KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the 26th time in program history, including the sixth in a row, the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team will compete in the NCAA Tournament.
Fifth-ranked Tennessee (24-8, 14-4 SEC) earned the second seed in the Midwest region, as revealed Sunday night on the NCAA Selection Show, live on CBS. The Volunteers will begin play Thursday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., versus No. 15-seeded St. Peter’s (19-13, 12-8 MAAC) in the Round of 64.
In the lone prior meeting between the Volunteers and Peacocks, Tennessee registered a 54-40 decision on March 14, 1984, in Knoxville in the opening round of the NIT.
Joining the Volunteers and Peacocks in the pod is seventh-seeded Texas (20-12, 9-9 B12) as well as the “First Four” victor in the matchup between No. 10-seeded Colorado State (24-10, 10-8 MWC) and No. 10-seeded Virginia (23-10, 13-7 ACC). The winner of the Tennessee/St. Peter’s game will face the advancing team between Texas, Colorado State and Virginia at a to-be-determined time Saturday in the Round of 32.
Tennessee is 25-26 all-time in NCAA Tournament action, including 6-5 in its first five appearances under ninth-year head coach Rick Barnes. The No. 2 seed for the Volunteers matches the program record set in 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2018-19, the latter also under Barnes’ guidance.
Additionally, this is the second time Tennessee has reached the NCAA Tournament six times in a row, joining a streak from 2005-06 through 2010-11. In each of its six NCAA Tournament trips during Barnes’ tenure, Tennessee has garnered a seed of fifth or better; it had done so just six times before his arrival, since seeding began in 1978-79.
The Volunteers’ streak of six consecutive NCAA Tournament bids is tied with Houston and Kansas for the fourth-longest active mark in the nation, trailing only Michigan State (26), Gonzaga (25) and Purdue (nine). The only other schools at even five are Baylor and Colgate.
This is the 28th NCAA Tournament selection for Barnes in his 37 seasons as a head coach, tying Bob Knight for fourth-most all-time at the Division I level. Only Mike Krzyzewski (36), Jim Boeheim (35) and Roy Williams (30) amassed more bids.
Game times and TV designations for the first round of the NCAA Tournament will be announced at a later point.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A ninth-inning rally fell just short as No. 5/5 Tennessee dropped a back-and-forth contest at No. 12/14 Alabama, 7-6, in Sunday’s series finale at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The Volunteers (18-3, 1-2 SEC) were able to manufacture a run in the top of the seventh inning to take a late 5-4 lead, but a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth from Gage Miller proved to be the difference as the Crimson Tide held on for a series-clinching win to open SEC play.
The Vols scored four of their five runs in the third inning after loading the bases with no outs following a single and a pair of walks. After two quick outs, Dylan Dreiling came through with a clutch double to left-center field to clear the bases. The sophomore scored one batter later on an RBI double from Robin Villeneuve to spot UT a 4-1 lead.
Dreiling also drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth inning for his fourth RBI of the day to pull the Big Orange within a run.
Alabama (17-3, 2-1 SEC) responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to one and tied the game with another run in the fourth to make it 4-4.
AJ Russell made his return to the mound after missing the last two weekends with soreness and looked good in a short starting stint, retiring the side in order in the second inning after giving up a run on a pair of hits in the first. The talented sophomore struck out two batters in his two innings of work, as well.
Sophomore righthander Nate Snead pitched 5.1 innings of relief was suffered his first loss of the season after giving up four runs on eight hits, including Miller’s go-ahead homer in the eighth inning.
Christian Moore posted his second straight multi-hit game with a pair of singles while Billy Amick led the team with three base knocks, including a double.
Braylon Myers tossed three scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Crimson Tide while Matthew Heilberger earned the win after allowing one run on two hits in two innings of work. Aidan Moza recorded the final two outs in the ninth inning with two strikeouts to strand the bases loaded and earn his first save.
UP NEXT: Tennessee returns to Knoxville to begin another lengthy homestand as they host Xavier on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. to begin a stretch of eight consecutive games at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
STATS OF THE GAME: A pair of impressive streaks came to an end in Sunday’s loss, as Kavares Tears did not record a hit for the first time since UT’s season-opening win over Texas Tech, ending his 18-game hitting streak.
The Vols’ home run streak also ended after failing to hit a long ball on Sunday, marking the first game this season they’ve been unable to do so.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 8 Tennessee ran its win streak to 14 straight on Sunday afternoon as it shutout No. 11 Missouri at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, 4-0, to complete the series sweep.
Sophomore Karlyn Pickens had another solid outing against the Tigers as she pitched her second complete-game shutout of the weekend. The right-hander fanned 11, walked one and allowed three hits as she cruised to her 12th victory of the season.
The shutout is Pickens’ eighth of the year and extends her shutout streak to 46 innings without allowing a run. The streak – which dates to March 2 – has seen Pickens collect eight wins, pitch six complete games, and earn six shutouts while striking out 58.
Teams are hitting .099 with 15 hits and nine walks against Pickens since March 2.
Tennessee (22-4, 3-0 SEC) scored all four of its runs on Sunday via the long ball. Junior newcomer Laura Mealer got things started in the bottom of the second with a solo blast – her sixth of the season – to straightaway center field.
In the third, junior McKenna Gibson hit a two-run rocket into the right field porches for her fourth long ball this year. The Santa Clarita, California, native finished the day 2-for-3 to cap off a productive weekend at the plate that saw her hit .625 with a pair of doubles and six runs batted in.
Graduate Kiki Milloy hit her eighth home run of the season – a solo shot – in the fifth inning to provide the Lady Vols with a little insurance.
Missouri (22-6, 2-4 SEC) starter Marissa McCann tossed five innings against Tennessee, allowing four runs on six hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. McCann suffered her first loss of the year and is now 2-1.
The Tigers’ Taylor Pannell came on in relief in the sixth, fanning two and walking one.
Alex Hannold, Kara Daly and Katie Chester each had a hit for Mizzou.
STAT OF THE DAY Tennessee is now 12-0 at home this season and is outscoring its opponents 98-6 inside the friendly confines of Sherri Parker Lee. With a .355 average and 28 home runs, the bats have been hot in Knoxville.
UP NEXT Tennessee goes on a Carolina road swing Thursday with a trip to Cullowhee, North Carolina, to play Western Carolina before continuing down to Columbia, South Carolina, for a three-game series against the Gamecocks.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 5/5 Tennessee’s 17-game winning streak came to an end with a 6-3 loss to No. 12/14 Alabama on Saturday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
The Crimson Tide (16-3, 1-1 SEC) scored all six of their runs in the first three innings, five of which came with two outs, as the Volunteers (18-2, 1-1 SEC) dug themselves into an early hole that they were unable to climb out of despite a comeback effort in the later innings.
Leadoff man Christian Moore rebounded from a hitless night on Friday by going 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and a solo home run in the seventh inning to lead the offense.
Blake Burke was the only other UT player to finish with multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with a single and a double on the night.
Robin Villeneuve got the Vols on the board with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning and Dylan Dreiling drove in Tennessee’s final run with an RBI fielder’s choice in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to three.
Starting pitcher Drew Beam was stuck with the loss despite throwing his third career complete game. The junior righthander rebounded incredibly well after a rough start to the game and retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced, including 13 in a row to end his outing.
Beam allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and a pair of walks. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native, finished with six strikeouts on the night, as well.
Greg Farone started for Alabama and recorded the win after tossing 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out four. Lefty reliever Alton Davis II closed the door with two shutout innings to finish the game.
Freshman shortstop Justin Lebron was the star of the game for the Tide, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs while also making some impressive defensive plays.
UP NEXT: Tennessee and Alabama will square off in a series-deciding rubber game on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
STAT OF THE GAME: With a pair of solo homers in Saturday’s contest, the Vols extended their long ball streak by going deep in all 20 games this season. UT is the only SEC team to homer in every game this season.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 8 Tennessee ran its win streak to 13 on Saturday afternoon as it knocked off No. 11 Missouri, 8-2, at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium – clinching the series victory.
The turning point came in the fourth inning as the Lady Vols hit their fourth grand slam in as many games to break the game open and take a 6-1 lead.
Tennessee (21-4, 2-0 SEC) loaded the bases for Taylor Pannell thanks to a fielder’s choice, a hit-by-pitch and a walk. The sophomore battled Mizzou’s Cierra Harrison for nine pitches before hitting her first-career grand slam on the 10th pitch of the at-bat.
McKenna Gibson extended the advantage in the sixth as she knocked a two-RBI single to left, scoring Bella Faw and Kiki Milloy. Gibson finished the day 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Milloy was 1-for-2 at the plate, reaching base on a single and a pair of hit-by-pitches. The graduate scored three runs, including the game’s first run on an error in the opening frame.
Freshman Bella Faw tacked on another run in the second as she hit her second home run of the weekend – also her second of the year – off the light pole in left field.
With Tennessee leading 2-0 in the top of the fourth, Missouri’s Maddie Gallagher cut into the lead with a solo home run to center field. Gallagher accounted for both Tiger runs as she roped an RBI double to left center in the seventh inning.
Payton Gottshall got the start in the circle for Tennessee and went the distance, scattering three hits and allowing two runs. The graduate walked seven but struck out 10 on the day and picked up her ninth win of the season.
Missouri (22-5, 2-3 SEC) went with Harrison to start the game. She went 3.2 innings and allowed six runs – five earned – on three hits and five walks. Lilly Whitten came on in relief and tossed two frames – giving up two runs – one earned – on two hits.
Nathalie Touchet pitched for Mizzou for the second day in a row, facing just two batters in the sixth.
STAT OF THE DAY With Tennessee’s fifth grand slam of the season in the fourth inning, it has already matched last season’s total. Giulia Koutsoyanopulos, Sophia Nugent, Taylor Pannell, Zaida Puni and Rylie West have hit UT’s grand slams this season – four of which have come this week.
UP NEXT Tennessee and Missouri close out the three-game series on Sunday with a 1:30 p.m. ET first pitch. The game can be streamed on the WatchESPN app or through SEC Network+. Fans can also listen to Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice call the action on AM990.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A seven-run first inning sparked the No. 8 Lady Vols as they run-ruled No. 11 Missouri, 9-0, Friday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Tennessee (20-4, 1-0 SEC) opened SEC action in style with its ninth run-rule victory and 11th shutout of the season. The Lady Vols also extended their win streak to 12.
Already leading 3-0 in the first, senior Giulia Koutsoyanopulos broke the game open with a grand slam to straightaway center field – putting UT up 7-0 after one. The home run was her second of the season and marked Tennessee’s fourth grand slam of the year.
Sophomore Taylor Pannell was 2-for-3 on the night with an RBI single in the second to put Tennessee in run-rule territory.
In the third, true freshman Bella Faw hit her first career home run to give Tennessee its 9-0 final score.
The Lady Vols finished with 10 hits on the night, led by Pannell and Kiki Milloy who each had two. Milloy knocked two doubles, while both of Pannell’s were singles.
Sophomore Karlyn Pickens got the ball for Tennessee and tossed her eighth complete game and seventh shutout of the season. The right-hander two-hit the Tigers with five strikeouts and two walks.
The reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week is now 11-2 on the year.
Missouri (22-4, 2-2 SEC) started Laurin Krings in the circle. She surrendered nine runs – seven earned – on 10 hits over 2.1 innings of work. Krings is 8-4 after suffering the loss Friday night.
Nathalie Touchet relieved Krings in the third and pitched the final 1.2 innings. She faced five batters and held the Lady Vols hitless.
Both of Mizzou’s hits were doubles off the bat Julia Crenshaw in the first inning and Kara Daly in the fourth.
STAT OF THE DAY Over her last 39 innings, Karlyn Pickens has not allowed a run. The righty has also struck out 47 batters, walked only eight and has given up just 12 hits in that span.
UP NEXT Tennessee and Missouri are back on the diamond Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The game can be streamed on the WatchESPN app or through SECN+. Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice will host an audio broadcast on AM990.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 5/5 Tennessee opened Southeastern Conference play in style with an 11-3 victory over No. 12/14 Alabama in Friday night’s series opener at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
The Big Orange blasted three more home runs and finished with six extra-base hits on the night as their potent lineup showed its impressive depth and power once again.
The duo of Blake Burke and Dylan Dreiling provided the early pop for the Vols while combining for five hits, three of them for extra bases, and a pair of two-run homers. Burke finished with a game-high three hits and two RBIs as the junior continued his hot hitting.
Kavares Tears added a third two-run blast for UT, extending his hitting streak to 17 games in the process. Billy Amick and Dalton Bargo also had two hits apiece while Bargo drove in two runs with a double in the fifth inning.
Starting pitcher AJ Causey continued his run of impressive outings, striking out eight batters while allowing just two runs on six hits over 6.2 innings to get the win and improve to 4-0 on the year.
The Alabama native gave up two solo home runs in the bottom of the first and had to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the second before settling in and retiring 15 of the final 17 batters he faced on the night.
With Tennessee trailing 2-1, Dreiling’s two-run homer in the top of the third gave the Vols a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish as they scored multiple runs in third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to build a 10-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Ben Hess suffered the loss for the Crimson Tide after giving up four runs on two hits and five walks in 3.2 innings of work. TJ McCants and Ian Petrutz led Alabama at the plate with two hits and a solo home run each.
UP NEXT: Tennessee (18-1, 1-0 SEC) will look to keep its 17-game winning streak going and lock up a series win on Saturday when the two teams meet at 8 p.m. ET for game two of the weekend, which will be televised on the SEC Network.
STATS OF THE GAME: Friday’s win marked UT’s first over Alabama in a conference opener (previously 0-6) and helped the Big Orange improve to 13-17 all-time in SEC openers on the road.
The Vols’ 17-game winning steak now stands alone as the second longest in program history, trailing only the 2022 team’s 23-game streak from March 5 through April 10.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The top-seeded University of Tennessee men’s basketball team dropped a 73-56 decision to ninth-seeded Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals Friday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena.
Fifth-ranked Tennessee (24-8, 14-4 SEC) fell behind early by double digits and could not claw back. Junior guard Zakai Zeigler, who surpassed 1,000 career points in the setback, paced the SEC regular season champions with a game-best 20 points. The Volunteers shot 2-of-13 and committed five turnovers in the opening eight minutes, as Mississippi State (21-12, 8-10 SEC) raced out to a 15-4 advantage, buoyed by an 8-0 surge in 2:38. Tennessee cut the deficit down to six, but the Bulldogs continued their strong on both ends and eventually closed the half on a 12-1 run in the final 4:28 to turn an eight-point edge into a 19-point mark, 38-19, at the intermission.
Mississippi State shot 61.5 percent (16-of-26) in the first half, while Tennessee posted a 20.6 percent (7-of-34) mark, including an 11.1 percent (2-of-18) ledger from 3-point range. The Volunteers did not make a field goal in the final 5:43 of the frame. Tennessee scored nine of the first 11 points coming out of the break, quickly trimming the margin down to 12, 40-28, with 15:38 remaining. The Bulldogs, however, responded with nine consecutive points in 2:12 to take a 21-point edge, 49-28, with 13:07 to go. Mississippi State upped the advantage to 23 and it sat at 22 with under eight minutes left, but Tennessee went on a 10-0 run in 2:34—capped by back-to-back 3-pointers by Zeigler, the first of which put him into triple digits as a collegian—to get within 12, 60-48, with 5:03 left. The Volunteers, though, got no closer the rest of the way and Mississippi State earned the decision to advance to the semifinals.
Along with Zeigler leading all scorers, both fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht and junior guard Jahmai Mashack finished in double figures. Knecht scored 14 points, while Mashack recorded 10 on 4-of-6 shooting. Junior forward Jonas Aidoo led all players with 10 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end, in the defeat.
Senior forward Cameron Matthews co-led the Bulldogs with 18 points and paced the team with eight rebounds. He made all seven of his field-goal attempts and shot 4-of-5 at the line, adding a co-team-high three assists and two steals. Freshman guard Josh Hubbard also scored 18 points for Mississippi State and was its lone other double-figure scorer. Three additional Bulldogs amassed eight points.
Tennessee shot 42.9 percent (12-of-28) in the second half, but still finished the day with a 30.6 percent (19-of-62) clip overall. At the other end, Mississippi State, which had a 42-14 edge in paint points, shot 55.3 percent (26-of-47) in the win. The Volunteers will now return home to Knoxville, Tenn., where they will await their matchup, seed and destination for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, as the program is expected to reach the field for the sixth consecutive time.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• Tennessee is now 74-58 (.561) all-time in the SEC Tournament, including 45-18 (.714) in opening games, 15-13 (.536) in Nashville and 10-4 (.714) versus Mississippi State.
• Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes fell to 11-7 (.611) in the SEC Tournament with the Volunteers, including 6-2 (.750) in opening contests, 6-6 (.500) in Nashville and 3-1 (.750) against Mississippi State.
• Tennessee’s setback Friday snapped a six-year streak—does not count 2020, when the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19—of the team winning its SEC Tournament opener.
• The Volunteers are now 76-24 (.760) in 100 games as an AP top-10 team under Barnes’ direction, including 35-11 (.761) in 46 games while in the top five.
• The last time Tennessee dropped back-to-back games against SEC foes was in Feb. 18 and 21, 2023, when it fell at Kentucky (66-54) and at Texas A&M (68-63), respectively.
• Tennessee’s two lowest-scoring first halves of the season are both against Mississippi State, as it had 22 in Starkville, Miss., on Jan. 10 before notching 19 in Friday’s quarterfinal affair.
• The Volunteers’ 56 points marked their lowest output of the season, as they finished three below the 59 they totaled on Jan. 30 against South Carolina.
• Matthews became the first player to make seven-plus shots without a miss versus Tennessee since Oregon State’s Roman Silva went 8-of-8 on March 19, 2021, in Indianapolis in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64.
• Auburn’s Korvotney Barber was the last SEC player to go at least 7-of-7 from the floor against Tennessee, tallying an 8-of-8 clip on Feb. 7, 2009.
• On a 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining, Zeigler, in his 97th outing as a Volunteer, became the 56th player in program history to reach 1,000 points.
• Zeigler now owns seven 20-point performances as a Volunteer, including four this season and three versus Mississippi State.
• The Volunteers now have five 1,000-point scorers on its roster, three of whom have hit that number while at Tennessee.
• Aidoo jumped five players to move from No. 11 all the way to sixth on Tennessee’s single-season offensive rebounding list, now possessing 97 such boards on the year.
• Friday marked the second time this season Aidoo grabbed seven offensive boards in a game—he also did so Jan. 13 at Georgia—after no Volunteer achieved that feat even once in the prior three seasons.
• The last Tennessee player with seven offensive rebounds in an SEC Tournament game was Kyle Alexander, who hit that mark against the same foe (Mississippi State), on the same date (March 15) and in the same round (quarterfinals), exactly five years ago
• Aidoo, who pulled down nine rebounds in the first half alone, compiled the 13th double-digit rebounding total of his career, including his 11th in 2023-24.
• With 676 points in 2023-24, Knecht passed Allan Houston (1992-93) and Bernard King (1976-77) to move from No. 11 up to ninth on the program’s single-season leaderboard, including third in the past 30 years (1994-2024).
• In his 19 outings against SEC foes during his lone season at Tennessee, Knecht scored 13-plus points in 18 of them, all but the first when he tallied eight in the conference opener.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The University of Tennessee Medical Center is warning of scam calls claiming to come from the hospital and asking for money.
According to UTMC spokespersons, the calls ask for money for an upcoming procedure. The hospital said the calls are not true and are not associated with UTMC.
“We have been made aware that individuals in our community have received spoof phone calls or text messages identified as originating from our main medical center phone number (865-305-9000) requesting funds for an upcoming procedure. Please be aware that these calls and text messages are not associated with The University of Tennessee Medical Center. Phone Spoofing occurs when scammers deliberately falsify the information sent to your caller ID to disguise their identity—this can result in you believing you are interacting with a known, trusted source. If you have questions regarding an upcoming visit, please reach out directly to your provider.” – Spokesperson from The University of Tennessee Medical Center
They advise that if you have questions regarding an upcoming visit, to reach out directly to your provider.
Newport, TN (WOKI / WVLT) An entire community is working to help a 24-year-old autistic man get a home of his own.
Nate Morris has been living in a Cocke County hotel since January, paid for by his driver’s education teacher and friend, Wade Wester. That friend, now mounting a Go Fund Me campaign, says he is overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support for Morris.
“It’s been so overwhelming for me just to see the community support him,” said Wester speaking with our news partner, WVLT. “It’s really knocked the breath out of me just how supportive everybody is, and I just want to make sure this money goes the right direction and helps Nate find somewhere to live.”
Morriss’ friends said you’ll always see him with a smile on his face, whether he’s at work or cheering for his Cocke County High School Fighting Cocks at a basketball game.
Morriss is also helping himself— working at Food City twice a week to save up money of his own. He told WVLT News he’s grateful to have a roof over his head, but wants a place to himself.
“It would be fantastic to have,” Morriss said. “So that I could be with my mother and just have a good life with my mother.”
That home is a goal the community is happy to help with, Wester said. “When this GoFundMe came out, just everybody that had been around Nate at some point just started putting money in the account,” Wester said. “Because of the impression that he made on them.” Wester said the community has raised over $6,000 toward their grand total of $10,000.
Those people, donating to see Morriss and his mother in a home, also made an impression on the young man.
“All my friends here who are praying for me right now, I just want to say ‘thanks everybody,’” Morriss said.
