SoCon Monster Game of the Week Preview: Tennessee at College of Charleston

Time: 9:00
TV: ESPN2

Tennessee has been a mystery wrapped up in a riddle so far this year. They had close losses to Duke and Memphis, before an upset loss to Oakland, before a tight loss to Pittsburgh, before an upset loss to Austin Peay. So, the Vols have been playing up or down to their competition lately. Their dominating performance against Chaminade hardly counts, and the wins over UNC-Greensboro and UL-Monroe seem like a long time ago.

Last year, College of Charleston dominated the Vols in Knoxville. Can they pull off the win over an SEC team for a second straight year- this time in Charleston?

The Vols have four players averaging in double figures, with Trae Golden leading the way at 15.1 points per game. Jordan McRae is averaging 13.9 points per game. Jeronne Maymon is averaging 13.8. Cameron Tatum is averaging 10.3.

Golden, McRae, and Tatum all are shooting over 40% from three point range, while Maymon is shooting nearly 60% from the floor by playing well on the inside. Maymon is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game, while Kenny Hall is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game. The Vols have been allowing over 73 points per game, which is not very good, even though they average just a shade under 80. They've been outrebounding their opponents by 4 per game.

The Cougars have four double figure scorers of their own. Antwaine Wiggins leads the team in scoring with 17.4 points per game. Sometimes his shot selection is not very good, especially considering that he is a senior, but on the whole, Wiggins has turned into a very good player. Andrew Lawrence is averaging 13.6 points per game, while Trent Wiedemann is averaging 13.5. Anthony Stitt is averaging 10.3.

Wiedemann is averaging 8.8 rebounds per game, while Wiggins is averaging 6.4, and Adejhi Baru is averaging 5.6. Baru has been good, but not great as a freshman. He's probably been a bit of a disappointment. He's good, and he will be much better by the time the season ends.

KEYS TO THE GAME

--Will the Vols play up or down? Since the Cougars beat them, will they be looking for revenge or think they should beat a SoCon team? How will they respond to the stunning upset to Austin Peay?
--Antwaine Wiggins is a tough match-up for any SoCon team. Not quite as much for an SEC team How will he match-up in this game?
--Will Maymon have a big game against the Cougars Baru and Wiedemann?

LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG

--Wiggins will score between 10 and 15.
--Lawrence and Golden will get into a shootout between them.
--This will be a tight game from start to finish.
--College of Charleston 84, Tennessee 79. The Cougars offense is very good and Lawrence will score in the 20s. The Vols are capable of winning despite the fact that the Cougars are probably the better team and playing at home. Should be an interesting one with the Vols playing up to their competition, only to fall just short late.