The first conference game.
SEC play is here! Tennessee will tip things off today from the Food City Center, hosting undefeated Ole Miss (13-0) in a top 25 battle. Rick Barnes will face Chris Beard for the first time as the Rebels’ head coach, where he’s already making his mark.
Beard has led Ole Miss to wins over NC State, Memphis and Cal during the first half of the season. The rest of the schedule has been a bit soft, however. We’ll get a taste of just how good this team is today in a hostile environment.
Tennessee has announced a sellout crowd for this one. The Volunteers haven’t lost in Knoxville since February of last year (Missouri).
The Volunteers, now 10-3 and ranked No. 5 in the country, are 11.5 point favorites today, per DraftKings Sportsbook. Kenpom likes Tennessee in a big way today, as the metric hasn’t quite bought into the hot start from Ole Miss. The metric ranks the Rebels outside of the top 80 overall, creating quite the prove-it moment for Beard and company this afternoon.
Injury note: Jonas Aidoo continues to deal with a calf strain. Barnes admitted that he’s not 100 percent, but should be available. He could be limited, however.
How to watch Tennessee vs. Ole Miss
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV Channel: Set Network
Streaming: Watch ESPN, ESPN App