Tennessee basketball vs Oklahoma prediction: Can Igor Milicic stay hot in Vols vs Sooners?

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Tennessee basketball is heading into the grind of its February schedule.

The No. 4 Vols (19-4, 6-4 SEC) play four of their next five games on the road starting at Oklahoma (16-6, 3-6) on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN) in Norman, Oklahoma.

“No doubt in my mind they’re as competitive as anybody that we will play this year,” Vols coach Rick Barnes said Friday.

Here is what to know about the matchup:

Igor Milicic Jr is a different offensive catalyst for Tennessee

Igor Milicic Jr. stacked two of his best games at Tennessee in his past two.

The senior forward is averaging 20 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He has made 6 of 11 3-pointers and is 14-for-20 shooting in those games against Kentucky and Missouri.

“I think when Igor plays well, it takes pressure off everybody,” Barnes said.

Milicic stressed he was most proud of his passing against Missouri. He also had four blocks and two steals against the Tigers in a complete game.

Tennessee vs Oklahoma will be a 3-point defense game

Tennessee and Oklahoma boast two of the nation’s top 3-point defenses.

The Vols have the top-ranked unit, allowing opponents to make 26.7% of their 3-pointers. Oklahoma’s 3-point defense is No. 5 with opponents shooting 28.2% on 3-pointers.

Oklahoma is the latest big offensive test for Tennessee

The SEC has six teams in the top 20 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. Oklahoma continues Tennessee’s streak of facing those teams in succession.

The Vols have faced five of the six teams in their past games. OU is No. 16 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, which ranks sixth in the SEC. Auburn is first, Kentucky is second, Alabama is third, Florida is fourth and Missouri is fifth.

Senior forward Jalon Moore leads the Sooners with 17.9 points and is shooting 43.3% on 3-pointers. Guard Jeremiah Fears is one of the SEC’s best freshmen. He is averaging 15.9 points and a team-leading 4.2 assists.

“Good size,” Barnes said of Fears. “Sees the floor well. I look at the coaching staff and they have done a really…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-basketball-vs-oklahoma-prediction-171349133.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2025-02-07 17:13:00

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