Tennessee basketball vs Georgia: Prediction, picks, injury updates, odds

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Tennessee basketball is hosting the surging Georgia Bulldogs in a Top 25 matchup Wednesday.

The No. 6 Vols (15-1, 2-1 SEC) welcome No. 23 Georgia (14-2, 2-1), which has won back-to-back games against Top 25 opponents before facing Tennessee on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

This is what to know about the matchup:

Tennessee’s Felix Okpara playing his best in SEC games

Felix Okpara has taken a jump since SEC play began and is playing his best basketball of the season.

The Ohio State transfer is averaging 8.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in three SEC games, both increases from his season averages. He has scored at least seven points in each game.

“It has just been about finding the opportunities to get rim shots,” Vols assistant coach Lucas Campbell said. “It is just finding his spots.”

The 6-foot-11 Okpara grabbed seven rebounds at Florida and nine at Texas. He has continued to be a force defensively and blocked three shots in each of the past two games.

Georgia’s Asa Newell is another star freshman in the SEC

For the second straight game, Tennessee will face one of the freshman stars in the SEC.

Asa Newell is Georgia’s first-year phenom after the Vols saw Texas’ Tre Johnson on Saturday. The 6-11 Newell is averaging 15.4 and 6.8 rebounds.

“He looks really comfortable in college basketball, which is a hard adjustment to make in college basketball,” Campbell said.

Newell was the No. 12 prospect nationally in the 247Sports Composite. He has scored at least 13 points in every SEC game, including a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double against Ole Miss.

DUBAR: How Darlinstone Dubar made sure Tennessee won at Texas: He played with ‘a force’

What Georgia basketball does well under Mike White

Georgia is ranked in the USA TODAY coaches poll and Associated Press poll at the same time for the first time since March 10, 2023.

The Bulldogs are ranked No. 23 in both polls this week after wins against Kentucky and Oklahoma under coach Mike White.

“They bring a different physicality,” Campbell said. “That is…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-basketball-vs-georgia-prediction-165233770.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2025-01-14 16:52:00

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