Show Me My Opponent, 2022-23: Arkansas

they are hooting and - make no mistake - they are hollering

Tennessee’s looking to stay hot after merely posting the second-best offensive efficiency number in 22 years against South Carolina on Saturday. Opponent caveats are there, obviously, and Tennessee’s probably not gonna go 16-for-17 at the rim against Arkansas. But still: 1.49 points per possession, 67% on twos, 44% on threes. You’re thrilled with that against Buy Game State University in December. It hits just as nicely against a conference opponent, even if BGSU (Not That BGSU) might be a tougher test.

For Senior Night, Tennessee gets one final home test against a real opponent before they head into the away/neutral abyss that dominates March. Arkansas went from kinda maybe sorta not being in the NCAA Tournament circa late January (they were 14-7 with an 0-6 record against Quad 1 opponents) to finally doing enough in February (5-3!) to solidify themselves as a 7 or 8 seed come Selection Sunday. They’ve been shorthanded most of the season but Eric Musselman being Eric Musselman, they’ve more or less made do because he is excellent at his job.

This is a fun test between Talented Team That Is Butt on the Road versus Talented Team That Is the Harlem Globetrotters at Home. Arkansas is 2-7 in true road games and one of the wins was a two-point squeaker over the same South Carolina team Tennessee beat by 43 and 40; Tennessee rates as the #2 team at home in America (Alabama #1) with a 13-2 record and wins over two of the consensus top-six teams in bracket projections. Meanwhile, five of Arkansas’s six worst defensive performances have been away from home.

The calculus is simple: win and stay in contention for an SEC double-bye and on track for an NCAA Tournament 3 seed. Also win so the seniors get a nice moment in the sun. Also also win so Musselman stops tweeting for a little bit.

BELOW THE LINE ($): no no no the ball goes IN the basket, that’s why it’s called basketball