Top SEC scorers clash as No. 3 Tennessee hosts Arkansas

Three of the SEC's top four scorers will be present Tuesday night when the Arkansas Razorbacks (10-5, 1-2) visit the third-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (14-1, 3-0).

Leading the way is Tennessee junior forward Grant Williams, a rugged 6-foot-7, 240-pounder and the reigning SEC Player of the Year. He sits atop the league scoring chart at 18.9 points per game, while also averaging 7.9 rebounds.

Williams had 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals on Saturday in a 78-67 win over the Florida Gators. He also shot 8 of 11 from the floor -- much of it against a Gators zone.

"If we played man-to-man for 40 minutes, Williams might have scored 60," Gators coach Mike White said. "And we might have all fouled out -- including me."

Second in scoring in the SEC is Tennessee's Admiral Schofield, a 6-5, 240-pound forward is averaging 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. Lindy's magazine has called him the most versatile talent in the SEC.

The third big star in the game is 6-11, 235-pound sophomore Daniel Gafford, who is tied for third in the league with a 17.5 scoring average. He is also tied for the league lead in rebounds (9.5) and might be the best draft prospect in the conference.

Gafford, who is a projected first-round pick in this year's NBA Draft, has seven double-doubles this season and is coming off a 32-point performance on Saturday against LSU. His dunk with 30 seconds left in regulation sent the game to overtime, but he and the Razorbacks ultimately fell short.

"He's a great player," LSU coach Will Wade said of Gafford, who made 14 of 19 shots against the Tigers. "I didn't intend on us giving Gafford as many easy shots as we did. We didn't do a good job of stopping him."

Tennessee, which has won 10 consecutive games since an overtime loss to Kansas at the Barclays Center in New York, will get its shot at Gafford on Tuesday.

The Razorbacks have lost two straight games, but they have played well on the road, going 2-0 with wins over Colorado State and Texas A&M.

Then again, Tennessee is 9-0 at home this season.

Gafford is supported on the Arkansas roster by 6-5 sophomore wing Mason Jones, who is averaging 14.8 points; 6-5 freshman shooting guard Isaiah Joe, who is averaging 14.1 points; and 6-2 sophomore Jalen Harris, who leads the team with 6.5 assists while averaging 8.8 points.

Jones is a transfer from Connors State. Joe was the 2018 Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year. Harris transferred in from the University of New Mexico.

Arkansas' fifth starter is Adrio Bailey, an athletic 6-6 junior forward who averages 6.7 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Tennessee's other three starters -- besides Williams and Schofield -- are 6-3 junior point guard Jordan Bone, who is third in the league in assists (6.2) and seventh in free-throw percentage (84.8); 6-5 sophomore wing/France native Yves Pons, who is averaging 3.9 points; and 6-11 senior center Kyle Alexander, who is averaging 10.1 points and 7.9 rebounds.

In addition, Tennessee's bench has been crucial to its success this season, led by 6-5 Jordan Bowden, who is averaging 10.1 points, and 6-1 junior guard Lamonte Turner, who is averaging 9.5 points. They combined to score 29 against Florida.

--Field Level Media