Tennessee Vols can get belated payback on Mississippi State head coach after comments from 2024 SEC tournament
The Tennessee Volunteers had one of their flattest and most forgettable performances of the 2023-24 season in March, when they exited the SEC tournament with a lifeless 73-56 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After the game, State head coach Chris Jans had a specific reason about why the Bulldogs dominated the Vols. "Really felt our […]
The Tennessee Volunteers had one of their flattest and most forgettable performances of the 2023-24 season in March, when they exited the SEC tournament with a lifeless 73-56 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
After the game, State head coach Chris Jans had a specific reason about why the Bulldogs dominated the Vols.
"Really felt our only chance was to hit them in the mouth," Jans said during the postgame. "We had to come out and attack them. Just get our toughness in the game and see if we could rattle them a little bit."
And – to be fair – he wasn't wrong. Mississippi State dominated the glass, owned the paint, got every loose ball, and outhustled and outfought Tennessee on the defensive end for 40 minutes. Central to that is being tough, having a tough mindset and being aggressive physically.
So, naturally, the question now to Tennessee in 2025 is – what are you going to do about it this time around when the teams meet on Tuesday night in Knoxville?
Tennessee doesn't have Jonas Aidoo anymore, but Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara has been a good rim protector this season. Tennessee, while middle of the pack in the SEC at 38.6 rebounds per game, has had moments of dominance on the glass – none more so than in a 76-52 win over Arkansas where the Vols won the rebounding battle 51-29.
The motivation should surely be there this time to turn up their level of intensity and physicality this time around. Barnes has the perfect opportunity to remind them of what was said and what they did back in March in Nashville. Add in the Vols' markedly stronger hustle and urgency they play with at home, and this should be a great spot for the Vols to improve dramatically their performance on the glass and on the defensive end against the Bulldogs on Tuesday.
We'll find out when the ball is jumped at 7:00 pm ET at center court of the Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena.
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