Chris Jans Previews 'Old School' Tennessee Basketball Team

Mississippi State men's basketball head coach Chris Jans lauds the challenge of the No. 5-ranked team in the country.

The Mississippi State men's basketball team is aiming to quickly rebound after an SEC opening 68-62 loss to South Carolina on Jan. 6.

However, the 11-3 Bulldogs' next opponent won't be any easier as the 11-3 Tennessee Volunteers landed at the No. 5 spot in Monday's AP Poll. Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans previewed Wednesday's upcoming matchup during today's press conference.

"Typical (head coach) Rick Barnes-coached team," Jans said. "Very well coached defensively, I think they're top 2-3 in the country per KenPom, which is pretty typical for one of his teams. They've done a great job in the portal and have added some key pieces that have made them harder to guard. In my opinion, offensively they're not quite as big around the basket as last year, but they're still plenty big with plenty of depth."

Jans commended Barnes' work on both sides of the ball and explained Tennessee's unique play style when they have possession.

"Offensively, they present some challenges because they play differently," Jans said. "They play a little old school with a lot more screening and cutting than you see in today's game. They do a lot more staggers rather than five-out. It'll be a different prep week than normal, but we'll have to play our best."

It seemed like Jans was more worried about Tennessee's "very well-schooled" defense, stating that "it's really hard to score on them."

"They have great pride individually in guarding the ball and not giving up angles or penetration," Jans said. "It starts up front with (guard) Zakai Zeigler who sets the tone. He's as good an on-ball defender as you're going to see in college basketball. He's relentless, in big-time shape and can do it for 35-40 minutes. That's not the only thing they do well as they've got great spacing defensively with plenty of rim protection."

Nevertheless, Jans looks forward to the "unbelievable challenge" and believes it's "a great opportunity" to have a top-5 team come on the Bulldogs' floor and pull off the upset on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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