KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee basketball program begins its 108th season on Friday night when it welcomes Presbyterian to Thompson-Boling Arena for a 7:01 p.m. ET tip.
Friday’s game does not feature a television broadcast, but fans can catch all the action online through SEC Network + (WatchESPN). Visit WatchESPN.com or download the WatchESPN app to view the game on a computer or mobile device. Mick Gillispie (play-by-play) and Vincent Yarbrough (analyst) are on the call for Friday’s opener.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to catch Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased online through AllVols.com.
Friday is the season opener for both Tennessee and Presbyterian and marks the third meeting between the two programs. The Vols are 2-0 in the series, including a 90-50 win against the Blue Hose last season in Knoxville.
Up next, UT will host High Point on Tuesday, Nov. 14 (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network +). Then, Tennessee will travel to compete in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, opening with Purdue on Nov. 22 at noon.
THE SERIES
• Overall: UT leads, 2-0
• In Knoxville: UT leads, 2-0
• In Clinton: No meetings
• Neutral Sites: No meetings
• Current Streak: Tennessee has won two straight
• Last Meeting: UT won, 90-50, in Knoxville, 12/6/16
• Rick Barnes vs. Presbyterian: 1-0
• Rick Barnes vs. Dustin Kerns: No meetings
RIGHT NOW
• Rick Barnes has led his teams to 15 consecutive wins in season-openers/home-openers.
• UT’s average attendance in home-openers at TBA is 16,745. Attendance for last year’s home-opener vs. Chattanooga was 14,483 (Nov. 11, 2016).
• This is Tennessee’s 31st season in Thompson-Boling Arena, where the Vols are 27-3 in lidlifters.
A WIN WOULD…
• Stand as Rick Barnes‘ 400th career home win as a college head coach.
• Give the Vols a 28-3 record in home-openers at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Extend Tennessee’s home winning streak against non-conference opponents to seven games. That streak dates to last season’s win over Appalachian State on Nov. 15, 2016.
ABOUT PRESBYTERIAN
• Founded in 1880 and located in Clinton, South Carolina, Presbyterian College is a member of the Big South Conference.
• First-year head coach Dustin Kerns takes over the reins at PC following the retirement of longtime head coach Gregg Nibert. Nibert led the Blue Hose for 28 seasons, guiding the program through its transition from NAIA all the way up to the NCAA Division I ranks.
• A native of Kingsport, Tennessee, Kerns is a first-time head coach, arriving at his new post after spending the last four seasons as associate head coach at Wofford. His coaching résumé yields a brief stint on Rocky Top, as he spent the 2003-04 season at Tennessee as a graduate assistant under then-head coach Buzz Peterson.
• PC assistant coach Tommy Brown is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and received his master’s in Physical Education from UT.
• Presbyterian’s roster is highlighted by senior guard Reggie Dillard (9.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.5 apg) along with sophomore guard and Big South All-Freshman performer Jo’Vontae Millner (10.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .483 FG%), who lead the team in scoring and rebounding last season.
• The Blue Hose added some key transfers during the offseason in junior guard Montenia Nelson and junior forward Francois Lewis. Nelson was fourth in the NJCAA Division I scoring last season (23.7 ppg). At 6-9, Lewis (10.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg) adds much-needed size to PC’s squad.
• Tennessee and Presbyterian are meeting for the second consecutive season.
LAST MEETING VS. PRESBYTERIAN
• Guards Lamonté Turner and Jordan Bowden each posted career-highs for scoring—with 24 and 21 points, respectively—and Tennessee tied the school record with 16 made 3-pointers to storm past Presbyterian for a 90-50 win on Dec. 6, 2016, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• The Vols shot 16-of-33 from 3-point range, tying for the most 3-pointers made in program history and UT’s most since making 16 against UNC Asheville on Nov. 17, 2009. It was the sixth time in program history that Tennessee made at least 16 triples.
• The Vols’ 40-point margin of victory was their largest since defeating Division II Tusculum College, 98-51, on Jan. 4, 2014. It was their biggest win over an NCAA Division I opponent since topping UNC Asheville, 124-49, on Nov. 17, 2009.
• UT limited Presbyterian to 36.0 percent shooting while the Blue Hose committed 22 turnovers. PC made 18 total field goals in the game (while UT made 16 3-pointers).
• Turner was 8-of-12 from the floor and 7-of-11 from beyond the arc and collected three rebounds and three assists. Bowden was 7-of-13 and went 5-of-10 on 3-pointers to go with five boards, two assists and two steals. Robert Hubbs III added 14 points and Grant Williams posted nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
• Six different Vols made a 3-pointer. The 16 treys were UT’s most under coach Rick Barnes.
TWO VOLS QUESTIONABLE
• Two players on Tennessee’s roster remain questionable for Friday’s season opener.
• Junior guard Chris Darrington, a juco transfer, is nursing an ankle injury.
• Redshirt freshman wing Jalen Johnson, who underwent a procedure to address a chronic stress fracture in his left shin in July, was recently cleared by team medical staff for full participation, but he is gradually working his way back to full speed.
• Neither Darrington nor Johnson played in UT’s exhibition wins over Carson-Newman and Clemson.
SIX WEARING VOLSCHOLAR PATCH
• A program-record six Vols have earned the privilege of wearing a “VOLScholar” patch on their game jersey: Kyle Alexander, Jordan Bone, John Fulkerson, Lamonté Turner, Grant Williams and Brad Woodson
• To be eligible to wear the patch, Tennessee student-athletes must achieve a 3.0 GPA in either of the two previous semesters, or they must own a cumulative 3.0 GPA (freshmen are not eligible for the patch).
TENNESSEE IS FIFTH-YOUNGEST TEAM IN DIVISION I THIS SEASON
• Bowling Green State University basketball SID James Nahikian painstakingly compiled a list of the youngest teams (based on class/eligibility) in college basketball this season, and Tennessee was one of three SEC teams to make the top five.
• With 10 underclassmen and only one senior, Tennessee is tied with Wofford and Toledo as the fifth-youngest team in Division I.
• Kentucky (12 underclassmen, no seniors) is the nation’s youngest team, and Auburn is the second-youngest (12 underclassmen, one senior).
WELCOME TO YEAR NO. 31
• Thompson-Boling Arena is hosting its 31st season in 2017-18.
• The Vols have won nearly 75 percent of their games in Thompson-Boling Arena.
• The Vols have ranked in the top 10 nationally in average home attendance 12 times at TBA and own an active streak of 12 consecutive seasons ranked in the top 20.
-UT Athletics
