After a four-game winning streak, Tennessee came back down to earth on Saturday night in Lexington, taking the lead again in the first half. The Volunteers repeated their first game against Kentucky, once again letting the Wildcats do whatever they wanted on offense to close out the game.
Tennessee is 0-2 against Kentucky this year — two games they should have won — and those two games will change the entire narrative of this group. Wednesday is a chance to move on and they’ll have to head to another tough venue.
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Rick Barnes’ last trip to Starkville was in 2024, a 77-72 loss to the Bulldogs at The Hump. However, Mississippi State hasn’t been attacked like it usually is at home this season. Chris Jans’ team currently sits at just 11-12 overall in SEC play and 1-4 at home.
Jans knew what to expect in Starkville on Wednesday night.
“This is another typical Rick Barnes team in that they’re super physical in every aspect of the game,” Jans said Tuesday. “When you play them, you better be ready to fight. That’s the way they want to play and usually succeed in diversifying the game. They’re big and strong at the rim and this special group doesn’t disappoint. They’re a strong basketball team.
“This is a quintessential Coach Barnes team. Coming into this league, from the outside, there’s probably no one I respect more than him. After four years in the league, I’m still doing the same thing.”
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Mississippi State’s three conference wins came against Texas, Oklahoma and LSU. Outside of those three games, the Bulldogs haven’t really been competitive in SEC play. Star guard Josh Hubbard still leads the way, averaging over 20 points per game. Beyond that, Jens doesn’t have much to do this season.
Mississippi State entered the night ranked No. 86 nationally, according to KenPom. According to the metrics, the Bulldogs’ offense ranks 126th and their defense ranks 62nd. By most accounts, Tennessee is expected to be a No. 5/6 seed in the NCAA tournament, ranked No. 17.
Tonight, the Volunteers have a 7.5-point advantage on the road. Nate Ament will be looking to continue while Rick Barnes will be looking to find him some consistent help.
Tip time is 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.