Vols Look to Keep Rolling in Trip to Bubble‑Hungry Missouri
Image: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
No. 22 Tennessee hits the road Tuesday night looking to extend one of the hottest stretches in college basketball, traveling to Columbia to face a Missouri team fighting to stay on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Vols enter at 20-7 (10-4 SEC), winners of eight of their last nine and 15 of their last 17, while the Tigers sit at 18-9 (8-6 SEC) and are squarely on the bubble as one of Joe Lunardi’s “Last Four In.”
Tennessee is coming off a gutsy 69-65 win at Vanderbilt, a game that swung on Nate Ament’s 13-foot jumper in the final minute. The freshman finished with 13 points and was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the sixth time on Monday. The Vols closed the game on a 12‑5 run and didn’t miss a field goal in the final three minutes, showcasing late-game composure that Vol Nation has been eagerly awaiting for.
Missouri, meanwhile, is desperate for a Quad 1 win, and Tuesday offers one of its last chances. The Tigers are coming off a 94-86 loss at Arkansas, a game in which forward Mark Mitchell was on a different level. The 6‑foot‑9, 230‑pound standout poured in 26 points on 66% shooting and enters the matchup averaging 17.2 points on 53% from the field.
All eyes will be on the matchup between Mitchell and Ament. Missouri will look to get Mitchell downhill early and often, forcing Ament to defend without fouling and disrupt drives at the rim. Keeping Ament on the floor will be crucial for Tennessee, especially with redshirt sophomore JP Estrella still listed as questionable on the SEC Availability Report. The Vols will know more about Estrella’s status at 7 p.m. ET when the final report is released.
Oddsmakers have Tennessee as a 3.5‑point favorite according to VIP Play, with the total set at 142.5.
Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is set for 9 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
