Tennessee @ Vanderbilt preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 22, 2017 ) Vanderbilt 67, Tennessee 56

Tennessee finds itself under .500 in SEC play entering Tuesday’s contest at Vanderbilt, but despite dropping their first two conference games, the No. 23-ranked Volunteers are soaring after knocking off Kentucky on Saturday. Tennessee struggled in losses to Arkansas and Auburn, but rallied from eight points down at halftime and displayed the toughness coach Rick Barnes publicly challenged last week in beating the Wildcats.

“We showed toughness,” Tennessee forward Admiral Schofield told reporters after scoring 20 points with nine rebounds against Kentucky. “It’s time to get that back. I think we are the hardest-playing team in the country, and we’ve just got to go out and show it.” The Commodores also have dropped two of their first three league contests, falling 71-60 Saturday at South Carolina. Vanderbilt knocked off Alabama with strong 3-point shooting last Tuesday, but finished just 8-for-29 from 3-point range and were hindered by turnovers and charging fouls in the defeat to the Gamecocks. “If we erase four of those charges and kick it out for 3’s, it could have been a much different ending to the game, a lot tighter,” Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew told the media afterward.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT TENNESSEE (10-4, 1-2 SEC): Forward Grant Williams provided a huge boost against the Wildcats, scoring 16 of his 18 points after halftime and finishing with eight rebounds. Schofield finished 8-for-13 from the field against Kentucky after shooting 7-for-20 from the field in the previous two games. Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks 18th nationally in assists per game (17.9), finishing Saturday with 23 assists on 25 made field goals.

ABOUT VANDERBILT (6-9, 1-2): Freshman Saben Lee scored a team-high 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field against South Carolina, and is averaging 17.7 points through three SEC games. Jeff Roberson leads four players averaging in double-figure scoring at 14.5 points while shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range. The Commodores are last in the SEC in shooting from the field (40.9 percent) and scoring (71 points per game).

TIP-INS

1. Williams leads Tennessee in scoring (15.8 points per game; ninth in the SEC) and rebounding (6.8 per contest; 10th in the conference).

2. Roberson is fourth in the SEC in rebounding at 8.1 per game and fifth in free-throw shooting at 89 percent.

3. The Volunteers, who are 2-1 in true road games this season, play three of their next four contests away from home.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 77, Vanderbilt 68