Tennessee basketball heads back on the road Saturday afternoon where they’ll face Oklahoma in Norman. It’s the Vols first game in their last five contests not against a team ranked in the nation’s top 25.
Still, the Sooners are currently projected to make the NCAA Tournament and have lost just once at home all season.
Here’s three things I’m watching for ahead of the SEC showdown.
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Can Tennessee Slow Down Jeremiah Fears?
Oklahoma leans heavily on two offensive players in freshman point guard Jeremiah Fears and senior power forward Jalon Moore. The Vols will have to slow down both but Fears is the guy that gets everything going for the Sooners.
Fears, who enrolled in college a year earlier, is averaging 15.9 points and a team-best 4.2 assists per game. He has a 32.1% offensive usage rank for Oklahoma which is the 20th highest in the entire country. For perspective, Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler have Tennessee’s highest usage rate at 24.2% and 24.1% respectively.
Oklahoma is at its best when Fears is at his best and the 6-foot-4 combo guard can beat opponents in a multitude of ways though he’s most efficient getting to the basket. Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack needs to be able to slow him down.
Will Tennessee Build Off Strong Offensive Outing?
Tennessee had its best offensive performance of SEC play and its second best against a power five opponent this season when they scored 1.308 points per possession behind a second half explosion against Missouri.
Offense has been a struggle for Tennessee in SEC play and finding some consistency there is massively important for the Vols chances come March. The Oklahoma game presents a perfect opportunity for Tennessee to build off its strong performance against Missouri.
The Sooners rank 68th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and they’ve been worse in SEC play, ranking 13th in defensive efficiency in their nine SEC games. Oklahoma has particularly struggled defending from two-point range.
Tennessee has struggled to score at the rim but this game presents opportunities for them to do so. Back-to-back strong offensive games would be a great sign for this team.
Rebounding Should Be Tennessee’s Safety Valve
And if all else fails for Tennessee offensively against Oklahoma, they should be able to rebound the basketball. In a strong rebounding league, Oklahoma has struggled horribly.
In SEC only games, Oklahoma ranks 15th in offensive rebound rate and 14th in defensive rebound rate. Moore is the one of only two Oklahoma players averaging over four rebounds a game and no one averages more than six rebounds per game.
Tennessee’s ability to offensive rebound has been its safety blanket all season. It should be again on Saturday versus the Sooners.
