Knoxville, TN - November 26, 2012: guard Jordan McRae #52 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Oakland Golden Grizzlies and the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Wade Rackley/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee believes it's on the verge of producing a second consecutive late-season surge.

One year ago, Tennessee was 10-12 before winning eight of its last nine regular-season games and barely missing out on a seventh consecutive NCAA tournament bid. The Volunteers finished 19-15 after a second-round loss to Middle Tennessee in the NIT.

This year's Tennessee team had been one of the Southeastern Conference's bigger disappointments for much of the season, but the Vols (14-10, 6-6 SEC) carry a three-game winning streak into Tuesday's game with LSU (15-8, 6-6).

Tennessee followed up victories at South Carolina and Vanderbilt -- their first true road wins of the season -- with an 88-58 drubbing of Kentucky on Saturday that represented the Vols' most one-sided triumph in that rivalry's 216-game history.