Tennessee Basketball will head west for a quick road trip when it takes on in-state SEC rival Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon in Memorial Gymnasium. The Vols are looking to put together four straight wins with a victory this weekend, while the 19th-ranked Commodores are aiming to bounce back from a mid-week loss at Missouri this past Wednesday night.
Tennessee is currently a point underdog heading into Saturday’s matchup. With Tennessee just two games back and Vanderbilt sitting three games back of Florida in the SEC standings, the result will prove to be a pivotal outcome for the race in the Southeastern Conference.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes and guard Ethan Burg met with the media to discuss their thoughts on the upcoming rivalry bout. Barnes and Burg both talked about the rivalry aspect against the Commodores, Jaylen Carey’s impact playing against his former team, what the Vols need to do to pick up a win this weekend, and much more.
No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC) will host Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC) on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for complete live coverage from the game.
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Check out both interviews below:
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes
Note: Rick Barnes opens his press conference by reflecting on the tragic passing of UT Athletics sports writer Wes Rucker. For more information on the heartbreaking situation from Thursday, click here.
Tennessee G Ethan Burg
