The tale of the tape could not have been more lopsided.
Entering their Jan. 7 contest to kick off SEC play against Mississippi State, the Volunteers had won six of their previous seven games, including a victory over then-No. 15 Butler.
On the other hand, the Bulldogs entered Humphrey Coliseum having lost six of their last eight, with losses to McNeese State and USC Upstate.
Sticking to the script, Tennessee secured a 61-47 victory in Starkville, Mississippi.
The lead up to Tuesday’s rematch inside Thompson-Boling Arena, however, paints a much different picture.
“Mississippi State is probably the most improved team in our league,” Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall said. “From week one to midseason, I don’t think there’s anyone in the SEC who has improved as much as they have, and that’s a credit to Rick (Ray). He’s doing a great job.”
Coming off a 73-67 home victory against the LSU Tigers, the Bulldogs find themselves winners of three of their last five contests, while also matching their SEC win total from last year.
And the reason for their recent success isn’t hiding from anyone.
“When I’m watching tape now compared to earlier in the year, they seem to be playing faster — and I don’t mean shooting it quicker,” Tyndall said. “Their team just seems to be more aggressive. Guys are driving the ball and they don’t look reluctant to make mistakes.
“It just looks like they are playing with a lot of confidence.”
A large part of that confidence may come from the re-emergence of junior guard Craig Sword, who was limited earlier in the season following a surgical procedure to repair a bulging disk in his back.
In the Vols’ first matchup with Mississippi State, Sword only scored nine points on one-of-two shooting in 22 minutes. But in the last five games, the Montgomery, Alabama, native is averaging 14.4 points per game, including a 27-point outburst versus Ole Miss in which he shot 76.9 percent from the field.
But for Tyndall, the presence of junior forward Gavin Ware is the one the Vols will be looking to limit after a 12-point, 9-rebound performance against UT in the first go-around.
“He’s a big, physical kid who played well against us at their place,” Tyndall said. “There’s a deficiency in our team when we play a guy like him. We’ll have to do a great job of fronting the post and probably double him when he catches.”
In his eight previous seasons as a head coach, Tyndall sports a 41-25 record when facing an opponent for the second time in a season and a 24-7 record when the second matchup comes at home.
But with the marked improvement of Mississippi State, the first-year UT head coach is not overstating the importance of that first win.
“I think it helps that it is on our home floor,” Tyndall said. “But Rick is a really good coach. He’ll tweak some things and make some adjustments from the first game — as will we. Obviously, we are glad we won the first game, but I don’t know how much it will impact this game.”
Tipoff between the Vols and Bulldogs is scheduled for 7:02 p.m. EST and can be watched on the SEC Network.
How They Match Up
Mississippi State
Scoring Offense 62.4
Scoring Defense 62.0
Field Goal % .425
3-Point % .305
Rebound Margin +4.6
Assists Per Game 8.6
Blocks Per Game 2.9
Steals Per Game 7.0
Turnover Margin -2.2
Tennessee
Scoring Offense 64.5
Scoring Defense 62.7
Field Goal % .438
3-Point % .354
Rebound Margin +1.2
Assists Per Game 10.9
Blocks Per Game 3.8
Steals Per Game 7.6
Turnover Margin +2.0
Who To Watch For
Roquez Johnson: 10.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, .540 FG%
Craig Sword: 7.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, .366 FG%
Gavin Ware: 9.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 0.3 APG, .511 FG%
Last Meeting
Jan. 7, 2015, in Starkville, Miss.
Vols, 61-47
