-16 from the floor the last three games. Cuonzo will count on Jordan McRae to
remain hot. McRae is coming off a career-high 26 points against Memphis. Freshman forward Derek Reese should return from an injured ankle tonight and help pick up some of the scoring load. Reese looked impressive in his only game of the year, scoring seven points against Xavier.

Key to the Game: McRae and Richardson combined for 39 second half points in Tennessee’s last game against Memphis. Cuonzo will need them to remain aggressive offensively tonight if the Vols are going to come away
with the “W”.