Tennessee State Tigers vs UT Martin Skyhawks Prediction, 2/28/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tennessee State Tigers vs UT Martin Skyhawks

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026

Location: Kathleen and Tom Elam Center in Martin, TN

TV: ESPN+

The Tennessee State Tigers (20-9) are traveling to Kathleen and Tom Elam Center on Saturday where they will attempt to defeat the UT Martin Skyhawks (21-9).

The Tennessee State Tigers faced off with SE Missouri State and notched a win by a score of 79-71 in their last game. Tennessee State ended the game with a 39.2% FG percentage (20 of 51) and knocked down 3 of 11 3-pointers. When they shot from the free throw line, the Tigers made 36 of their 42 attempts for a rate of 85.7%. With respect to grabbing boards, they compiled 36 with 10 of them being of the offensive sort. They also dished out 9 assists in this game in addition to creating 12 turnovers and earning 9 steals. In the matter of defense, Tennessee State allowed 37.9% from the field on 22 of 58 shooting. SE Missouri State dished out 12 assists and had 7 steals for the game. On top of that, SE Missouri State totaled 27 rebounds (8 offensive, 19 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. SE Missouri State finished shooting 71.4% from the charity stripe by making 20 of their 28 shots. They also converted 7 of their 18 attempts from distance. When talking about personal fouls, the Tigers walked away with 19 while SE Missouri State finished the game with 29 personal fouls.

Antoine Lorick III is a player who played a role for the matchup. He ended up shooting 46.2% from the field but didn't record a dime. He played 28 minutes and also totaled 9 boards. He left the arena with 22 points on 6 out of 13 shooting.

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Tennessee State comes into this contest with a win-loss mark of 20-9 this year. They are turning it over 12.1 times per game and as a team are committing 18.6 fouls per contest. As a team, Tennessee State is grabbing 37.8 rebounds per game and has accounted for 385 dimes this season, which is 225th in the nation in terms of passing the ball. The Tigers are hitting 31.6% on three-point shots (174 of 551) and 76.2% from the free throw line. They have an average of 81.0 pts per contest (69th in the country) on 45.8% from the floor.

When they are on defense, the Tigers have forced 14.7 turnovers every game and they draw 17.3 personal fouls. They are giving up 33.6% from beyond the arc while they are 228th in the country in PPG allowed (75.3). The Tigers defensively are allowing a FG percentage of 45.2% (752 of 1,663) and they surrender 34.2 rebounds per game as a unit. They rank 157th in D-1 in allowing assists to their opponents with 375 conceded for the campaign.

The last time they took the court, the UT Martin Skyhawks walked away with a victory by a final of 64-49 when they faced Tennessee Tech. The Skyhawks pulled down 26 defensive boards and 8 offensive boards totaling 34 for this contest. They also gave up possession of the ball 9 times, while earning 11 steals for this contest. Tennessee Tech was called for 14 fouls in the matchup which got the Skyhawks to the charity stripe for a total of 13 shots. They were able to knock down 10 of the free throws for a clip of 76.9%. In regard to 3-pointers, UT Martin knocked down 6 out of their 24 attempts (25.0%). Overall, the Skyhawks walked away from this one shooting 24 for 59 from the field which gave them a percentage of 40.7%. The Skyhawks permitted Tennessee Tech to make 11 of 44 tries from the floor which left them shooting 25.0% in the matchup. They finished shooting 21.7% from beyond the arc by going 5 out of 23 and finished the contest at 22 out of 27 at the charity stripe (81.5%). In relation to how they attacked the glass, UT Martin permitted Tennessee Tech to get 30 overall (6 offensive).

Lamine Niang was important for the Skyhawks in this matchup. He buried 6 out of 8 for the contest for a rate of 75.0%, and totaled 4 rebounds. He scored 12 points in his 20 minutes on the hardwood, but finished this game without an assist.

UT Martin has a record of 21-9 this year. When it comes to offensive execution, the Skyhawks are connecting on 42.6% from the floor, which has them ranked 317th in D-1. UT Martin has totaled 2,140 pts for the season (71.3 per contest) and they pull in 40.7 rebounds per game. They are getting an assist 13.8 times per contest (188th in the nation) and they are losing possession via turnover 14.4 times per game. The Skyhawks have committed 17.3 fouls per contest and they hit 67.3% from the charity stripe.

The Skyhawks defensively are ranked 4th in college in points given up per game with 62.9. They have forced 13.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 38.3% from the floor (5th in D-1). The UT Martin defense allows 28.4% on shots from beyond the perimeter (194 of 682) and their opponents are connecting on 68.8% of their free throw attempts. They surrender 11.8 assists and 33.1 boards every game, which is 60th and 98th in those categories on the defensive end.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Tennessee State

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