Tennessee is in the SEC semifinals for the first time since 2014 after hanging on for a 62-59 win over Mississippi State on Friday night. Rick Barnes and crew will take on Arkansas (23-10, 10-8 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, about 25 minutes after the Alabama-Kentucky game ends (the Wildcats and Tide play at 1 p.m.).
A win would put the Vols in the SEC tournament title game for the first time since 2009 and the fourth time since the tournament was renewed in 1979. Tennessee has made ten appearances in the final all-time and won four SEC tourney championships (1979, 1943, 1941, 1946).
The SEC tournament began in 1933 but was not held from 1953-1978 before being renewed in 1979.
The Vols are the no. 2 seed in the tourney while Arkansas is the no. 6 seed. The Razorbacks beat South Carolina and Florida to reach the semifinals.
Arkansas beat Tennessee in Fayetteville in the first game of SEC play back in December. The Vols led by nine with less than four minutes left in the game but the Hogs went on a 12-2 run to take a 73-72 lead with 45 seconds left. Jordan Bone's free throw with 18 seconds left sent the game to overtime where Arkansas prevailed 95-93. That's the highest point total the Vols have allowed all season. The game took place in Bud Walton Arena, where the Razorbacks were 15-2 this season. Arkansas is 8-8 away from home.
Tennessee is 6-0 in rematch games this season.
Arkansas' leading scorer is Jaylen Barford (18.2 ppg), a senior from Jackson, Tenn.
A win would give the Vols 25 victories in a season for just the fourth time in the 109-year history of Tennessee basketball.