Tennessee basketball vs. Georgia: Scouting report, score prediction for SEC game
Tennessee basketball is hoping to build on what it did in the second half at Mississippi State on Wednesday and not repeat the first half.
The No. 5 Vols (11-4, 1-1 SEC) face Georgia (12-3, 2-0) on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN2) after falling 77-72 to MSU.
Here is what to know about the matchup:
Dalton Knecht got it going again
Dalton Knecht surged at Mississippi State after scoring in single-digits in four of the previous five games. The senior had 26 second-half points after a two-point first half, finishing with his fourth game scoring at least 20 points.
"The more we play, the more he understands what's going on," coach Rick Barnes said Friday. "He's going to just keep getting better every game. I do know this: He's trying to make more of an effort to guard consistently longer periods of time. If he'll do that, he can build on this.”
Knecht, who scored in double-digits in each of UT's first nine games, snapped into form in a major way in the second half with a pair of back-to-back 3-pointers. He also had a pair of big one-handed dunks and got to the free-throw line well, while also chipping in key plays in the backcourt defensively.
Tennessee needs a good first half on the road
Tennessee played a stellar first half in an exhibition at Michigan State to open the season. It followed up with a good performance at Wisconsin in November.
UT's past two road games featured tough first halves: The Vols allowed 61 first-half points in a loss at North Carolina then scored only 22 points at Mississippi State. Tennessee turned in strong second halves in both games, but had too much of a hole to overcome and lost both games.
What Rick Barnes said about Georgia
Georgia has lost three games this season − all three on a neutral-site and against top-100 teams in KenPom. The Bulldogs have won 10 in a row, which Barnes said should give Georgia confidence goign into the matchup.
Barnes praised Georgia coach Mike White for putting his players in position to succeed.
"I think they really have gelled in the fact that they know exactly how they want to play," Barnes said. "Mike is a terrific coach. I am not surprised at where he has got the program right now.”
Score prediction
Tennessee 83, Georgia 69: The Vols solve some of those road woes with a more complete game at Georgia, which loses at home for the first time and for the first time overall since November.
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. Georgia: Our score prediction is in
