Tennessee @ Vanderbilt preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 19, 2019 ) Vanderbilt 46, Tennessee 58

Tennessee looks to rebound after being routed last time out when it completes a two-game road swing against injury-plagued rival Vanderbilt in an SEC matchup on Saturday night. The Volunteers, who like the Commodores are without a key scorer due to injury, had enjoyed back-to-back league victories before falling behind by 19 at halftime and suffering an 80-63 setback at Georgia on Wednesday.

“I’m disappointed in about everything you can be disappointed in,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes told reporters of his team, which lost senior guard Lamonte Turner (shoulder) for the season last month. “I didn’t think we had a competitive, fighting spirit at all.” Vanderbilt won’t feel sorry for the Volunteers, who have won four straight meetings, as the Commodores have been without top rebounder Clevon Brown (knee) since early in the season and the SEC’s leading scorer Aaron Nesmith (23.0 points, 60 made 3-pointers) was lost indefinitely with a foot injury last week. “It’s a big adjustment for all of us,” Vanderbilt junior guard Maxwell Evans told reporters after the 69-50 loss to Texas A&M last Saturday. “I feel like we all have to do a little bit more. (Nesmith) was our best player and leader on the court, so just to fill in his spot we’ll have to talk a little bit more and make plays for each other.” The Commodores dropped their second game without Nesmith at Arkansas 75-55 on Wednesday as they turned the ball over 16 times and shot 39.6 percent from the field.

TIME: 6 p.m. ET. TV: SEC Network

ABOUT TENNESSEE (10-6, 2-2 SEC): Freshman guard Santiago Vescovi has made an impression since becoming eligible, leading the team in scoring (12.5) and draining 11-of-22 from 3-point range, but he must limit his turnovers (5.8 per game). Senior guard Jordan Bowden is averaging 11.8 points overall, but has not been able to pick up some extra slack since Turner went down by connecting on just 14-of-66 from the field the past five games. Junior swingman Yves Pons (10.9 points) has at least one block in all 16 games and freshman guard Josiah-Jordan James (8.3) leads the team in rebounding (5.9).

ABOUT VANDERBILT (8-8, 0-3): Junior guard Saben Lee (15.8 points, team-high 5.1 assists) will be expected to raise his production level without Nesmith in the lineup and he scored 17 against Arkansas after being held to four on 1-for-5 shooting versus Texas A&M. Freshman guard Scotty Pippen Jr. is the only other active player averaging in double figures scoring (10.8) and the son of the Hall of Famer by the same name adds 4.5 assists per contest. The 6-2 Evans chips in 7.9 points per game and has stepped up since Nesmith went down, recording 12 versus Texas A&M and pouring in 16 against Arkansas.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lee, who has accumulated 302 assists in three seasons, needs three points to become the 49th Vanderbilt player to reach 1,000 in his career.

2. Tennessee’s 7-0 F Uros Plavsic had five points and three rebounds in 17 minutes in his debut Wednesday after winning his appeal with the NCAA for eligibility.

3. The Volunteers lead the all-time series 122-75, but the Commodores have won 54 of 96 meetings at home.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 72, Vanderbilt 64