1/19/2024 basketball Edit

Tennessee vs. Alabama: Game information, lineups, notes

Tennessee forward Jonas Aidoo (0) blocks a shot by Alabama guard Mark Sears (1) during a NCAA basketball game at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. Tennessee defeated No. 1 Alabama, 68-59. (Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

The last time Tennessee and Alabama played, the Vols toppled the No. 1 team in college basketball on their home floor.

Less than a year later, it is Tennessee with the target on its back.

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Ranked sixth and in position to move up even higher next week after a gritty road win at Georgia and a complete dismantling of Florida in Knoxville on Tuesday, the Vols (13-4, 3-1 SEC) have looked the part of the team picked to win the league in the preseason as of late.

Dalton Knecht is a big reason why.

The fifth-year guard has had a historic three-game stretch, scoring more than 100 points in that span, including a career-high 39-point showing vs. the Gators in his last outing. It was the fourth time in 17 games that Knecht has scored 25 or more points and even though opposing defenses knows what is coming, it doesn't seem to be enough to stop him.

That is the task at hand for Alabama (12-5, 4-0), which is perfect in conference play after losing three-straight games to ranked teams in its non-conference slate.

The Crimson Tide, who are averaging more than 90 points per game, are coming off of wins at Mississippi State and Missouri last week. Leading scorer Mark Sears posted 22 points vs. the Bulldogs while guard Aaron Estrada scored 21 against the Tigers.

Here is a closer look at the match up.

Game Information

Who: Alabama (12-5, 4-0 SEC) at No. 6 Tennessee (13-4, 3-1)

When: Saturday, Jan. 20 | 2 p.m. ET

Where: Food City Center | Knoxville

TV: ESPN2 (Karl Ravech, play-by-play; Jimmy Dykes, analyst)

KenPom: Tennessee 83, Alabama 79

Series: Alabama leads, 82-71

Projected Lineups

No. 6 Tennessee (13-4, 3-1 SEC)

Player	Position	Points Per Game
Zakai Zeigler	Guard	10.3
Santiago Vescovi	Guard	7.4
Dalton Knecht	Guard	18.5
Josiah-Jordan James	Guard	9.7
Jonas Aidoo	Forward	11.6

Alabama (12-5, 4-0 SEC)

Player	Position	Guard
Mark Sears	Guard	19.6
Rylan Griffen	Guard	10.4
Aaron Estrada	Guard	13.6
Grant Nelson	Forward	12.6
Nick Pringle	Forward	5.4

Numbers Edge

POINTS PER GAME:

Alabama 90.2, Tennessee 79.1

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE:

Alabama 49.0%, Tennessee 44.6%

THREE POINT PERCENTAGE:

Alabama 39.7%, Tennessee 33.6%

ASSISTS:

Tennessee 17.1, Alabama 15.9

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: By the numbers: Just how good has Dalton Knecht been?

REBOUNDS:

Tennessee 39.9, Alabama 39.5

BLOCKS:

Tennessee 4.8, Alabama 4.3

STEALS:

Tennessee 8.0, Alabama 7.5

Pregame Notes

-- Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht is averaging 27.7 points per game in SEC play and has scored 103 points in his last three games with 101 points accounted for in his last 99 minutes on the floor. He is one of just three conference players in the last 15 years to score 100-plus points in three-straight games.

-- Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi, who is in his fifth season with the Vols, is closing in on another program accolade. With a start on Saturday vs. Alabama, Vescovi will tie former players Chris Lofton (2004-08) and Allan Houston (1989-93) with 128 career starts. He needs just two more minutes on the floor to log 4,000 career minutes.

-- Tennessee and Alabama will feature the No. 1 team in adjusted offensive efficiency and the No. 2 in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom. The Vols are allowing just 91.4 points per opponents' 100 possessions while the Crimson Tide are scoring 125.6 points per 100 possessions.

-- The Tennessee-Alabama series has been a close one. The two teams have split their last eight meetings against each other dating back to March 4, 2017. The Crimson Tide have won three of the last four. The Vols won the last match up, 68-59, knocking off then-No. 1 Alabama in Knoxville.

-- Tennessee forward Jonas Aidoo, who is having his most productive season in his junior campaign, was stellar in the Vols' last meeting with Alabama. With Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips sidelined with injuries, Aidoo helped carried the load with 12 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. He has recorded four double-doubles this season.

-- Tennessee is ranked in the top 10 nationally in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. Though Alabama is on the outside looking in in both polls, it joins the Vols in the top eight of KenPom's rankings with Tennessee at sixth and the Crimson Tide one spot behind at seventh.

-- Alabama has four players in its projected starting five that are currently averaging more than 12 points per game. Guard Mark Sears leads the group at 19.6, which also leads the SEC. Sears has scored 21-plus points in eight of 17 games and 31 or more points in two games. He averages 21.5 points vs. Quad 1 teams.

-- Alabama guard Rylan Griffen is averaging 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the Crimson Tide's last six games. Griffen, who averages 10.4 points on the season, combined for 38 points last week, scoring 21 points vs. Missouri and 17 against Mississippi State.

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