On college game day, traveling to Tuscaloosa to watch Tennessee vs Alabama./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72597467/usa_today_19239336.0.jpg)
Alabama enters the game with an impressive nine-game home winning streak and a 16-game home winning streak against SEC opponents. Since the start of the 2020-21 season, the Tide have won 28 of their past 29 games at Coleman Coliseum and boast an impressive 53-5 record in the venue.
However, Alabama suffered a setback on Saturday night with a 117-95 loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena. This marked Kentucky’s highest scoring game against a ranked opponent.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is preparing for their matchup against Texas A&M at Thompson-Boling Arena. If the Vols secure a victory, they will be tied with Alabama for first place in the SEC with both teams holding a conference record of 11-3.
In their previous encounter on January 20, Tennessee defeated Alabama 91-71 in Knoxville, marking their largest margin of victory over Alabama in SEC play since 1999. Tennessee’s strong defense limited Alabama, who had the top-ranked offense according to KenPom, to a season-low 71 points. The Vols also held Alabama star guard Mark Sears below his average, limiting him to 22 points and forcing him into seven turnovers.
Offensively, Tennessee had a strong performance, scoring 91 points on 48% shooting from the field and 36% shooting from three-point range. Dalton Knecht led the scoring with 25 points, supported by contributions from Jonas Aidoo, Jordan Gainey, and Santiago Vescovi, who all reached double figures.
