Keys to Victory Against Tennessee

Georgia basketball faces a tall task Wednesday night, traveling to Knoxville to face the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers.

Tennessee is the first ranked opponent on Georgia's schedule (Florida was unranked for the first matchup), but it was originally the last. The SEC rescheduled the game when Texas A&M was unable to play the Bulldogs this week. Tennessee was Georgia's original season-finale opponent.

A victory over the Volunteers would do wonders for Georgia's NCAA Tournament resume. Despite having a 12-6 record, the Bulldogs aren't currently in tourney discussions. That's because three of those losses were by at least 18 points, with one loss coming against a 5-8 South Carolina squad.

Tennessee is clearly one of the best teams in the nation, going undefeated in non-conference play, including a win over Kansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Volunteers are 13-4 overall and 6-4 in SEC play.

Georgia won't have much room for error Wednesday night and will likely need its best performance of the season in order to win. Here's what the Bulldogs must do to defeat Tennessee.

Disrupt Tennessee's offense

Tennessee has one of the most efficient offenses in the SEC, shooting at a high percentage inside and outside of the arc while averaging 14.8 assists per game. The Volunteers' 1.3 assists-to-turnover ratio ranks first in the SEC and they are committing only 11.5 turnovers per game, also best in the conference.

However, Tennessee is prone to having off-nights in offensive efficiency, and recently it has led to losses. The Vols had only 11 assists and committed 18 turnovers in an ugly 79-45 loss to Florida. Days later, Tennessee had 12 assists and 18 turnovers in a 73-64 loss to Missouri. Ole Miss forced 16 turnovers in its 52-50 upset win over Tennessee.

The formula to stopping Tennessee's offense is obvious: don't allow separation and clog passing lanes. Is Georgia capable of doing so?

Justin Kier leads the SEC with 2.1 steals per game. Sahvir Wheeler and Toumani Camara are also high on the list with 1.5 and 1.4 steals per game respectively. And in just eight outings, K.D. Johnson has 1.5 steals per game. In recent games, Jaxon Etter has proven capable of aggravating opposing point guards.

Play fast, but not in a hurry on offense

Last Wednesday, Georgia showed what it's capable of when it plays completely under control at a high tempo. The Bulldogs scored 52 points in the paint, while sinking seven three-pointers in a 91-86 win over Auburn.

Georgia's drives to the basket created open shots for the drivers and open teammates all around the floor. It was a near-perfect game for the Bulldogs' offense and was a display of the kind of offense head coach Tom Crean wants to run.

However, there have been plenty of games when Georgia didn't play under control. The Bulldogs had significant success Saturday against Vanderbilt. But 21 inexcusable turnovers limited Georgia's offense to 73 points in the three-point victory.

Turnovers have plagued Georgia all year and Saturday was the team's sixth game with at least 20 turnovers. More often than not, Georgia's turnovers are caused by playing out of control: losing dribbles, forcing passes to unopen teammates, driving into tight zones.

A fast-but-clean performance will equal a big night for Georgia's offense, especially if the team stays hot from outside the arc (47 percent over the last three games on 49 attempts). But a sloppy night will lead to another disappointing outcome. The Volunteers force 15.9 turnovers per game and they are capable of making Georgia pay for sloppiness.