Five Keys To Tennessee Vols Beating the Georgia Bulldogs

College Basketball season is in full swing, with the Tennessee Volunteers holding a (13-6) overall record and (3-3) in conference. Fresh off a massive four-point road win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Vols are back on the road against another conference foe.

The Vols will take on the Georgia Bulldogs, who are fresh off their worst loss of the season to unranked Texas. The Bulldogs were blown out by twenty points by the Longhorns and will be looking to get back on track vs the Vols.

Georgia enters the contest with the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense, averaging 93.4 points per game. The Vols have allowed 90+ points just once this season, when the Florida Gators scored 91 points on a night in which they shot nearly 50% from the field and took advantage of 26 fast-break points.

Jan 24, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes reacts during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

Keys to the Matchup - Tennessee vs Georgia

No. 1 - Defend the Three
Georgia is top-25 in three-pointers attempted per game. They will be getting shots up, and if Tennessee is going to score with the Bulldogs, they’d best do their best to take away the three-ball from the Bulldogs.

No. 2 - Be Prepared For the Depth
Georgia is a basketball team that currently has seven players who have scored at least 120 points this season. Led by Jeremiah Wilkinson, Georgia has plenty of options that can get a bucket when in need.

No. 3 - Somto Cyril
Somto Cyril has been quite a problem for a lot of teams this season. The near seven-footer is a serious presence in the paint and is currently No. 2 in college basketball for shots per game (2.85). Though Cyril has been a rim protector for a while now, the new development is his emergence as an offensive problem. He’s averaging nearly double-digits in points (9.8) while shooting 76.2% from the field.

No. 4 - Get the Two-Headed Monster Rolling
The Tennessee Volunteers are currently a two-headed monster. There's little doubt through 19 games who the offense runs through. In fact, 43% of the total scoring on the year has been done by Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament. They need both players to score and score plenty.

No. 5 - Be the Winner of the "Something's gotta give"
They are one of the nation's best offenses, scoring 93.4 points per game. The Tennessee Volunteers' defense allows just 69.0 points per game. Something has got to give in this battle. For the Vols to win, they will either need to hold Georgia considerably under their seasonal average on defense, or score considerably more than their seasonal average on offense (82.2 PPG allowed).

Following their matchup with the Bulldogs, the Vols will return home on January 31st against the Auburn Tigers before hosting the Ole Miss Rebels on February 3rd.