(Sports Network) - The 12th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers will take on the Siena Saints on the first day of the Old Spice Classic which takes place at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Both the winner and loser from this contest will take on either Wichita State and Georgetown tomorrow. Siena has only played two games thus far, both of which have resulted in easy victories. The Saints knocked off Boise State by 30 points in the opener before besting Cornell by a 74-56 final on Saturday. A member of the MAAC, Siena would earn some national respect if it can play Tennessee tight today, and a victory over the SEC foe would be huge for the program.

The Vols have won their first three games, all by double figures. The most recent outing took place last Friday, a 76-66 road win over Middle Tennessee. Bruce Pearl has lifted Tennessee to the level of national powerhouse during his brief tenure as leader of the program, and this season's roster is loaded with talent.

This game marks the first-ever meeting between Tennessee and Siena on the hardwood.

Against Middle Tennessee in the most recent outing, Tennessee connected on 55.3 percent of its field goal attempts and 20-of-26 free throws. The Vols also earned a 38-23 rebounding advantage, overshadowing the fact that they finished with only nine assists against 16 turnovers. Tyler Smith led the way in the win with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Bobby Maze chipped in 12 points. J.P. Prince and Scott Hopson both contributed 10 points in the triumph. Through three outings, Tennessee is racking up 93.7 ppg on 54.2 percent shooting from the field. Defensively, the team is limiting foes to 68.3 ppg on 39 percent efficiency. Smith, who is one of the nation's most versatile performers, leads the team with 19.3 ppg, and he is also generating 6.0 rpg and 4.7 apg. Cameron Tatum and J.P. Prince are both scoring 11.7 ppg, while Wayne Chism adds 11.0 ppg and 9.7 rpg.

Four of Siena's five starters scored in double figures in the most recent victory over Cornell. The club was led by Kenny Hasbrouck as usual, as he netted 22 points on the strength of a 4-of-6 effort from three-point range. Alex Franklin tallied 15 points, and Edwin Ubiles pitched in 12 points. Ryan Rossiter rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, and he also pulled down 15 rebounds to go along with four steals and a pair of blocked shots. The Saints earned a 45-36 rebounding advantage in the tilt and limited the Big Red to 35 percent shooting from the floor. Siena got 20 points from Hasbrouck in the opener, and he figures to attract plenty of defensive attention from Tennessee this afternoon.



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