Volunteers and Gators Meet in Top-Ten SEC Showdown

The Tennessee Volunteers dominate Florida on the hardwood in Knoxville. Since the 2014-2015 season, the Volunteers are 7-0 on their home floor in the rivalry matchup.  

However, the Gators boast a similar advantage over the Vols in Gainesville, winning four of their last five at home.  

Now, a top-ten matchup heads to the Swamp early in SEC play as the No.1 Volunteers take on the No.8 Gators Tuesday night.  

As is the case with many top matchups, Tuesday’s clash features a heavy dose of transfer talent. TPR dives into the stars to watch. 

For the Volunteers:  

A season ago, Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht led the Vols to one of their best seasons of all time. Tennessee reached the Elite Eight and Knecht scored 37 in a heartbreaking to defeat to national runner-up, Purdue. 

After losing Knecht to June’s NBA draft, Vols coach Rick Barnes found another gem in the portal this offseason. 

Chaz Lanier started his career with the North Florida Ospreys. Lanier came off the bench in his first three seasons before starting 31 of 32 games in his final year. The Nashville native averaged 19.7 points per contest. 

This season, the senior guard has started every game and scored over 20 points in seven of 14. Lanier dropped 29 points in a dominant SEC opening victory over Arkansas. He shot 50% from the field and 5-9 from three, good for his third straight 20-point game. 

The Volunteers are off to a 14-0 start, tied for a program best, and earned a fifth straight AP No.1 ranking, a record-breaking streak. 

In the paint, forwards Igor Milicic Jr and Felix Okpara have started each of the first 14 games, ranking first and second on the team in rebounding.  

Milicic Jr, a Charlotte transfer, leads Tennessee with 8.9 rebounds per game. The Croatia native started his career with a season at Virginia before playing the last two with the 49ers.  

Okpara holds down the fort as the key force in the paint on defense for Rick Barnes’ crew. An Ohio State transfer, Okpara averaged over a block per game in each of his two seasons with the Buckeyes. 

The Nigeria native averages 1.3 blocks per contest this season, including a season high four in a win over UT Martin. 

For the Gators: 

Todd Golden’s team started the season 13-0, Florida’s best mark to start a season since its 17-0 start in 05-06. That year, the Gators won their first of back-to-back national championships. 

Florida suffered their first defeat at the hands of No.6 Kentucky in a thrilling SEC opener at Rupp Arena Saturday afternoon, 106-100.  

Walter Clayton Jr, an Iona transfer in his second season with the Gators, finished with 33 points and six three-point makes in the defeat. 

Fellow guard Alijah Martin dropped 26 on the Wildcats, including five buckets from beyond the arc. Martin, an in-state transfer, started his career at FAU where he averaged just over 13 points per game in three seasons as a primary starter. 

Martin scored 32 on over 55% shooting early in the season, showing an ability to catch fire in a hurry. 

Rueben Chinyelu provides a much needed defensive presence for the Gators.  

Chinyelu, a Washington State transfer, is averaging over a block per game this season. The Nigeria native finished with ten points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the loss at Kentucky. 

Look for the clash between Chinyelu and Okpara to play a key role in the outcome of this SEC showdown.