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Tennessee Basketball: 2019-20 keys for Volunteers to beat Memphis

By Jason Burgess

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 28: Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 28: Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee Basketball
COLUMBUS, OHIO – MARCH 24: The Tennessee Volunteers (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The battle of the Volunteer state takes place Saturday in Knoxville when Tennessee Basketball hosts Memphis. Here are three keys to a Tennessee win and bragging rights.

Last season one team made a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, while the other was enjoying the first season under a new coach who happened to be one of their beloved sons, while patiently waiting for the No. 1 recruiting class in the country to arrive this season. The two teams will do battle Saturday afternoon when the No. 14 Memphis Tigers travel to Thompson-Boling Arena to take on their in-state rivals, it’s Tennessee Basketball who find themselves ranked 19th in the country heading into this one.

This will mark just the 27th meeting between the schools since 1949, with Tennessee holding a 15-11 edge, but over the last six meetings, the series is tied with each team winning three times. Despite the turmoil, the Tigers have faced this season with star freshman James Wiseman being suspended for NCAA Violations, Memphis is 8-1 with their only loss coming to No. 14 Oregon.

Rick Barnes’ Volunteers are 7-1 entering this one and will be looking for back-to-back wins in the series for the first time since they pulled the trick in 2009 and 2010. Being at home will be a help to the Volunteers, but as the cliché goes with any big rivalry when these two teams meet you can usually throw out the records and any talent disparity as this game should bring out the best in both teams.

For the Volunteers to come away with a win and state bragging rights for another year, there will be a number of things they will need to focus on, here are three keys to a Tennessee win over Memphis.

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