PHILADELPHIA – The No. 23/25 Tennessee men’s basketball team (22-11, 11-7) is set to continue the 2025-26 slate Friday, as it takes on the Miami (OH) RedHawks (32-1, 18-0) in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Tipoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET.
Fans can watch Thursday’s game on TBS and stream on HBO Max as well as the March Madness Live app. Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Steve Lappas (color) and Evan Washburn (reporter) will have the call.
Fans state-wide can tune in to their local Vol Network terrestrial radio affiliate or the Varsity Network app to hear Voice of the Vols Mike Keith and analyst Chris Lofton depict the action.
THE MATCHUP
• The sides have not met in over 26 years, since a 78-59 home win for the Volunteers on 12/1/99. Vincent Yarbrough led a quartet of double-digit Tennessee scorers with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
• Tennessee and Miami (OH) met each year from 1997-98 to 1999- 2000. The other matchups came in 1988-89, 1987-88 and 1947-48.
• The Vols are 15-5 versus current MAC schools. That includes a 2-0 ledger in NCAA Tournament play, with a 2014 Round of 64 win over UMass and a 2010 Round of 32 victory against Ohio.
• The last time UT played an active MAC school in any game was that 3/20/10 win versus Ohio. UMass was in the A-10 in 2014.
• Rick Barnes is 4-1 against current MAC members. He went 2-0 at Texas, 1-1 at Clemson and 1-0 at Providence. He has not played such a foe while at Tennessee.
• Miami (OH), which went 31-0 in the regular season, has not lost to a non-MAC team since 12/18/24.
• Senior guard Peter Suder, the MAC Player of the Year, co-leads the RedHawks at 14.4 ppg.
NEWS & NOTES
• Tennessee is 31-28 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 12-7 under Rick Barnes, who has four more wins and two more bids than any other coach in program history.
• UT has never played a postseason game in Pennsylvania. It is 6-9 all-time in the Keystone State, including 2-1 at neutral sites. It has played just five games (2-3) there in the last 50 years, with just two (1-1) in the past 25 seasons.
• This is the eighth straight NCAA Tournament bid for Tennessee, extending the program record. That is the fourth-longest active streak in the nation. It has been a top-six seed in all eight trips, earning a top-three nod in five.
• The Vols are seeking an NCAA Round of 32 berth for the fifth year in a row. They have done that once before, from 1979 to 1983.
• The only other time Tennessee was a No. 6 six seed was in 2010, when it earned the first Elite Eight bid in program history.
• Rick Barnes‘ 858 wins are second among active DI coaches and No. 10 all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• With a 45.1 offensive rebounding percentage, UT is on pace to post, per KenPom, the third-best mark this century. It trails only 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0) and 2000- 01 Georgetown (45.3).
• Seven of Tennessee’s 11 setbacks are by fewer than six points. Four were decided by one possession.
• The Vols have played just four games (2-2) that did not include a lead of 10-plus either way. • UT has now won 22-plus games five years in a row, the first such occurrence in program history.
• Tennessee, Alabama and Houston are the only schools to make the last three Sweet 16s. Tennessee, Alabama and Duke are the only three in the last two Elite Eights.
• UT finished a program-best fifth in the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and KenPom in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
• The Vols’ 223 wins the last nine years (2017-26) place ninth in DI. Only Houston (271), Gonzaga (269), Duke (252), Kansas (235), Purdue (232), Saint Mary’s (227), Arizona (226) and Liberty (224) own more. San Diego State (220) and Virginia (220) are co-No. 10.
WINNING WAYS
• Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee (223-85; .724) paces all SEC programs in total victories, overall winning percentage and postseason victories (24). In that span, UT has three SEC titles (2018 and 2024 regular seasons, 2022 tournament).
• In that same period, the Volunteers are one of two SEC teams with even 210-plus wins and/or a winning percentage above .685, alongside Auburn (219-87; .716), which is a distant second in both.
• Over SEC play across the same span, Tennessee (109-52; .677) is first in both league victories and league winning percentage. The only other schools at even 100-plus wins and/or a .620 clip are Kentucky (107-54; .665), Alabama (104-58; .642) and Auburn (103-59; .636).
• In just the last five seasons (2021-26), the Vols own a 131-47 (.736) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Alabama (.716; 126-50) in the former and Auburn (.718; 125-49) in the latter.
• In that time, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (64-26; .711).
SERIOUS STREAKS
• The Volunteers own 20 wins for the fifth season in a row. That ties the longest streak in program history, recorded both from 1980-81 to 194-85 and 2005- 06 to 2009-10. This is Tennessee’s seventh 20-win season in the last nine years and 32nd all-time.
• UT has reached 22-plus wins in all five years of its active streak. This is the first time the Vols have ever won at least 22 games in five straight seasons.
• Tennessee has double-figure SEC victories for the sixth straight year, good for the second-longest streak in program history. The Vols had 10-plus SEC wins 13 seasons in a row from 1964-65 to 1976-77.
• UT has notched 11-plus SEC wins in all six seasons of its active streak. That one shy of the top mark in program history, set from 1970-71 to 1976-77.
EIGHT IN A ROW
• Tennessee has reached every NCAA Tournament since 2018. The eight straight bids are two above the program’s previous high of six from 2006-11.
• UT is tied with Houston for the fourth-longest active NCAA Tournament streak in DI, trailing Michigan State (28), Gonzaga (27) and Purdue (11). Kansas (due to a vacated bid) is next with seven.
• The Vols’ current streak includes four—2018, 2023, 2024, 2025—of their 10 all-time Sweet 16 bids and two of their three Elite Eight trips (2024, 2025).
• UT has earned a top-six seed in all of its eight NCAA Tournament trips under Rick Barnes: No. 3 in 2018, No. 2 in 2019, No. 5 in 2021, No. 3 in 2022, No. 4 in 2023, No. 2 in 2024, No. 2 in 2025 and No. 6 in 2026.
• The Vols’ No. 2 seed last year (2025) matched 2024, 2019, 2008 and 2006 for their best position ever.
• Tennessee has three No. 2 seeds in Barnes’ tenure, eclipsing its full total (two) before his arrival. The eight top-six seeds in the era Barnes also surpass UT’s complete tally (six) prior to his hiring.
DYNAMIC DUO
• Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie both made the 30-member Naismith Trophy Late Season Team.
• Tennessee, Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas and Texas Tech were the only five schools with multiple picks.
• Gillespie was tabbed Lute Olson Award and Riley Wallace Award finalist. Ament also made the midseason lists for the Wooden Award and Wayman Tisdale Award, plus was named a finalist for the Julius Erving Award and the Kyle Macy Award.
BEASTS ON THE BOARDS
• Tennessee leads the nation, according to KenPom, with a 45.1 offensive rebounding percentage. That is 2.0 above second-ranked Florida (43.1) and 6.4 ahead of third-place Virginia (38.7).
• UT is on pace, per KenPom, to be the third-best offensive rebounding team this century. The Vols trail only 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0) and 2000- 01 Georgetown (45.3).
• The Vols have double-digit offensive rebounds in 32 of 33 games, with 13-plus in 26, 15-plus in 21, 20-plus in seven and 23-plus in five. Their top tally is 26.
• Tennessee is second in DI in second in rebounding margin (12.8), offensive rebounds per game (16.03) and third in total rebounds per game (42.58).
• The Vols have at least 35 total boards in 29 of 33 contests, with 40-plus in 20, 45-plus in 15 and 50- plus in six. Their highest mark is 60.
• Jaylen Carey (five times), J.P. Estrella (four), Felix Okpara (four), Nate Ament (two), Bishop Boswell (two), DeWayne Brown II (two) have all amassed 10 total rebounds in a game this season.
• Per KenPom, Jaylen Carey is ninth in the country with his 17.5 offensive rebounding percentage. J.P. Estrella has a 17.6 mark, but does not qualify.
• In his second start, versus Gardner-Webb (12/21/25), DeWayne Brown II had 14 rebounds. He tied Grant Williams (3/1/17), Jarnell Stokes (3/3/12) and Brian Williams (12/15/07) for the most by a UT freshman in the last 20 seasons (2006-26). He also tied the fifth-highest total by any Vol in the Rick Barnes era.
• The Volunteers pulled down 60 rebounds in the double-overtime victory against Texas A&M (1/13/26) and conceded just 35 (plus-25). It marked their first time with 55-plus rebounds since grabbing 58 on 11/18/08 versus UT Martin. UT had 24 offensive boards and allowed only 10 (plus-14). Jaylen Carey (10p, 9r) was one rebound away from giving Tennessee three players with double-digit boards and double-doubles, as Bishop Boswell (13p, 11r) and Felix Okpara (10p, 12r) both hit that mark.
• In the overtime win at Georgia (1/28/26), Tennessee grabbed 52 rebounds and allowed only 27 (plus-25). It also pulled down an 26 offensive boards while giving up just seven (plus-19). Two Vols, J.P. Estrella and Felix Okpara, had as many offensive boards individually as the Bulldogs did as a team. Bishop Boswell (13p, 10r) tallied a double-double, while Estrella (17p, 9r) and Okpara (6p, 11r) nearly did so.
• In the victory over Auburn (1/31/26), UT had four players—Nate Ament, Bishop Boswell, Jaylen Carey and Amari Evans—grab eight rebounds. It marked the second such instance for the Volunteers in the last 20 seasons (2006-26), alongside a 12/23/13 game versus Morehead State. DeWayne Brown II gave UT five players with seven-plus boards, its first such occurrence in the last two decades and just the fourth by any SEC team in league play.
• At Kentucky (2/7/26), DeWayne Brown II pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds. That tied for the third-most by a Tennessee freshman in an SEC game the last 20 seasons (2006-26). The only others to hit that mark are Grant Williams (14 on 3/1/17 at LSU), Jarnell Stokes (14 on 3/3/12 against Vanderbilt), Tobias Harris (12 on 1/29/11 at Ole Miss) and Wayne Chism (12 on 2/10/07 against Vanderbilt).
• The Volunteers hauled in 25 offensive rebounds versus #17/18 Alabama (2/28/26), a program best in an SEC regulation contest.
• J.P. Estrella (20p, 10r) logged his first double-double in SEC play versus #24/22 Vanderbilt (3/7/26), while Felix Okpara (8p, 10r) nearly had one, as well.
