Tennessee heads into its last test of its non-conference slate on a three-game win streak.
The No. 12 Vols (7-3), who have gone up against one of the toughest schedules in college basketball, answered losses to top 20 Kansas, Purdue and North Carolina teams with wins over George Mason, No. 17 Illinois and Georgia Southern on Tuesday.
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Now, Tennessee is preparing for a neutral-site clash with the last Power Six team left on its schedule before SEC play begins next month in NC State in the Hall of Fame Series in San Antonio late Saturday night.
The Wolfpack (7-2) have won three-straight games since losing back-to-back against BYU and Ole Miss in late November. Their wins include Vanderbilt and Boston College.
Here is a closer look at the match up.
Game Information
Who: No. 12 Tennessee (7-3) vs. NC State (7-2)
When: Saturday, Dec. 16 | 10 p.m. ET
Where: Frost Bank Center | San Antonio
TV: ESPN2 (Kevin Fitzgerald, play-by-play; Carolyn Peck, analyst)
KenPom Projection: Tennessee 78, NC State 69
Series: NC State leads, 7-4
Projected Lineups
Numbers Edge
POINTS PER GAME:
NC State 80.3, Tennessee 78.1
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE:
NC State 45.5%, Tennessee 44.0%
THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE:
NC State 34.0%, Tennessee 32.5%
REBOUNDS:
Tennessee 39.3, NC State 38.0
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Vols' Freddie Dilione V working towards increased role
ASSISTS:
Tennessee 16.1, NC State 14.2
BLOCKS:
Tennessee 4.9, NC State 3.0
STEALS:
NC State 8.1, Tennessee 7.8
Pregame Notes
-- Tennessee forward Jonas Aidoo is having a productive season. He scored a career-high 29 points along with 11 rebounds, two blocks and two assists in the Vols' 74-56 win over Georgia Southern last week. Aidoo is averaging 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
-- Though a lackluster start to the second half prevented Rick Barnes from emptying the bench against Georgia Southern, four freshmen combined for 34 minutes. Guard Cameron Carr led the group with 10 minutes while guard Freddie Dilione V scored 5 points.
-- Tennessee is set to play its seventh Power Six team this season in NC State. It will mark the Vols' fourth game on a neutral floor and its sixth game away from Knoxville. Tennessee beat Illinois, 86-79 in its one home game vs. a Power Six opponent last week.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Jonas Aidoo taking next step as scorer early in junior campaign
-- Junior guard Jayden Taylor paces NC State in scoring with 14.7 points per game. He scored 13 points in his last outing in the Wolfpack's 81-67 win over UT Martin on Tuesday. Four of NC State's projected starting five average 13 or more points through nine games.
-- Tennessee has some familiarity with DJ Burns. The 6-foot-9 NC State forward previously played for the Vols during the 2018-19 season before transferring to Winthrop where he spent three seasons. He transferred to the Wolfpack last season. He averages 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds this season.
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