Georgia Basketball: Preview UGA vs Tennessee

Feb 7, 2017; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Yante Maten (1) reacts after a dunk in the second half of their game against the Florida Gators at Stegeman Coliseum. The Gators won 72-60. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2017; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Yante Maten (1) reacts after a dunk in the second half of their game against the Florida Gators at Stegeman Coliseum. The Gators won 72-60. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The Georgia basketball team travels to Knoxville Saturday to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

Related Story: Georgia falls to Florida

The Georgia basketball team is limping into Tennessee the losers of 3 straight.  Tennessee is arguable the hottest team in the SEC winning 5 of their last 6 outings, making this a tough game for the bulldogs.

By The Numbers

These teams come in evenly matched. Georgia comes in averaging 72 points per game, shooting 44 percent.  They give up 69 point per game on the defensive end.  The Dawgs grab 38 rebound a game.

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee averages 77 points per game and they also shoot 44 percent.  Opponents score 73 points per game on the Vols defense.  Like Georgia, Tennessee grabs 38 rebounds per game.

Players To Watch

The player to watch for the Georgia Bulldogs is senior guard J. J. Frazier.  When Frazier is hot, he’s practically unguardable.  Listed at 5’10 and 155 pounds, Frazier’s small frame means he’s usually quicker than whoever guards him. J. J. averages 16 points per game on the season.  Frazier can be sneaky, but if he finds his shot early, he could do some big damage to the Volunteer defense.

More from Dawn of the Dawg

Robert Hubbs III is the player to watch for Tennessee.  He’s a tough match-up in every aspect of the game.  Not only is he a scoring threat, but at 6’5, he’s a terrific defender.  He could be a nightmare for Georgia on Saturday.  Hubbs scores 14.5 points per game and adds 5.1 rebounds a game as well.

Freshman Spotlight

Tyree Crump for UGA has seen his role expand a little as of late.  He doesn’t play alot but when he enters the game, he plays aggressive and always looks for his shot.  Crump is a good offensive player.  Coach Fox has bragged on his offensive abilities a lot in practice.  If he could get hot, Crump could be a problem.

Tennessee has a very young team and a few outstanding freshmen, but the one that has stood out to me is Jordan Bowden.  He is cool, calm, and collective.  The athletic guard averages 8.8 points per game.