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Tennessee basketball is chasing a second SEC title in coach Rick Barnes’ tenure.
The No. 4 Vols (23-6, 13-3 SEC) can claim the conference crown with a win against No. 16 South Carolina (24-5, 12-4) on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in Columbia, South Carolina.
Here is what to know about the matchup:
Tennessee basketball is playing for an outright SEC title
Tennessee would win the SEC title outright with a win at South Carolina after Alabama lost 105-87 to Florida on Tuesday, which eliminated Alabama from the outright race. The Vols would move to 14-3 with a win against the Gamecocks, while no other SEC team could finish with more than 13 wins heading into the final regular-season game.
Tennessee moved into sole possession of first place in the SEC with its 81-74 win against Alabama on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. The Vols and Crimson Tide were tied at 13-3 atop the SEC entering Saturday.
If UT loses to South Carolina, it can still claim at least a share of the regular-season title by beating Kentucky on Saturday.
Rick Barnes is a big fan of South Carolina coach Lamont Paris
Barnes said Saturday that he would vote South Carolina coach Lamont Paris as the national coach of the year for his work with the Gamecocks. USC was picked to finish last in the SEC going into the season but can tie the Vols for first place with a win.
“Lamont has done just an incredible job,” Barnes said. “One of the great coaching jobs not just this year but as long as I have been in basketball. Watching what he has done and the way he has turned it around and where they are today.”
The Gamecocks went 12-21 in Paris’ first season last year with a 4-14 mark in SEC play.
How Tennessee lost the first meeting with South Carolina
Tennessee fumbled its first game with South Carolina with poor shooting at the rim and missed free throws.
The Vols were 8-for-21 on…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-basketball-vs-south-carolina-191000667.html
Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Publish date : 2024-03-05 19:10:00
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