No. 20 Tennessee (13-2) at Vanderbilt (10-5) 8:00 pm EST
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Tennessee already has had
success this season in Nashville and looks for another win in
the "Music City" on Wednesday.
The 20th-ranked Volunteers open their Southeastern Conference
road schedule with a trip across the state to take on
Vanderbilt.
Tennessee (13-2, 1-0 SEC) has felt right at home in Nashville so
far this campaign, winning two games in the NIT Preseason
Tip-Off and then returning to post a 79-77 victory over Oklahoma
State on December 18.
After its two wins in Nashville, the Volunteers went to New York
for the semifinals of the NIT and lost to Butler and then
dropped the consolation game to No. 1 North Carolina. Tennessee
has not lost since its lost trip to Madison Square Garden,
reeling off nine straight victories.
Despite his team's recent streak, Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl
expects a tough test from the Commodores.
"They shoot the ball extremely well. They have four guys out
there who can shoot the three-pointers," Pearl said. "They are
second in the league in 3-point shots. That lets them play
effectively inside, too. They have good balance, and they play
well at home."
Junior forward Shan Foster leads Vanderbilt (10-5, 0-1) in
scoring at 15.3 points per game and will need to come up big if
the Commodores are to upset the Volunteers.
Tennessee swept the series last season and leads all-time,
104-65.