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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The fourth-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home for its regular season finale Saturday at Food City Center, facing South Carolina on senior day. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Saturday’s game between the Volunteers (24-6, 11-6 SEC) and Gamecocks (12-18, 2-15 SEC) on SEC Network. Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
In Tennessee’s most recent outing, it capped its road slate with a narrow 78-76 setback Wednesday night at Ole Miss.
UT saw its four-game winning streak end at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion despite leading by nine in the first half and by seven with under 11 minutes to go. Senior guard Jordan Gainey led the team with 17 points in the defeat.
THE MATCHUP
• Tennessee is 11-2 in its last 13 matchups with South Carolina, dating to 1/20/18. In that span, UT has been ranked 11 times, posting a 10-1 record.
• The Vols are 6-1 in their last seven games versus the Gamecocks, with five wins by 20-plus and two by 40-plus. The six victories are by an average of 25.7 ppg.
• Since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1991-92, this is just the fourth time the two schools are not meeting multiple times in the regular season. They played just once each in 2020-21 (one game was canceled due to COVID-19), 2013-14 and 2012-13.
• Tennessee clinched the outright 2023-24 SEC regular season title in its last game versus the Gamecocks, posting a 66-59 road win on 3/6/24 behind 26 points from Dalton Knecht.
• After a 26-8 (13-5) year that included an NCAA Tournament trip, South Carolina placed No. 11 in the SEC preseason poll.
• Sophomore forward Collin Murray- Boyles leads the Gamecocks with 16.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg.
NEWS & NOTES
• The Volunteers are playing back- to-back unranked SEC teams for the first time in over a year, dating to a six-game stretch from 2/7/24 to 2/24/24.
• The last time Tennessee played a league game against a team with a sub-.500 record was 2/20/24 at Missouri, with this contest ending a 22-game streak.
• Tennessee is seeking its ninth 25- win season, including its sixth in the Rick Barnes era (all in the past eight years) and fourth in a row. It would be UT’s third time reaching that mark in the regular season alone (27-4 in 2018-19 under Barnes and 28-3 in 2007-08).
• The Vols are also looking to finish top-four in the SEC standings for the seventh time in eight years, includingthe fifth in a row.
• UT will honor seven seniors after the game: Darlinstone Dubar, Jordan Gainey, Grant Hurst, Chaz Lanier, Jahmai Mashack, Igor Miličić Jr., and Zakai Zeigler.
• After 26 seasons together as the radio crew, dating to 1999-2000, this is the final home broadcast for Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp.
• With 830 victories, Rick Barnes is tied with Jim Phelan for No. 11 all-time (min. 10 years at DI level), just one behind Cliff Ellis and John Calipari for No. 10.
• Barnes’ 111 SEC wins are one shy of Hank Crisp for No. 18 in history.
• Zakai Zeigler needs 12 assists to break the UT single-season record of 227, set by Rodney Woods in 1974-75. The 12 assists would also give him 700 as a collegian and make him the fourth SEC player, including the second Volunteer— Johnny Darden had 715 from 1975-79—ever to hit that mark. He is just four assists shy of the SEC’s single-season top 15 (220).
• Igor Miličić Jr., is eight points away from reaching 1,000. He would be the fifth quadruple-digit scorer on the Volunteers’ roster.
• Tennessee’s 195 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank ninth in DI. Only Gonzaga (236), Houston (234), Duke (212), Kansas (210), Purdue (203), Saint Mary’s (198), Auburn (197) and San Diego State (197) own more. Drake (194) and Liberty (194) tie to round out the top 10.
RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES
• TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee’s 28 AP top-25 wins lead DI. Only Connecticut (26), Iowa State (25) and Kansas (25) are within three. The next SEC school is four back (Alabama with 24).
• TOP 20: Tennessee is co-first in the nation with 24 AP top-20 triumphs over that span, tying Connecticut (24). Only Kansas (22) is even within four, while the nearest SEC program is five shy (Alabama with 19).
• TOP 15: The Volunteers lead DI with 21 AP top-15 decisions over those four years. Kansas (20) is the lone school within four, while the closest SEC team (Alabama with 16) five behind UT.
• TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns 11 AP top-10 wins, co-second in the SEC and co-fourth nationally, both alongside Kentucky (11). Only Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12) and Kansas (12) have more. The 11 wins in that time are against #1 Alabama (2/15/23), #3 Kansas (11/25/22), #3 Auburn (2/26/22), #4 Kentucky (2/15/22), #5 Kentucky (3/12/22), #6 Arizona (12/22/21), #10 Texas (1/28/23), at #10 Kentucky (2/3/24), #5 Florida (2/1/25), at #7 Texas A&M (2/22/25) and #6 Alabama (3/1/25).
• TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has six AP top-five victories, tied with Arizona for the most in the country. Only six other schools have even four: Alabama (five), Iowa State (five), Florida (four), Gonzaga (four), Kentucky (four) and Purdue (four).
HIGH-CALIBER COMPANY
• Tennessee and Kansas are the only two schools to earn an AP top-five ranking in each of the last four seasons (2021-25). Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024-25 with a three-year streak.
• The Volunteers are one of only four teams to reach the AP top six in each of the past five seasons, alongside Alabama, Houston and Kansas.
• UT is one of just five programs to reach the AP top six in at least six of the last seven seasons (2018- 25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Kentucky. Those are also the only five schools to enter the AP top five in at least five different years in that stretch.
• The Vols are among only eight teams to reach the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll in at least two of the last seven seasons (2018-25), joining Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Purdue.
• Over that same seven-year stretch (2018-25), UT is also one of seven teams to claim an AP top-two position in at least three seasons, alongside Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Purdue.
• UT is one of seven schools with an AP top-20 ranking in each of the last eight years (2017-25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. Just two others—Houston and Purdue—have even been AP top-25 each season.
• Additionally, over the last three years (2022-25), the Vols are one of just six teams to reach the AP top two in multiple seasons, joining Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Purdue.
PARTICULARLY POTENT AT HOME
• Under Rick Barnes, Tennessee is 23-8 (.742) versus AP top-25 teams at Food City Center, including 18-2 (.900) in its last 20 such games (since 1/30/21).
• The Volunteers are 18-7 (.720) at home against AP top-20 teams in the Barnes era, including 14-2 (.875) in their last 16 such contests (since 1/30/21).
• Tennessee has a 15-5 (.750) mark when hosting AP top-15 squads under Barnes, including a 13-2 (.867) record in its last 15 such affairs (since 1/30/21).
• Barnes has led UT to a 9-1 (.900) ledger at home versus AP top-10 teams, with eight straight wins (since 3/2/19). That includes perfect marks against AP top-six foes (8-0) and versus SEC teams (7-0).
• UT is a perfect 6-0 when hosting AP top-five teams in the Barnes era (all since 1/24/17). The six straight wins are an SEC record, per ESPN, surpassing the mark of five by Kentucky in 1978-84 and 1956-59.
• The Vols won 12 straight home games against AP top-25 foes from 1/30/21 to 2/28/24. That is an SEC record, per CBS Sports, and the longest in DI since Kansas had 17 straight from 1/11/14 to 2/13/17. Nine of those victories were versus top-15 foes, with five against the top 10 and three over top-five teams.
• Tennessee is 20-5 (.800) in AP top-25 home matchups under Barnes, including 14-5 (.737) with both teams in the top 20, 9-2 (.818) with both in the top 15 and 5-0 (1.000) with both in the top 10.
1.4K CLUB
• Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss—all are in the SEC—are the only schools with four 1,400-point scorers. Just 10 others programs have even three.
• Jordan Gainey possesses 1,504 points in 130 contests, an average of 11.6 ppg over four years.
• Chaz Lanier, the only member of the quartet who entered the season below 1K, now has 1,461 points in 134 outings, a 10.9 ppg ledger across five campaigns.
• Darlinstone Dubar has 1,449 points in 141 outings, good for 10.3 ppg across five seasons.
• Zakai Zeigler owns 1,443 points in 130 appearances, giving him an 11.1 ppg average in four seasons
TOP-TIER TRIUMPHS
• Tennessee is 42-41 (.506) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 26-14 (.650) in its past 40 such games (since 1/22/22).
• The Volunteers are 36-33 (.522) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes’ tenure, including 22-10 (.688) in their last 32 such affairs (since 1/22/22).
• UT is 28-26 (.519) against AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 21-9 (.700) in its last 30 such games (since 12/22/21).
• The Vols own a 16-15 (.516) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 14-9 (.609) mark in their last 23 such contests (since 3/2/19) and an 11-6 (.647) tally in their last 17 (since 12/22/21).
• UT is 10-9 (.526) against AP top-five opponents in Barnes’ tenure, including 6-4 (.600) in its last 10 such affairs (since 2/15/22). It is 8-2 (.800) versus AP top-five SEC teams, including 7-1 (.875) in its last eight such outings (since 3/2/19).
20,000 STRONG
• In Rick Barnes‘ 10 seasons, Tennessee has played in front of a home crowd of at least 20,000 on 46 occasions (36-10), with 33 sellouts (26-7).
• In 2022-23, the Volunteers had five sellout crowds, at the time tying an arena single-season record.
• Tennessee well eclipsed that mark last season by selling out eight home games—including seven of nine in SEC play—good for its most ever at Food City Center. Four of those were over-capacity crowds, with the last three above 22,000.
• This season, Tennessee has clinched seven sellouts: Syracuse (12/3/24), Arkansas (1/5/25), Mississippi State (1/21/25), Kentucky (1/28/25), Florida (2/1/25), Vanderbilt (2/15/25) and Alabama (3/1/25).
HAPPY AT HOME
• Over the last four seasons (2021-25), the Vols’ .922 (59-5) home winning percentage is sixth in DI (fourth in Power Five, second in SEC).
• In total, UT is 137-25 (.846) at Food City Center in Rick Barnes‘ 10 years and has twice gone undefeated at home (18-0 in 2018-19 and 16-0 in 2021-22)
