NASHVILLE – The postseason is finally here, and Tennessee basketball hopes good health results in its best play of the season.
The No. 5 seed Vols (21-10) begin the SEC Tournament against No. 12 Auburn (17-15) on March 12 (3 p.m. ET, SEC Network) in the second round at Bridgestone Arena.
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Here’s what to know heading into the game:
How Steven Pearl won to set up Auburn-Tennessee rematch
Steven Pearl, son of former Tennessee and Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl, spent the last week making Auburn’s case for the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were ready for No. 13 Mississippi State in their 79-61 victory in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
Auburn couldn’t quite shake the pesky Bulldogs until late in the second half when it turned a three-point lead into a 14-point cushion with 1:25 remaining. Guard Kevin Overton drilled six 3-pointers and led the team with 22 points, and added five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
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Keshawn Murphy, Keyshawn Hall and Tahaad Pettiford all finished in double-digit scoring. Elyjah Freeman pulled down 10 rebounds.
How Tennessee controlled its last game against Auburn
Tennessee couldn’t completely overwhelm Auburn in its 77-69 win over the Tigers at Food City Center on Jan. 31. The Vols, however, never trailed and relied heavily on their interior size advantage.
Tennessee outrebounded Auburn 46-30, and it grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to Auburn’s 18 defensive rebounds. It helped the Vols maintain a near double-digit advantage in the final seven minutes.
Hall scored 21 points, but no other Tiger found much offensive success. Pettiford had 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting, and was 2-of-11 from 3-point range.
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Tennessee’s Nate Ament was 4-of-16 shooting, but he bolstered his numbers with 12 free throws to finish with 22 points. Jaylen Carey, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and DeWayne Brown II all shot well, combining for 34 points on 52% shooting.
Nate Ament injury update, will Tennessee star play vs Auburn?
Freshman star forward Nate Ament was listed as questionable against Auburn on the SEC injury report. The designation is an upgrade from his last game. Ament was listed as doubtful against Vanderbilt before sitting out the 86-82 loss.
Ament has missed two games with a high ankle sprain. He went through a full practice with the team at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville on March 11, which is a positive sign for his return. His workload in a potential return is unknown, but Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes typically strays from starting players returning from injury.
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Felix Okpara did not start against Kentucky on Feb. 7 after missing two games with a left calf injury, and J.P. Estrella still hasn’t returned to the starting lineup after he sat two games with foot soreness.
Tennessee vs Auburn prediction in SEC Tournament
Tennessee 68, Auburn 59: It shouldn’t matter whether Ament plays for Tennessee against Auburn. The 6-foot-7 Keshawn Hall could prove problematic, but the Vols have a clear frontcourt advantage. Expect similar results to Tennessee’s win over South Carolina, where Estrella – who’s had 20 points or more in two straight games – and Okpara combined for 42 points and 15 rebounds.
Tennessee’s defense should buy the Vols a ticket to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals against No. 4 seed Vanderbilt.
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Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Auburn prediction, expert picks for SEC Tournament
