Tennessee basketball vs Auburn: Scouting report, score prediction as Vols play 3 straight vs SEC's top teams
Tennessee basketball hosts Auburn to kick off the final two weeks of the regular season.
“This time of year, if you’re not excited, something’s wrong," Vols coach Rick Barnes said.
The No. 4 Vols (21-6, 11-3 SEC) host No. 11 Auburn (21-6, 10-4) on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
Here is what to know about the matchup:
Zakai Zeigler's game vs Texas A&M was even more impressive on film
Zakai Zeigler flirted with the second triple-double in Tennessee history on Saturday against Texas A&M. Barnes felt the film of Zeigler's 14-assist, nine-rebound, nine-point game was even more impressive.
“You get to see the subtle things that he was doing with his eyes, looking off and seeing things," Barnes said. "You can see he is starting to see a lot of things out there and his poise with the ball, waiting for guys to get where they should have been, was really impressive. He continues to understand more and more what his looks are.”
The 5-foot-9 guard is averaging 13.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in SEC play.
Where Tennessee basketball is in SEC title race
Tennessee is tied for first in the SEC with Alabama with four games to play. The Vols and Crimson Tide are a game ahead of Auburn and South Carolina.
UT plays all three in its next three games. It plays at Alabama on Saturday and at South Carolina on March 6.
“This is what we have and you’ve got to be ready knowing that everybody we play is just as good as we are or could be better if we are not ready to play," Barnes said.
The Vols won a share of the SEC regular-season title in the 2017-18 season in coach Rick Barnes' third season.
Johni Broome is the SEC's top big man
Auburn forward Johni Broome is terrorizing opponents once again. He is averaging 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds, while shooting 55.1% from the field.
Barnes said the 6-foot-10 forward is "truly one of the top post players in the country."
“I don’t know if he is getting the recognition he deserves," Barnes said. "A guy that can go inside-outside and does a lot of different things for them. Last year, I thought he was a handful for us and we expect that now.”
Will Jaylin Williams play for Auburn at Tennessee basketball?
Auburn forward Jaylin Williams, Broome's partner in the post, is a game-time decision due to injury, Tigers coach Bruce Pearl said Tuesday. Williams suffered a right knee injury in Auburn's 70-59 loss to Kentucky on Feb. 17.
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Pearl, who coached at UT from 2005-11, said Williams will travel with the Tigers and it is "possible that he could play."
Williams is averaging 13 points and 4.7 rebounds. He shoots 41.4% on 3-pointers.
Tennessee basketball score prediction vs Auburn
Tennessee 73, Auburn 72: Broome is a problem but the Vols start the gauntlet to close the regular season with a tight win.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball vs. Auburn: Our score prediction is in
