Tennessee basketball knows its opponent for its SEC Tournament opening game. The Vols will face 12-seed Auburn after the Tigers knocked off Mississippi State 77-61 on Wednesday afternoon.
It’s the second meeting between the two teams this season. Tennessee previously defeated Auburn 77-69 in Knoxville in January. The Vols led by 10 points at halftime and controlled the game for much of the second half before securing the win.
Nate Ament scored a game-high 22 points for Tennessee while Jaylen Carey, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and DeWayne Brown all also scored in double figures.
Auburn enters Thursday’s matchup against Tennessee with a 17-15 (7-11 SEC) record. The Tigers are squarely on the bubble and as desperate as any other team in the event as they look to secure a NCAA Tournament bid.
Steven Pearl’s first Auburn team is reeling entering the postseason, having lost eight of its previous 10 games before knocking off Mississippi State on Tuesday.
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Tennessee is the five-seed in the SEC Tournament after posting a 21-10 (11-7 SEC) record in the regular season. The Vols tied with Vanderbilt for fourth place but the Commodores had the tiebreaker earning them the double-by in the conference tournament.
It’s just the first time in the last three years and second time in the last six years that Tennessee has not earned a double-bye in the conference tournament. In 2023, the Vols lost in the quarterfinals after winning their opening game.
Tennessee is looking to solidify its spot as a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Tennessee is currently the final five-seed. The Vols need at least one win, if not two, to solidify their case.
The winner of the Tennessee-Auburn game will face four-seed Vanderbilt on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET. Two wins for Tennessee would lead to them likely facing off against SEC Regular-Season Champion Florida.
But first up for Tennessee is Auburn on Thursday afternoon. Tipoff between the Vols and Tigers is at 3 p.m. ET. The SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
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