With a pair of recent losses potentially knocking Tennessee off the top line, the Volunteers will look to get back on track against an Ole Miss team fighting for a trip to the dance.
After falling to LSU over the weekend, Tennessee is suddenly out of the top spot in the SEC, trailing both the Tigers and Kentucky by a half-game in the standings. The Volunteers were right in the game against LSU, going to overtime on the road, but a foul with 0.6 seconds to go allowed the Tigers to hit the game-winning free throws.
Most of the nation’s bracketologists have dropped Tennessee off the one line with that loss, with many putting the Vols in as a two seed behind Virginia in the South region. While that may not be the worst scenario for Rick Barnes’ team, they would like to get back to the top line, so getting hot now would certainly help the cause.
Things won’t be easy for Tennessee as they head down to Oxford, Mississippi, for a showdown with Ole Miss. The Rebels have quietly put together a solid season, entering the contest with a 19-8 record, including a 9-5 mark in SEC play.
A three-week stretch beginning in mid-January where the Rebels went 1-5 dropped them down to the bubble, but Ole Miss has responded nicely by winning five of their next six. The Rebels are coming off a 72-71 win over Georgia on Saturday where the team drew headlines for seeing eight players kneel during the national anthem in protest of a nearby Confederacy rally.
How to watch Tennessee vs. Ole Miss
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 27
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Oxford, MS
- Venue: The Pavilion at Ole Miss
- TV: SEC Network
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
This is the only matchup of the season between the two SEC rivals, but there is a strong possibility Tennessee and Ole Miss could meet again in the conference tournament.