The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and the Tennessee Volunteers meet Monday in college basketball action from Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee Tech went just 16-17 overall last year but still managed a second-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. As for Tennessee, they’re coming off a 25-11 overall run and an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 

The Golden Eagles had their ups and downs in 2022-23, finishing in second place in the OVC standings with an 11-7 run but also notching a tepid 16-17 overall record. Tennessee Tech managed to win five of their final seven regular-season games and beat TN-Martin in the first round of the conference tourney before a loss to Southeast Missouri State in OT 89-82. 

Head coach John Pelphrey is back on the sidelines for another season with the Golden Eagles. He gets two starters back on the roster, but more than half of the team’s scoring from last season has departed. Senior guards Diante Wood (6.7 PPG) and Jayvis Harvey (12.0 PPG) will lead the charge this year, while depth players Erik Oliver (6.4 PPG) and Jerome Beya (1.9 PPG) add some experience to the lineup. 

Tennessee Volunteers 

Over on the Volunteers’ side, they’re looking to build on their Sweet Sixteen run from last year. Tennessee managed a 25-11 overall record with an 11-7 mark in SEC play. That led to a fifth-place finish in the crowded conference standings, but the Vols did some damage in the national tournament with wins over Louisiana and Duke before falling to FAU 62-55. 

The Tennessee roster is looking pretty good in head coach Rick Barnes’ ninth season at the helm. The Volunteers lose a pair of starters in Olivier Nkamhoua (10.8 PPG) and Uros Plavsic (4.9 PPG), but retain a good chunk of the lineup otherwise. Zakai Zeigler is still coming back from his ACL injury, but in the meantime the team boasts a couple of great guards in Freddie Dilionev  and Santiago Vescovi (12.5 PPG). 

ANDREW’S FREE PICK 

I’m staying with Tennessee, but the line’s a bit too thick to mess around with. The Volunteers have a stacked roster once again this year, and by all indications they’re going to be one of the top teams in the country. Tennessee has added some scoring depth in the offseason via the portal, and if they can pair that with another great defensive effort this year the team will be tough to beat. The Volunteers were ranked as the top team in the country on defense by many metrics last year and they’ve had some extra time to prepare the newcomers with a trip to Italy in the offseason. Make no mistake: Tennessee has a brutal schedule this year. That said, with a healthy roster, extra shotmakers in their rotation and the focus on D, this team will be able to play with anyone in the country.