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Tennessee vs. Texas A&M: 2022 SEC Tournament game preview, TV schedule

Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

In a 2022 SEC Championship game few could have expected, the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers will face the Texas A&M Aggies. Who takes home the title?

TV Schedule: Sunday, March 13, 1 p.m. ET on ESPN

Arena: Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida

The number of people who picked Texas A&M to be competing for the SEC Championship had to be slim to none. The Aggies (23-11, 9-9 SEC) finished tied for fifth in the SEC regular season but were given the No. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament due to tiebreakers. Buzz Williams and company faced off against the No. 9 seed Florida Gators, a game which they narrowly escaped on Hassan Diarra‘s three-point prayer with just seconds remaining.

The Aggies couldn’t enjoy the dramatic win for long though, because they had No. 1 Auburn the next day. With the odds against them, the Aggies went up 4-3 two minutes into the game and then never trailed the rest of the contest, winning 67-62. The ensuing semifinal victory over Arkansas was even more dominant. Texas A&M won 82-64 and never trailed. Senior guard Quenton Jackson led the way with 20 points, five rebounds, and six assists.

Overall, it has been a very back-and-forth season for Texas A&M. They opened the year 15-2, then lost nine of their next 10 games. From there, the Aggies have rattled off seven consecutive victories. Hot, then cold, then back again. How long can they maintain this hot streak?

The Tennessee Volunteers (25-7, 14-4 SEC) has been a very solid team all season. Since January 18, they are 14-2 and currently sitting on a six-game win streak. Future NBA player Kennedy Chandler has been a force, leading the team in points, assists, and steals. Tennessee has the No. 3 defense in the country per KenPom’s Adjusted Defensive Efficiency metric. In the SEC Tournament, they dismantled Mississippi State in the quarterfinals, 72-59, and then advanced to the championship game with a 69-62 victory over Kentucky. Chandler spearheaded the effort with 19 points.

Something to emphasize when evaluating the Volunteers for the NCAA Tournament is the sheer number of quality wins they have accumulated. They have wins over Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, Arkansas, LSU, and two over Kentucky. This team is battle-tested.

Guard play will be key in this game. Tennessee likes to have up to three ball-handlers on the floor at all times à la 2021 Baylor. Chandler frequently shares the court with a combination of Santiago Vescovi, Zakai Zeigler, and Josiah-Jordan James. Meanwhile, Texas A&M’s offense is very backcourt-heavy. Henry Coleman III is the Aggies’ only relevant frontcourt player in terms of offensive production.

In a matchup of two top-40 defenses, expect this game to be a grind. Texas A&M’s season has been characterized by very streaky play. While hot right now, I like the more steady side in Tennessee to come out on top. In the lone contest between these programs during the regular season, the Volunteers won a home matchup 90-80. I doubt the final score will be quite that high this time around.

Prediction: Tennessee 67, Texas A&M 61