CHICAGO – The No. 23/25 Tennessee men’s basketball team (25-11, 11-7) is set to continue the 2025-26 slate Sunday, as it takes on the Michigan Wolverines (34-3, 19-1 B1G) in the Elite Eight as part of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the United Center in Chicago. Tipoff is set for 2:15 p.m. ET.
Fans can watch Sunday’s game on CBS 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
• UT has dropped four in a row to Michigan after starting 5-3 in the series, from 12/5/58 to 12/29/84.
• The last three meetings between the two sides came in the NCAA Tournament, with the Wolverines winning in 2011, 2014 and 2022. The past two were in Indianapolis.
• Michigan will become the second team Tennessee has played four times in the NCAA Tournament. The other is Virginia, which UT is 2-2 against and defeated in the Round of 32 this year.
• The Vols are 37-45 all-time versus current Big Ten schools, including 5-9 in the NCAA Tournament.
• This is the third straight year UT is playing a Big Ten foe in the NCAA Tournament. It fell to Purdue in 2024 and beat UCLA in 2025.
• Rick Barnes is 43-41 against the current Big Ten membership. He is 10-9 at UT, including 1-1 this year.
• Michigan, which won the outright Big Ten title, is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2021.
• First Team All-America honoree Yaxel Lendeborg, a graduate forward, tops the Wolverines at 14.9 ppg and 1.2 spg.
NEWS & NOTES
• Tennessee is 34-28 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 15-7 under Rick Barnes, who has seven more wins and two more bids than any other UT coach.
• The Volunteers are the only team to both reach the Sweet 16 in each of the last four years and the Elite Eight in each of the past three.
• Prior to this stretch, which has featured a regional final clash with a No. 1 seed in all three years, Tennessee had one Elite Eight bid all-time. That was in 2010, also as a No. 6 seed and also against a Michigan-based Big Ten school.
• Per Stats Perform, Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie have posted 15-plus points in the same game 18 times this year to rank co-third in DI and lead all UT duos over the past 30 years (1996-2026).
• Bishop Boswell has eight-plus assists in each of the last two games, after hitting that mark just once previously. He has 17 assists and one turnover in that stretch.
• Rick Barnes has led UT to seven of its 10 25-win seasons. The Vols are one of five teams with 25-plus wins in each of the last five years.
• Rick Barnes‘ 861 wins are second among active DI coaches and No. 10 all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• With a 45.0 offensive rebounding percentage, the Vols are on pace to log, per KenPom, the thirdbest mark this century. They trail 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0) and 2000-01 Georgetown (45.3).
• Tennessee is 4-0 versus AP top11 teams this season. It defeated #3 Houston (11/25/25) by three, #11 Louisville (12/16/25) by 21, #9 Virginia by seven (3/22/26) and #6 Iowa State by 14 (3/27/26).
• Seven of Tennessee’s 11 setbacks are by fewer than six points. Four were decided by one possession.
• The Vols have played just five games (3-2) that did not include a lead of 10-plus either way. • UT finished a program-best fifth in the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and KenPom in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
• The Volunteers’ 226 wins the last nine seasons (2017-26) rank eighth in Division I. Only Houston (273), Gonzaga (270), Duke (255), Kansas (236), Purdue (236), Arizona (229) and Saint Mary’s (227) possess more.
WINNING WAYS
• Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee (226-85; .727) paces all SEC schools in total victories, overall winning percentage and postseason victories (27). 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 (222-87; .718), 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 134-47 (.740) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Auburn (.723; 128-49) and Alabama (.715; 128-51).
• In that time, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (64-26; .711).
SERIOUS STREAKS
• Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee (226-85; .727) paces all SEC schools in total victories, overall winning percentage and postseason victories (27). 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 (222-87; .718), 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 134-47 (.740) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Auburn (.723; 128-49) and Alabama (.715; 128-51).
• In that time, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (64-26; .711).
EIGHT IN A ROW
• Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee (226-85; .727) paces all SEC schools in total victories, overall winning percentage and postseason victories (27). 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 (222-87; .718), 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 134-47 (.740) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Auburn (.723; 128-49) and Alabama (.715; 128-51).
• In that time, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (64-26; .711).
SEEING THE SECOND WEEKEND
• Tennessee has reached the Sweet 16 in nine of the past 19 NCAA Tournaments (since 2006-07). That is tied for fifth-most trips in that span, matching Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan and Purdue. The numbers for Arizona (2017) and Kansas (2018) exclude one vacated berth apiece.
• The Vols’ trips have come under three coaches: Rick Barnes (2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2019), Cuonzo Martin (2014) and Bruce Pearl (2010, 2008, 2007).
• The only five schools that own more second-weekend bids over that span are Duke (12), Michigan State (11), North Carolina (11) and Gonzaga (10).
• Tennessee and Kentucky co-lead the SEC in that span with nine apiece, while Florida ranks third with seven. No other school is above even five.
WOWED ON WEEKEND ONE
• Tennessee made history on the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers became the first team ever to play—and defeat—an opponent with 30-plus victories in both the Round of 64 and the Round of 32. Previously, only one team, Farleigh Dickinson in 2023, had even played foes that had 29- plus wins in both rounds.
• UT opened play in Philadelphia with a 78-56 victory against a No. 11-seeded Miami (OH) team that was 32-1 on the year. The Vols then posted a 79-72 triumph over a No. 3-seeded Virginia team that was 30-5 in 2025-26.
• Across the two contests,
Ja’Kobi Gillespie amassed 50 points and 15 assists. He became the third player ever to hit those marks in the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in the 64/68-team era (since 1985), per CBS Sports. The others are Kemba Walker in 2011 and Billy Donovan in 1987.
• Gillespie opened play with 29 points, nine assists and three steals in the triumph over the RedHawks. He became just the ninth player ever to amass that line in the NCAA Tournament, including the second in the last 30 seasons (1996-2026) and the first from the SEC. The others are Markquis Nowell (3/5/23), Stephon Marbury (3/17/96), Anderson Hunt (3/25/90), Tim Hardaway (3/17/89), Billy Donovan (3/12/87), Magic Johnson (3/24/79), Rickey Green (3/13/77) and Sam McCants (3/14/74).
• In the win over Virginia, Bishop Boswell registered a co-career-high 13 points and a career-best nine assists, while committing zero turnovers. He became just the 11th player in NCAA Tournament history to log at least 13 points and nine assists without a turnover, including the second from the SEC and the first in 14 years. The others are Draymond Green (3/16/12), Earl Calloway (3/18/06), Earl Watson (3/18/00), Pepe Sanchez (3/12/99), Brevin Knight (3/14/97), Andre Woolridge (3/13/97), Stephon Marbury (3/17/96), Lee Mayberry Jr. (3/19/92), Drafton Davis (3/13/87) and Isiah Thomas (3/14/81).
• With the victories over Miami (OH) and Virginia, Tennessee clinched a fourth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. That doubles the previous program record of two set in 2007 and 2008.
• According to CBS, this stretch by Tennessee is one of just six all-time streaks of four-plus Sweet 16 trips by an SEC program since the round started in 1975, including just the fifth in the 64/68-team era (since 1985) and the third in the last 30 years (1996-2026).
• The other teams, per CBS, to achieve the feat are Kentucky from 1983-86, Arkansas from 1993-96, Kentucky
SENIOR’S SPECIAL SEASON
• Ja’Kobi Gillespie is on paced to become the second player in Tennessee history to average at least 14.0 points and 5.0 assists per game. The only other Volunteer to achieve the feat is Jimmy England, who did so in 1970-71.
• Only six other Tennessee players—10 occurrences— have even put up 10.0 points and 5.0 assists per game in a season: Zakai Zeigler (thrice), Lamonte’ Turner (2019-10), Jordan Bone (2018-19), C.J. Watson (twice), Fred Jenkins (1986-87) and Johnny Darden (1977-78).
• Additionally, Gillespie is on pace to become the fourth player—fifth instance—in SEC history (min. 15 GP) to average at least 18.0 points and 5.5 assists per game in a season. The others are Darius Acuff Jr. (2025-26), Eddie Johnson Jr. (twice) and Pete Maravich (1969-70).
• Gillespie is also just the 14th Vol—18th occurrence— with 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in a single campaign. The others to do so are Zakai Zeigler (twice), Santiago Vescovi (twice), Kennedy Chandler (2021-22), Jordan Bone (2018-19), Grant Williams (2018-19), Armani Moore (2015-16), Josh Richardson (2014-15), Trae Golden (2011-12), Tyler Smith (twice), Allan Houston (twice), Lang Wiseman (1990-91), Terry Crosby (1978-79) and Jimmy England (1970-71).
