Razorbacks play Tennessee in final road game

The Razorbacks head out for their final road contest of the 2009-10 season on Wednesday night when they take on the 16th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Tenn. Arkansas and Tennessee are set to tip off at 6 p.m. central and will be broadcast on television by Comcast Sports.

Arkansas (14-15, 7-7 SEC) enters the game hoping to get back to .500 after a loss to the No. 16 Vanderbilt Commodores. The Razorbacks looked better than they have but could not overcome a stunning shooting performance by the Commodores. Freshman Marshawn Powell rebounded from a tough LSU game to score 27 points, 21 in the opening half, for a career best in a SEC game. He was one rebound shy of his fourth double-double and posted his seventh 20-plus point game of the year.

The Razorbacks’ success must come from a well-rounded game if they hope to upset the ranked Volunteers at home. Arkansas will have to take care of the basketball, hit shots and play larger than they are to deal with the size of the Volunteers. Rotnei Clarke, 95 three-point baskets this season, is just seven three-pointers shy of Arkansas’ school record and needs to hit between two and three long balls in each of Arkansas’ next three games to set the record.

Tennessee (21-7, 9-5 SEC) is flying high after a win at home against then No. 2 Kentucky. After a tough loss on the road at Florida, the Volunteers returned to their home court and took care of business. Tennessee was backed by a raucous crowd who willed their team to victory in the closing moments. The Volunteers are led by Wayne Chism, a senior, who is averaging 12.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Chism is one of three seniors in the starting lineup for the Vols and is flanked by center Brian Williams and 6-7 guard J.P. Prince.

The Arkansas-Tennessee game will be broadcast on the SEC Network at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. The contest can also be heard on radio across the state of Arkansas on the Razorback Sports Network from ISP with Mike Nail and Rick Schaeffer giving the calls. Nail is in his 29th and final season as the play-by-play voice of the Razorbacks.

Looking past the Tennessee contest, Arkansas wraps up the regular season on Saturday, March 6, against the Ole Miss Rebels at Bud Walton Arena.