Tiger Tipoff Preview: Tennessee

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The last time Missouri played Tennessee, on Dec. 30, the top-15 matchup drew national interest. The game didn't exactly live up to the billing. Eight-and-a-half minutes in, Tennessee had built a 23-4 lead that it wouldn't relinquish. A little more than three weeks later, Missouri will travel to Knoxville looking for revenge.

The Tigers enter the matchup coming off two straight double-digit wins, while Tennessee just endured its worst loss of the season, a 26-point beatdown at the hands of Florida. Here's everything you need to know to get set for the matchup.

Missouri (9-2) vs Tennessee (10-2)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee

TV: SEC Network

RADIO: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly, Chris Gervino)

SERIES: Tennessee leads 10-7

KenPom Prediction: Tennessee 68-62

1. Get off to a better start. The last time these two teams met, the game was over before Missouri could find its footing. The Tigers looked shell-shocked by Tennessee's length and athleticism and missed nine of their first 11 shots. On the other end, the Volunteers made their first seven field goals to start the game. As Missouri found out, once you fall behind early against a team that defends like Tennessee defends and likes to slow down the game, it's virtually impossible to climb back. This time around, the Vols should enter the matchup with plenty of fire. Following the team's ugly loss at Florida on Tuesday, head coach Rick Barnes said his team "makes me sick." The Tigers need to match the Vols' energy early and avoid falling into another hole.

2. Keep the offense moving. Tennessee's defense has made a lot of opposing offenses look bad this season, but Missouri must execute better on the offensive end during the rematch. The Tigers shot just 36.4 percent, including 18.8 percent from behind the three-point line, in the first meeting. They committed 21 turnovers compared to five assists. After the game, Cuonzo Martin said too many players were simply standing around watching, letting guards try to drive into the lane one-on-one or not properly moving and cutting when Jeremiah Tilmon got the ball in the low post. Missouri has been much better on the offensive end since then. The Tigers have dished 60 assists across their past four games and shot nearly 50 percent from the field during that span. It will be imperative to continue to move the ball and draw defenders away from shooters rather than allowing Tennessee's army of shot-blockers to contest everything. In particular, the senior guard combo of Dru Smith and Mark Smith need to play better. Three weeks ago, the two combined for 12 points, two assists and eight turnovers.

3. Keep the Tilmon train rolling. Tennessee should have the edge over Missouri when it comes to depth, but if Tilmon continues to play like he has so far this month, he could be the best player on the floor. In the four games since Missouri last played Tennessee, Tilmon has averaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He has demanded double-teams from opposing defenses and beaten them, either by scoring through them or finding open teammates. Perhaps just as impressive, he's been active on the defensive end without fouling. He has three blocks in each of the past two games and averaged 30.5 minutes across the past four, not fouling out once. If Tilmon can keep the hot streak rolling Saturday, Missouri will have a weapon it lacked in the first matchup. Tennessee will have to choose between guarding him one-on-one, which hasn't worked for any of the past four opponents, or double-teaming him and opening up cutting lanes for Tilmon's teammates. Tilmon may not necessarily have to keep up his recent scoring, but it feels safe to say that, if Missouri is going to win this game, the Tigers need Tilmon to stay active and on the floor for the duration.

While we would expect Missouri to come out energized and thirsty for revenge on Saturday night, Tennessee remains a tough matchup for the Tigers. The Volunteers defend the two-point shot extremely well, ranking second nationally in block percentage. Missouri's struggles shooting from three-point range have been well-documented. On the other end of the floor, Tennessee is balanced, adept at scoring from the mid range and rarely gives the ball away. The Volunteers rank No. 21 nationally in turnover rate, which means few transition scoring opportunities for Missouri. Plus, as mentioned earlier, Tennessee should have plenty of motivation of its own to bounce back from its loss earlier in the week. We think Mizzou makes this matchup much more competitive, but Tennessee pulls out the win.

FINAL SCORE: Tennessee 69, Missouri 64