Tennessee vs Florida: Keys to the Volunteers Winning the SEC Tournament

Jonathan Williams | 15 Hours Ago

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes works with his team as they play Auburn in the first half of a Southeastern Conference tournament semifinal game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 15, 2025. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers are set to battle the Florida Gators for the SEC championship after a dramatic win against the Auburn Tigers. The Vols and Gators met twice during the regular season and split the meetings, with each team winning in a blow out. The Gators have one of the best offenses in the country and will certainly be a tough test for the Vols. If the Vols want to be crowned as champions of the SEC. 

Force the Gators to play Volunteer basketball:

Perhaps what the Vols do better than anyone is force opponents to play a Tennessee brand of basketball. Well documented as a defensive unit, the Vols are notorious for limiting team possessions and forcing them to make the most of those reduced possessions. They do this by forcing therock out of ball handlers’ hands, playing air-tight perimeter defense, and challenging passing lanes.  Maintaining this style of play will be paramount against the Gators, who rank in the top-ten nationally in team scoring average with 85.4 point per game. When the teams last met, the Vols held the Gators to a laughable 24.5% shooting and 13 turnovers. The Vols make every offensive possession for their opponents critical, as there may not be as many as teams are accustomed to. If the Vols are able to maintain that same ferocity defensively, they will be on their way to winning the tournament. 

Win at the free throw stripe:

Yesterday against Auburn, the Volunteers were superb from converting their trips to the free throw line, shooting a remarkable 25-27, which is 92%. The Tigers only shot 13-22. With the Vols not being stellar in the points per game department, making the most of their opportunities at the free throw line is critical. The Gators have the third worst free throw percentage in the SEC. Despite blowing out Alabama, they shot a poor 64% from the charity stripe. If this game comes down to the wire and comes down to how each team performs from the free throw line, do not be surprised if the Vols emerge as the victors of this contest.

Do not let Walter Clayton Jr. control the game:

Florida’s senior guard, Walter Clayton Jr., is the engine to the high powered offensive attack of the Gators. He leads the team in scoring and assists, and was also named as an All-SEC first teamer. While he can easily score 20 points a night, one of his biggest strengths is getting his offense out and running, which results in the Gators playing a fast brand of high-powered basketball that is reminiscent of the showtime Lakers from the 1980’s. The Gators rank second in the country in fastbreak points, and it all starts with Clayton acting as the team’s commanding floor general. He also had three steals yesterday, which gave him quite the advantage in pushing the fastbreak, which often led to easy baskets. The Vols’ defensive star,  Zakai Ziegler will have one of his biggest tasks of the season in slowing down Clayton and the Gators. If the Vols allow Clayton to channel his inner Magic Johnson and let the Gators run, it will be a long night. 

The SEC final is set to tip off at 1 PM eastern time on ESPN. 

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