After starting the season at 7-0 with a win over No. 3 Houston in the Players Era Festival from Las Vegas, Tennessee Basketball has dropped two straight games. The Vols fell to Kansas in a neutral-site contest in Las Vegas before losing to Syracuse in a true road contest this past Tuesday.
Tennessee will have a chance to get back on the winning side on Saturday night, but the task won’t be an easy one. The Vols are set to take on No. 14 Illinois on Saturday night in Nashville in Music City Madness. Tennessee defeated Illinois last season thanks to a game-winning bucket from former guard Jordan Gainey.
The Vols will square off against the Fighting Illini in a Top 15 matchup at 8:00 p.m. ET from Bridgestone Arena.
Ahead of Saturday night’s game, Tennessee had associate head coach Justin Gainey and guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie speak to the media on Friday morning in Knoxville. Both representatives spoke about the struggles that Tennessee has faced over the last two games and the need for a bounce-back showing against Illinois this weekend.
With less than a month remaining until the start of SEC play, this could prove to be a critical game for Tennessee to get its swagger back.
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Check out both interviews below:
Tennessee AHC Justin Gainey
Tennessee G Ja’Kobi Gillespie
