Tennessee returns to Knoxville on Tuesday riding a four-game win streak in SEC play.

The No. 5 Vols (15-4, 5-1 SEC) host a South Carolina (17-3, 5-1) team that has been better than expected under second year head coach Lamont Paris and could pose a challenge with its slower pace of play.

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The Gamecocks, who have won three-straight conference games, including a 17-point win over top 10 Kentucky last week, are anchored by guard Meechie Johnson Jr. and transfer addition Ta'Lon Cooper who are both averaging double scoring figures.

Teams have found some success against Tennessee by slowing its offense down and forcing it to play at their level.

The Vols, though have been able to overcome that. Vanderbilt had a similar approach which led to Tennessee trailing at halftime before a strong close down the stretch of the second half headlined by guard Dalton Knecht, who scored 25-plus points for the fifth-straight game.

Forward Jonas Aidoo finished just short of his sixth double-double, scoring 9 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as he makes his case as the best big in the league. Three other Tennessee players scored in double figures, including Jordan Gainey who tallied 10 or more points off the bench for the second-straight game.

Playing inside Food City Center also works in the Vols' favor. Tennessee has won 12-straight games in Knoxville dating back to last season.

Here is a closer look at the match up.

Who: South Carolina (17-3, 5-2 SEC) at No. 5 Tennessee (15-4, 5-1 SEC)

When: Tuesday, Jan. 30 | 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Food City Center | Knoxville

TV: SEC Network (Tom Hart, play-by-play; Dane Bradshaw, analyst; Alyssa Lang, reporter)

KenPom Projection: Tennessee 75, South Carolina 63

Series: Tennessee leads, 52-28

POINTS PER GAME:

Tennessee 79.5, South Carolina 73.2

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE:

Tennessee 45.0%, South Carolina 44.1%

THREE POINT PERCENTAGE:

South Carolina 34.5%, Tennessee 34.1%

ASSISTS:

Tennessee 17.1, South Carolina 15.0

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: In defending Dalton Knecht, there's no easy answer

REBOUNDS:

Tennessee 39.5, South Carolina 36.5

BLOCKS:

Tennessee 4.9, South Carolina 3.5

STEALS:

Tennessee 8.1, South Carolina 4.9

-- Tennessee stayed put at No. 5 in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches poll this week. It marks the 51st consecutive week that the Vols have been ranked in the AP poll and the 23rd time during that stretch that they've been featured in the top 10.

-- Tennessee currently ranks second in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing just 90.9 points per opponents 100 possessions according to KenPom. The Vols are ranked 18th in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 118.3 points per 100 possession based on the same metric.

-- Tennessee has won five-straight games against South Carolina dating back to the 2020-21 season. The Vols have been dominant during that win streak with an average margin of victory of 29.4 points per game. Tennessee outscored the Gamecocks 170-87 in two meetings last season.

-- Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht has totaled 160 points in the Vols' last five games and averaged 32.0 points in that span. It marks the first such scoring stretch by a Power Six player since Marquette's Markus Howard in Jan. 2020 and the first by an SEC player in the last 19 years.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Vols stay put in AP Top 25 as South Carolina looms

-- Tennessee has gotten the most out of Jordan Gainey off of the bench over the last two games. The Vols' guard shot out of a slump with a 15-point outing in a 91-71 win over Alabama on Jan. 20 and he followed it up with 10 points against Vanderbilt.

-- South Carolina is on the cusp of the AP Top 25. The Gamecocks finished just outside of the rankings this week with 108 votes following an impressive start to their SEC slate and are the second team to receive votes in the poll that Tennessee has faced this season.

-- South Carolina was picked to finish last in the SEC in the preseason after winning just four conference games a year ago. The Gamecocks, who went 11-21 overall in Lamont Paris' first season, have already eclipsed that mark seven games into league play.

-- South Carolina's roster features four transfers, including starting guard Ta'Lon Cooper, who is third on the team in scoring with 10.0 points per game. He scored 12 points along with four assists against Missouri.

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