| Tennessee (6-8) at Mississippi State (14-3)
Vols Continue League Road Swing at Starkville
 | | Tennessee's Ron Slay has scored at least 20 points in the Vols last three games. | Tennessee and Mississippi State will both be looking to end two-game losing streaks in a game that tips off at 8 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. Both schools opened SEC action with a big win but has dropped each of its next two outings. Tennessee opened league play with an 82-76 win over Ole Miss but then fell in overtime to third-ranked Florida and at Georgia on a last second shot. Mississippi State opened conference play with a 74-69 overtime win over sixth-ranked Kentucky but has fallen at Arkansas and at Ole Miss since then. For the fourth time this season a Vol opponent has made a three-pointer at the end of regulation to help send UT to defeat. On Saturday, Georgia's Ezra Williams hit a trey at the buzzer to give the Bulldogs a 73-70 win over the Vols. The loss dropped Tennessee to 6-8 on the season and 1-2 in the SEC. Vincent Yarbrough, an All-America candidate, leads the Southeastern Conference with 19.5 points to go with his team-high 7.1 rebounds per game this season. Ron Slay is averaging 15.5 points while Marcus Haislip is adding 14.6 points per game. Mississippi State is off to one of its best starts in school history with a 14-3 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the SEC. The Bulldogs, who are receiving votes in both national polls, are led by sophomore center Mario Austin's 15.8 points and 7.9 rebounds.
| Team Statistical Comparisons | | Tennessee | | Miss. State | | 75.0 | Points | 77.7 | | 71.5 | Opponent Points | 68.2 | | +3.5 | Scoring Margin | +9.5 | | 46.7 | Field Goal % | 49.2 | | 40.4 | Opponent Field Goal % | 40.3 | | 37.3 | Three-Point % | 35.6 | | 34.2 | Opponent Three-Point % | 30.3 | | 69.0 | Free Throw % | 65.1 | | 38.3 | Rebounds | 41.8 | | 36.5 | Opponent Rebounds | 32.5 | | +1.8 | Rebounding Margin | +9.3 | | 16.8 | Assists | 16.4 | | 16.9 | Turnovers | 17.8 | | 3.3 | Blocks | 4.0 | | 6.9 | Steals | 9.4 | | 6-8 | Record | 14-3 |
| Individual Statistical Leaders | | Tennessee | | Miss. State | | Yarbrough, 19.5 | Points | Austin, 15.8 | | Yarbrough, 7.1 | Rebounds | Austin, 7.9 | | Higgins, 4.9 | Assists | Zimmerman, 6.3 | | Crump, 60.0 | Field Goal % | Austin, 56.5 | | Yarbrough, 42.6 | Three-Point % | Ignerski, 44.0 | | Slay, 75.4 | Free Throw % | Patterson, 83.3 | | ? | Last Meeting With Mississippi State
Playing without one starter and one of its top reserves, Tennessee staved off a late Mississippi State rally for a 84-79 win in Knoxville on Jan. 20, 2001. The Vols led by as many as 19 points in the second half, but the Bulldogs showed their mettle by cutting UT's lead to 79-77 on Antonio Jackson's three-pointer with 27 seconds left. But the Vols fought back by converting 13 of their 16 free throw opportunities in the final two minutes, including five of six in the final 30 seconds. Tony Harris led five Vols in double-figure scoring with 22 points. Ron Slay added 15 points while Isiah Victor had 14, Vincent Yarbrough 12 and Harris Walker 10. * Charles Hathaway, who had started 17 of UT's previous 18 games at center, and Terrence Woods missed the game with the flu.
* Ron Slay made his first start of the season in place of Hathaway. It was just the second career start for Slay.
* UT's 64 percent shooting from the field in the first half is the Vols' best effort in a half this year.
* UT used a season-low eight players in the win.
* The Vols improved their homecourt winning streak to 17 games.
* Tony Harris made a career-high 11 free throws while going 11-for-12 from the charity stripe.
* Ron Slay played a career-high 33 minutes.
* The Vols were outrebounded for the fourth-straight game this season. The Bulldogs held a 42-32 advantage on the boards.
* Antonio Jackson led MSU with 21 points and seven assists while Tang Hamilton contributed 20 points and eight rebounds. Last Second Three-Pointers Sink Vols
For Tennessee this season, the difference between being 6-8 on the year and potentially 12-2 is a matter of 15 points and less than 10 seconds. Four times this season a Vol opponent has hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation that has helped decide the game while one time a UT three-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game rimmed out. Six of UT's eight losses this year have been decided by a combined total of 15 points. Following are Tennessee's games that went down to the last possession. * At Memphis, Thaydeus Holden made the first free throw of a two-shot foul to bring UT to 69-71 with 1.9 seconds left. He intentionally missed the second but Memphis was able to grab the rebound to seal the win.
* Louisville's Reece Gaines hit a three-pointer for the lead with 1.8 seconds left in the game to give the Cardinals a 73-72 win.
* West Virginia's Jonathan Hargett hit a three-pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining to give the Mountaineers a 74-72 victory.
* UT's Thaydeus Holden had a three-pointer that would have tied the game at the buzzer rim out against Wisconsin. The Badgers took a 65-62 win in Madison.
* Florida's Brett Nelson hit a 25-foot three-pointer with 3.1 seconds left in regulation to tie the game 94-94. The third-ranked Gators went on to a 104-100 overtime win.
* Georgia's Ezra Williams picked up a loose ball and fired up a three-pointer as time expired to give the Bulldogs a 73-70 win. Close Losses
Tennessee has struggled to win the close games this season. The Vols are 0-6 in games that are decided by five points or less on the year. Tennessee fell at Louisville on Dec. 20 by one point (72-73) and has two-point losses at Memphis (69-71 on Dec. 15) and to West Virginia (72-74 on Dec. 22). UT fell at Wisconsin by three points (62-65 on Dec. 29) and at Georgia (73-70 on Jan. 12). The Vols lost to third-ranked Florida by four points (100-104 in overtime on Jan. 9). Free Throws The Difference in SEC Play
In Tennessee's win over Ole Miss on Jan. 6, the Vols shot a season-high 88.6 percent (31-of-35) from the free throw line. In UT's conference losses to Florida and Georgia, the Vols are shooting just 56.6 percent (30-of-53) from the charity stripe.
* Tennessee's 88.6 percent shooting against Ole Miss was its best effort at the free throw line since making 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) of its free throws against South Carolina on March 10, 2000.
* The Vols shot just 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the line in their loss at Georgia. Frontcourt Carrying The Load
Tennessee's starting frontcourt of Vincent Yarbrough, Ron Slay and Marcus Haislip has been carrying the bulk of the Vols' scoring this season. The trio has combined to score 576 of Tennessee's 1,050 points this season (54.9 percent). Yarbrough leads the Vols and the SEC with 19.5 points per game while Slay is averaging 15.5 and Haislip has 14.6 points per game. Vols Have Three Players Score 20+ In Back-To Back Games
When three Vols scored 20 or more points in UT's game against Ole Miss on Sunday, Jan. 6, it was the first time since the 1993 season that it had happened. The next time out against Florida on Jan. 9, the Vols did it again. Three players recorded 20 or more points in the same game in back-to-back games.
* Against Ole Miss on Jan. 6, Vincent Yarbrough paced the Vols with 24 points while Marcus Haislip and Ron Slay each had 21 points.
* Against Florida on Jan. 9, Yarbrough once again led the Vols with 26 points while Marcus Haislip and Ron Slay each had 20 points.
* The Ole Miss game marked the first time since the 1993 season that three Vols had 20 or more points in the same game. The last time it happened was on Feb. 10, 1993 in UT's 107-111 loss at South Carolina. Allan Houston led UT with 29 points while Lang Wiseman had 26 and Corey Allen contributed 22 points. Slay Nearing 1,000 Career Point Mark
Ron Slay needs 68 points to become the 36th player in Tennessee history to score 1,000 career points. The junior forward from Nashville enters the Mississippi State game with 932 career points, including 186 this season.
* Should Slay reach the milestone, he would become the second player on this year's team to reach the mark. Vincent Yarbrough scored his 1,000th career point last season in a game at Florida. Slay Becoming A Rebounding Force
Junior forward Ron Slay is establishing himself as a force in the paint for the Vols this season. The 6-foot-8 Nashville native is averaging 15.5 points and 6.9 rebounds for Tennessee this season.
* He has led or tied for the team lead in rebounding in each of the Vols' last six games.
* He tied a career-high with 11 rebounds against Florida.
* His 28 offensive rebounds rank second on the team. Only Vincent Yarbrough has more offensive boards with 33. Haislip Leading The Vols In Blocks
Marcus Haislip's presence has been felt since his return to the lineup against Memphis on Dec. 15. The junior, who missed Tennessee's first six games due to academics, is averaging 14.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in the eight games since his return.
* Despite playing eight of the team's 14 games this season, Haislip leads the team in blocked shots with 17.
* He needs two blocked shots to pass Willie Burton (90 blocks from 1980-84) for 10th on Tennessee's career blocked shots list.
* Last year his 51 blocks led the team and ranked fifth on UT's single-season charts despite playing just 13.2 minutes per game.
* Haislip set career highs against Memphis for rebounds (8), field goals attempted (11) and minutes played (25). He tied his career best of three-pointers attempted (4) against the Tigers. Playing The Percentages
Tennessee has made 50 percent or better of its field goals in three games this season, including a 60 percent (27-of-45) effort against Marquette (11/21/01).
* In nine of UT's 14 games, the Vols have shot 45 percent or better.
* The Vols have made at least half of their three-pointers four times this year, including a 61.9 percent (13-of-21) outing against SMU. Troubles From Behind The Arc
After beginning the season by making 46.5 percent (53-of-114) of their three-point attempts through their first six games, the Vols have struggled from three-point range since then. Over their last eight games Tennessee has made just 29.6 percent (40-of-135) of its three-pointers. Yarbrough Climbing Scoring List
Vincent Yarbrough has led the Vols in scoring this season and continues his ascent up the Tennessee career scoring lists.
* He moved into 12th place on UT's career scoring lists with 1,450 career points.
* He became just the 15th player in UT history to score 1,400 points when he reached the milestone against Ole Miss on Jan. 6.
* He entered his senior season 28th on the school's scoring list with 1,177 points.
* He leads the Vols with 273 points this year.
* His 19.5 points per game leads the Southeastern Conference. Yarbrough Breaks Steals Record
Senior forward Vincent Yarbrough became Tennessee's all-time steals leader when he tied a season-high with five steals against West Virginia on Dec. 22. Yarbrough, who now has 184 career pilfers, passed Fred Jenkins (177 steals from 1983-87) for first on the list. Yarbrough leads the Vols this season with 31 steals.
Individual Career Steals
1. 184 Vincent Yarbrough, 1999-present
2. 177 Fred Jenkins, 1983-87
3. 173 Tyrone Beaman, 1980-84
4. 154 Dale Ellis, 1979-83 Yarbrough Joins 700 Rebound Club
Vincent Yarbrough became the 13th player in Tennessee history to record 700 career rebounds when he reached that plateau against Wisconsin on Dec. 29. The senior forward currently ranks 10th on Tennessee's career rebounding list with 728 career caroms. This season he is averaging a team-best 7.1 boards per game.
* Yarbrough needs 21 rebounds to tie Don Johnson (749 from 1968-71) for ninth and 22 rebounds to tie Steve Hamer (750 from 1992-96) for eighth on UT's career rebounding list.
* He became just the seventh Vol to have 1,300 or more points and 700 or more rebounds. Holden Named SEC's "Best Junior College Import"
The Sporting News named Tennessee junior guard Thaydeus Holden the "Best Junior College Import" in the Southeastern Conference in its Jan. 7 issue. Holden, a transfer from Seward County (Kan.) Community College, is averaging 8.9 points on 39.3 percent (22-of-56) shooting from three-point range for the Vols this season. Looking Back At The Georgia Game
Georgia's Ezra Williams picked up a loose ball and sank a three-pointer with 0.2 seconds left in the game to give the Bulldogs a 73-70 win in Athens on Saturday night. The loss was the second in a row for the Vols on a last-second shot at the end of regulation. Earlier in the week Florida's Brett Nelson hit a three with 3.1 seconds left to send the game into overtime. Tennessee took a 67-66 lead over the Bulldogs on a Marcus Haislip tip-in but UGA regained the lead on a pair of Chris Daniels free throws and then extended it to three points on a Jarvis Hayes jumper. UT's Ron Slay tied the game with a three-pointer from the top of the key with 15.8 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Hayes dribbled into the lane but lost control of the ball. The ball bounced around until to came to the feet of Williams and he managed to get the fateful shot off at the buzzer.
* Ron Slay led the Vols with 21 points and nine rebounds. Vincent Yarbrough added 19 points and eight rebounds while Marcus Haislip had 11 points and six boards.
* Ezra Williams led Georgia with 21 points while Chris Daniels had 19 points and 13 rebounds.
* Tennessee's 46.7 percent (7-of-15) shooting from the free throw line marked a season-low. Georgia, meanwhile, capitalized on 20-of-31 (64.5 percent) free throw attempts.
* Tennessee's 52 rebounds is a season-high. It marked the second game in a row that the Vols have had 50 or more rebounds. Yarbrough A Wooden Candidate
Although not on the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 list, Vincent Yarbrough is still making a strong case for being on the final list released by the committee. Despite not being on the midseason poll of voters for the award, the SEC's leading scorer is still being considered for the award. It is the second consecutive year Yarbrough was on the John R. Wooden Award's preseason list of its top 50 candidates for the Wooden Award All-America team. Yarbrough, who was one of six SEC student-athletes on the preseason list, has been a second team All-SEC selection each of the last two seasons. The Wooden Award committee will announce its All-America team on March 26, 2002 and then the recipient of the Wooden Award Trophy on April 7, 2002. Versatile Vincent
In his fourth season at Tennessee, Vincent Yarbrough has proven that he can do most anything on the court for the Vols. Entering his senior campaign, Yarbrough has proven himself worthy of being a two-time Wooden Award candidate. Following are some of the 6-foot-7 forward's accomplishments:
* Holds the school record for career steals with 184.
* Has scored 1,450 career points to rank 12th all-time at Tennessee.
* Ranks eighth all-time with 117 career blocks.
* Ranks among the Top 10 at Tennessee in three-pointers made and attempted.
* Ranked among the Top 10 in 10 different categories against SEC teams in 2001.
* Has led the Vols in scoring, rebounding and steals in each of the previous two seasons.
* Has 245 career offensive rebounds to his credit, an average of 2.2 per game.
* Scored in double figures 74 times and has 16 career double figure rebounding efforts.
* Led Tennessee in scoring 33 times and rebounding 41 times in his career. | 
