Tennessee Volunteers first-year offensive coordinator Joey Halzle visited with the media on Wednesday to discuss being elevated from quarterbacks coach, the offseason, the new players and much more.
Tennessee Volunteers first-year tight ends coach Alec Abeln visited with the media on Wednesday and discussed being elevated into a coaching staff position, the offseason, his group of TEs and much more.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel has announced the addition of Andrew Goodman and former Volunteer and NFL veteran Robert Ayers Jr. to his support staff.
Goodman is the program’s new director of football operations, while Ayers Jr. will serve as a defensive graduate assistant.
Goodman comes to Knoxville after a year as the director of football operations at UConn. He was part of the Huskies’ first bowl appearance since 2015. In Storrs, he oversaw all daily internal operations, team travel logistics, high school camps, and he was the program’s liaison to multiple facets of the athletic department.
Prior to UConn, Goodman served in the same capacity at Brown University from April 2019 to December 2021. He oversaw operations and assisted in the management of the program’s operating budget, while helping the head coach in facility master planning in addition to team travel logistics and social media strategy.
Goodman was a recruiting coordinator at his alma mater of Penn State from December 2016 to March 2019. He developed and executed strategic programming for official and unofficial visits during a time that the Nittany Lions produce four consecutive top-20 heralded classes. Penn State reached two New Year’s Six bowls during his tenure, including the 2017 Rose Bowl and 2018 Fiesta Bowl. The 2018 class was tabbed sixth nationally by the 247Sports Composite ranking.
Goodman was the assistant director of football operations and recruiting at Princeton from March 2015 to December 2016 after launching his career as a player personnel intern for the Buffalo Bills in the summer of 2015 and 2016. The fall of 2015 saw the Tigers claim an Ivy League championship.
Goodman lettered at wide receiver for Penn State from 2008-11 during a period that saw the Nittany Lions win the 2008 Big Ten championship and reach the Rose Bowl, Capital One Bowl, Outback Bowl and Ticket City Bowl.
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native earned two degrees from Penn State. He received his bachelor’s degree in supply chain and information systems in 2012, and he completed his master’s degree in educational leadership in 2021.
Ayers Jr. returns to his alma mater after launching his coaching career in the Knoxville area. He served as the defensive line coach (2020) and defensive coordinator (2021) at Knoxville Catholic High School before taking the defensive coordinator position at Oak Ridge High School for the 2022 season. He excelled and was named 2022 Tennessee Class 5A Region 3 Assistant Coach of the Year.
Ayers Jr. completed an outstanding 10-year NFL career in 2018. The No. 18 overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by Denver, Ayers Jr. played five seasons with the Broncos and appeared in 72 games with 142 tackles, 12 sacks and 26 tackles for loss on the defensive line. Denver made three playoff appearances during his time and won the AFC Championship in 2013 to reach Super Bowl XLVIII.
Ayers Jr. spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the New York Giants. He enjoyed the best season of his career in 2015, setting a career high with 9.5 sacks, which led the squad. He finished that season with 41 total tackles and 11 tackles for loss.
Ayers Jr. was a disruptive defender with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2016-17. He logged 60 tackles and 8.5 sacks in his two seasons. He played his final NFL season with the Detroit Lions in 2018.
He officially announced his retirement from professional football in July 2019, finishing his career with 265 total tackles and 34.5 sacks.
Ayers Jr. earned four letters with the Vols from 2005-08 after redshirting in 2004. During his four-year on-field career, he collected 113 tackles with 31.5 tackles for loss in 48 games played at defensive end.
He led the Vols in tackles for loss in each of his final two years, totaling 27.5 during that stretch. Ayers Jr. earned first-team All-SEC honors as a senior team captain in 2008, starting all 12 games at defensive end and leading the conference with 15.5 tackles for loss. He paced the UT line with 49 total tackles—34 solo—and established himself as an NFL Draft first round pick. That spring leading up to the draft, he was named defensive most valuable player of the 2009 Senior Bowl.
Ayers Jr. shared the Andy Spiva Award as the Vols’ most improved defender in 2008, while helping UT tie for third in the country in total defense (263.5 ypg) and rank 10th in the nation in scoring defense (16.8 ppg).
He was a member of the Vols’ 2007 SEC Eastern Division championship team, registering 12 tackles for loss and four sacks while appearing in all 14 contests. He was named the team’s “Lifter of the Year” that season.
Ayers Jr. earned his bachelor’s degree from Tennessee in African American studies in 2008.
Ayers Jr. and his wife, Brandi, have two daughters—Brailyn and Robyn.
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Southeastern Conference, in conjunction with ESPN, announced the 2023 college baseball television broadcast schedule on Tuesday afternoon.
Tennessee, which enters the year ranked No. 2 in the country, is slated to have 12 of its games aired live on the ESPN family of networks (ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network) during the regular season, while the remainder of the Vols’ home contests and conference road games will be streamed digitally on SEC Network+, WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app.
UT fans will also be able to watch the Big Orange during their opening weekend trip to Arizona for the MLB Desert Invitational. Friday’s season opener against Arizona as well as Saturday’s contest at Grand Canyon will both be broadcasted on the MLB Network while Sunday’s tournament finale against UC San Diego will be streamed on MLB.com.
UT’s full schedule with game times and TV designations can be found on the official baseball schedule page by clicking HERE. Please note that games times are listed in eastern time and are subject to change due to weather and other factors. Fans are encouraged to check the baseball schedule page on UTSports.com for the most updated game times.
In addition to the already scheduled TV games, three wildcard games during the final weekend of the regular season (May 18-20) will be selected to air on the SEC Network. All 17 games of the SEC Tournament are slated to be televised, as well. The first 16 games will be broadcast on the SEC Network, while the championship game will air on ESPN2.
The complete list of TV games for the 2023 season can be seen below.
– Feb. 17 vs. Arizona – 8 PM (MLB Network)
– Feb. 18 at Grand Canyon – 8 PM (MLB Network)
– March 25 vs. Texas A&M – 12 PM (ESPN2)
– March 30 at LSU – 8 PM (ESPNU)
– March 31 at LSU – 7 PM (SECN)
– April 7 vs. Florida – 7 PM (SECN)
– April 8 vs. Florida – 2 PM (ESPN2)
– April 14 at Arkansas – 8 PM (SECN)
– April 21 vs. Vanderbilt – 6 PM (SECN)
– April 22 vs. Vanderbilt – 12 PM (ESPN2)
– April 23 vs. Vanderbilt – 1 PM (ESPN2)
– April 27 vs. Mississippi State – 7 PM (SECN)
– April 29 vs. Mississippi State – 2 PM (ESPNU)
– May 13 vs. Kentucky – 12 PM (SECN
-UT Athletics
Senior guard Santiago Vescovi has been named a top-10 candidate for the Jerry West Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
In its ninth year, the Jerry West Award recognizes the top shooting guard in the nation. The list of finalists will be narrowed down to five in early March.
Through Tennessee’s first 23 games this season, Vescovi leads the team in scoring (11.9 ppg), minutes (31.9 mpg) and 3-point makes (48). During SEC play, Vescovi is shooting 35.8 percent from 3-point range and is third in the SEC in 3-point makes per game (2.1).
Vescovi has also made an impact on the defensive end—ranking 29th in Division I and third among SEC players with 2.2 steals per game this season.
The Montevideo, Uruguay, native is also moving up Tennessee’s career lists—currently ranking fifth in program history with 239 career made 3-pointers and 44th in program history with 1,142 career points.
Tennessee (19-4, 8-2 SEC) returns to action Wednesday on the road at Vanderbilt. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
-UT Athletics
The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s Midseason Team on Tuesday, and Lady Vols Rickea Jackson and Jordan Horston are among the 30 players recognized.
Jackson, Horston and teammate Tamari Key were on the 50-player preseason list released in November. Key was diagnosed with a season-ending medical condition in December and is no longer in consideration.
A 6-foot-2 senior forward, Jackson leads Tennessee is scoring at 18.1 points per contest, a number that balloons to 20.7 in 11 conference games only. She ranks No. 3 among league players in those categories. She matched her season high with 28 points at Mississippi State on Monday night, tallying her ninth 20-point scoring effort of the campaign. Six of those games have come vs. SEC opponents.
Jackson also leads the Big Orange in field goal percentage (54.0), is second in rebounds per game (6.0) and free throw percentage (78.4), and ranks third in steals (20) and fourth in assists (32). With her 28-point, 11-board effort at MSU, she now has two double-doubles to her credit in 2022-23.
Horston, meanwhile, is UT’s second-leading scorer at 15.4 per contest and leading rebounder at 6.5 per game. She paces the Lady Vols with five double-doubles on the year, has registered six 20-point scoring performances and has been her team’s assist leader on 13 occasions. She has carded five or more dimes on seven occasions to also head that category for Tennessee.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard is shooting 43.5 from the field and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. She leads UT in steals (37) and blocks (22) and is second with 78 assists for a 3.3 average. Against top-25 competition, Horston has averaged an impressive 20.6 ppg., 8.8 rpg. and 2.2 apg. this season.
Jackson and Horston have helped propel Tennessee to a 17-9 overall record and 9-2 mark in SEC play, currently positioning the Lady Vols in third place in the conference with a No. 20 NET ranking. The NET is the NCAA’s index to determine qualification for its postseason tournament.
-UT Athletics
The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s Midseason Team on Tuesday, and Lady Vols Rickea Jackson and Jordan Horston are among the 30 players recognized.
Jackson, Horston and teammate Tamari Key were on the 50-player preseason list released in November. Key was diagnosed with a season-ending medical condition in December and is no longer in consideration.
A 6-foot-2 senior forward, Jackson leads Tennessee is scoring at 18.1 points per contest, a number that balloons to 20.7 in 11 conference games only. She ranks No. 3 among league players in those categories. She matched her season high with 28 points at Mississippi State on Monday night, tallying her ninth 20-point scoring effort of the campaign. Six of those games have come vs. SEC opponents.
Jackson also leads the Big Orange in field goal percentage (54.0), is second in rebounds per game (6.0) and free throw percentage (78.4), and ranks third in steals (20) and fourth in assists (32). With her 28-point, 11-board effort at MSU, she now has two double-doubles to her credit in 2022-23.
Horston, meanwhile, is UT’s second-leading scorer at 15.4 per contest and leading rebounder at 6.5 per game. She paces the Lady Vols with five double-doubles on the year, has registered six 20-point scoring performances and has been her team’s assist leader on 13 occasions. She has carded five or more dimes on seven occasions to also head that category for Tennessee.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard is shooting 43.5 from the field and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. She leads UT in steals (37) and blocks (22) and is second with 78 assists for a 3.3 average. Against top-25 competition, Horston has averaged an impressive 20.6 ppg., 8.8 rpg. and 2.2 apg. this season.
Jackson and Horston have helped propel Tennessee to a 17-9 overall record and 9-2 mark in SEC play, currently positioning the Lady Vols in third place in the conference with a No. 20 NET ranking. The NET is the NCAA’s index to determine qualification for its postseason tournament.
-UT Athletics
Box Score (PDF) | Highlights | Photo Gallery | Harper/Hollingshead Presser
STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Lady Vols suffered a 91-90 loss to Mississippi State on Monday night in a double-overtime thriller that featured 17 lead changes and 14 ties inside Humphrey Coliseum.
Senior Rickea Jackson recorded a double-double to lead UT (17-9, 9-2 SEC), tying her season highs of 28 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Jillian Hollingshead recorded the first double-double of her career with 18 points and 12 rebounds, setting career highs in both categories. Junior Tess Darby was also in double figures, turning in 10 points on the night.
MSU (16-7, 5-5 SEC) was led by Jerkaila Jordan, who tallied 24 points. Asianae Johnson and Anastasia Hayes were also in double figures with 16 and 14, respectively.
Jackson knocked down a pull-up jumper from the top of the key to score the first points of the game, but a trey by Jordan on the other end gave Mississippi State its first lead at the 8:42 mark. Back-to-back buckets by Jordan Horston and Darby had the Lady Vols on top 7-3 before a 7-0 run put the Bulldogs ahead 10-7 with 3:37 to go in the first. MSU maintained a lead into the final 90 seconds of the quarter when Jackson converted on two pairs of free throws to tie the score at 13-all at the end of one.
Tennessee reclaimed the lead in the first minute of the second period with consecutive buckets by Jackson and Jordan Walker. A 3-pointer by Jordan with 8:43 left in the half brought the Bulldogs within three points of UT, and the teams traded baskets until a trey by Smith four minutes later knotted the score at 25. Hollingshead responded by ripping off six straight points to give Tennessee a 31-28 lead with 1:56 to go, but Hayes scored the last points of the half from behind the arc, sending the game into intermission with the score tied at 31-all.
A Karoline Striplin layup resulted in the first of four lead changes in the opening minutes of the second half before a 6-0 run gave MSU a 41-36 lead by the 5:42 mark. Sara Puckett and Hollingshead answered with five quick points for UT to tie the game at 41 less than a minute later. Johnson splashed a trey on the next play, but Puckett answered with one of her own, setting off a 10-3 Big Orange run to give UT a four-point advantage with 1:11 left in the third. Kourtney Weber hit the last bucket of the quarter on the fast break, and the Lady Vols took a 51-49 lead into the fourth.
Mississippi State reclaimed the lead a minute and 20 seconds into the fourth period, going up 54-52 off a 3-pointer by Debreasha Powe. A layup by Johnson a minute later stretched that lead to four, and UT scrapped back within one on two occasions before back-to-back baskets gave MSU a five-point lead, tying its largest lead of the game with 4:32 to play. Jackson responded with an old-fashioned three-point play, and it became a back-and-forth affair until Horston knocked down a pair of free throws as UT outscored MSU 6-2, all from the charity stripe, to tie the game 68-all with 1:32 on the clock. Neither team was able to score in the closing seconds, sending the game into overtime.
Horston hit a free throw to give the Lady Vols an early lead in extra time, but by the midway point of the period, the Bulldogs led 73-71 off a trey by Ramani Parker. Tennessee tied it up twice before falling behind by four. With less than 30 seconds to go, Jackson came up with a steal and was fouled on the fast break. She converted on both free throws, and the Bulldogs missed theirs on the next possession, giving the Lady Vols the ball back down two with 23.6 seconds left on the clock. Jackson once again came up clutch, spinning around to hit a layup and tie the game at 68, and UT’s defense prevented MSU from getting a shot off before time ran out, sending the game into double overtime.
A three by Walker put the Lady Vols on top early in the second extra stanza, but the Bulldogs rallied with a 9-0 run to lead by six with 1:39 on the clock. Four straight points from the free-throw line pulled UT within two with 26 seconds left in the game, but Mississippi State defended its lead from the charity stripe, and a 3-pointer by Jackson at the buzzer wasn’t enough, as UT fell 91-90.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will return to action on Sunday, hosting Vanderbilt in a 2 p.m. ET matinee that will be streamed on SECN+. The contest will be UT’s annual Play4Kay game.
HOLLINGSHEAD BECOMING A FORCE: Sophomore Jillian Hollingshead is hitting her stride, recording her first career double-double against Mississippi State with 18 points and 12 rebounds to find her way into double-digit scoring for fourth time this season and second time in the last four games. Over the last four outings, she is averaging 11.3 ppg. and 7.8 rpg. off the bench.
TEAM FREE THROWS IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Tennessee’s 37 made free throws tie as the third-most in school history along with the 37 netted vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 1997. The 44 attempts matched UT’s effort vs. Alabama on March 6, 1994. The 84.1 percent accuracy was a season high for the Lady Vols.
RICKEA TIES SCHOOL BEST FREE THROW MARK: Rickea Jackson’s 13-for-13, 100-percent effort at the charity stripe tied a school free throw percentage record set by Gail Dobson on March 1, 1975, vs. Union (Tenn.). Jackson’s 13 makes tied for the No. 8 school mark with seven other Lady Vols.
LADY VOLS IN OVERTIME: Tennessee played in its 56th overtime game and fourth that required multiple extra periods. The Lady Vols are now 34-22 all-time in additional frames, including 13-13 on the road, and are 1-3 in games requiring two or more extra periods. UT is now 2-2 in OT games during the Harper era.
-UT Athletics
The sixth-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team travels to the state’s capitol for a midweek road battle, taking on Vanderbilt Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Wednesday’s game on SEC Network and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Pat Bradley (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.
Tennessee (19-4, 8-2 SEC) bounced back from a midweek road loss last week with a 46-43 home win over No. 25 Auburn on Saturday. On a day where both teams struggled offensively, Josiah-Jordan James recorded the fifth double-double of his career with 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
Wednesday’s matchup is Tennessee’s second against Vanderbilt this season, as the Vols recorded a 77-68 win over the Commodores in Knoxville on Jan. 10. Overall, Tennessee has won 11 straight over Vanderbilt—tied for its longest win streak in the history of the series.
Up next, Tennessee is back home for another Saturday SEC showdown, taking on Missouri at 6 p.m. ET inside Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads its all-time series with Vanderbilt, 129-75, dating to 1922. This is the 205th meeting.
• Only 181 miles separate UT’s Thompson-Boling Arena and Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym.
• Tennessee has won 13 of the last 14 meetings in this series, including each of the last 11. The 11 straight triumphs match UT’s longest win streak in the history of the series (also 1943-49).
• The Volunteers are riding a six-game win streak at Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym.
• The Vols have out-rebounded the Dores in each of the last eight meetings.
• During the Rick Barnes era, Tennessee has held Vanderbilt to an average of 67.1 points per game (1,073 points in 16 games).
• The Vols are riding a 12-game win streak against in-state opponents.
• Tennessee will return to Nashville next month for the 2023 SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena.
SCOUTING REPORT
• The Vols have held the No. 2 spot in the NCAA’s NET ratings since Jan. 3.
• Tennessee has two wins over teams with a current top-10 NET rating—No. 8 Texas and No. 10 Kansas. UT is one of only seven teams in the country that can claim that.
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in scoring defense (55.1 ppg), free-throw percentage (.765) and assists (15.9).
• Zakai Zeigler averages a league-best 6.7 assists during SEC play while ranking among the league leaders in both steals (2.0, 3rd) and assist/turnover ratio (2.91, 4th).
• Only twice in program history has Tennessee reached the 20-win mark on Feb. 8 or sooner—2018-19 (Feb. 2) and 2007-08 (Feb. 5).
• In its last 26 games against SEC opponents, the Vols are 23-3 with wins over every league opponent except Alabama (no meetings).
• The Vols are riding a 21-game win streak on the linear SEC Network.
THE NATION’S BEST DEFENSE
• For the 11th straight week, the Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country per KenPom, allowing only 84.0 points per 100 possessions.
• Tennessee owns the nation’s best scoring defense (54.6 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.343) and 3-point defense (.219).
• 11 times this season, the Vols have held their opponents to 50 points or less.
• Only three teams have reached the 70-point mark against these Vols.
• Only five opposing players have scored 20 or more points against the Vols this season.
• In 23 games, Tennessee opponents have managed to make only 113 3-pointers—just 4.9 per game.
• Tennessee has trailed at the break only four times this season and is outscoring its opponents 34.3 ppg to 24.8 ppg in first-half action (+9.5 ppg).
ABOUT VANDERBILT
• Vanderbilt (11-12, 4-6 SEC) has lost three of its last four games but is coming off a 74-71 home win over Ole Miss on Saturday.
• Currently ranked No. 107 in the NET, Vanderbilt has played eight Quadrant 1 games this season— with the lone win coming over Arkansas at home on Jan. 14.
• The Commodores are 8-5 at home at Memorial Gymnasium this season, including 3-2 in SEC play with losses only to Alabama and Kentucky.
• Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse is in his fourth season at the helm of the program, having posted a 50-66 record so far in his tenure. The Commodores entered this season coming off their most successful campaign yet under Stackhouse, having gone 19-17 (7-11 SEC) last season.
• Fifth-year senior forward Liam Robbins, who is in his second season at Vanderbilt after transferring from Minnesota, is leading the Commodores in scoring (13.3 ppg), rebounding (6.3 rpg) and blocked shots (3.0 bpg). His 3.0 blocked shots per game rank fifth in all of Division I.
• During Tennessee’s 77-68 win over Vanderbilt on Jan. 10, Robbins led the way for the Commodores with 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. He was 10-for-12 at the free-throw line.
• Junior guard Tyrin Lawrence, the team’s second-leading scorer (11.0 ppg) has also emerged as a key contributor for Vanderbilt—averaging 14.8 ppg over his last six games.
• In Rick Barnes‘ first season as the head coach at Clemson (1994-95), his Tigers faced North Carolina—led by the first-team All-American Stackhouse—three times. Stackhouse and the Tar Heels won all three meetings on their way to the Final Four.
BARNES, STACKHOUSE NOW HALL OF FAME CLASSMATES
• Last month, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame announced that Rick Barnes and Jerry Stackhouse both are members of its 2023 induction class.
• The pair will be formally honored at the hall’s induction celebration on April 21 in Raleigh.
LAST CLASH WITH VANDERBILT
• Fifth-ranked Tennessee defeated in-state foe Vanderbilt, 77-68, on Jan. 10, 2023, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• UT dominated in the second half to secure the win. The offensive charge was led by Santiago Vescovi, who finished tied for the team-high and recorded 12 points after halftime.
• The offense was largely facilitated by Zakai Zeigler, who dished out nine assists.
• Vols freshman Julian Phillips also scored 15 points, while Uros Plavsic added 11.
• Vanderbilt was led by Liam Robbins, who finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, both team-highs. He was 10 for 12 at the free-throw line.
• The Dores held a 39-37 lead going into halftime, just the second time this year the Vols trailed at the break.
• The Vols responded out of the half with urgency. Tennessee broke off a quick nine-point run, capped by a Tyreke Key 3-pointer, and never looked back.
SECOND TIME’S A CHARM
• Since 2018, Rick Barnes and his staff have guided the Volunteers to a 20-5 (.800) record in regular-season rematch games (SEC Tournament games not included).
THE SERIES, RECENTLY
• No player on UT’s roster has ever lost to Vanderbilt.
• Over the last four seasons (seven meetings), Tennessee has outscored the Commodores by 11.8 points per game (71.4 ppg to 59.6 ppg).
• In three career games vs. Vanderbilt, Zakai Zeigler averages 11.3 points, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals while also impacting winning at the foul line (16 for 18).
• Spanning the last three meetings in this series, Santiago Vescovi averaged 13.0 points while shooting .529 from 3-point range (9 for 17).
VOLS SUCCESSFUL ON THE IN-STATE CIRCUIT
• Tennessee has won its last 12 games against in-state opponents and is 28-5 vs. in-state foes under coach Rick Barnes.
• Those 28 wins came against Vanderbilt (13x), Tennessee Tech (5x), ETSU (3x), Lipscomb (twice), Austin Peay, Chattanooga, Memphis, Tennessee State and UT Martin.
WORKING ON THE RÉSUMÉ
• Tennessee’s postseason résumé thus far is highlighted by a decisive win over Kansas in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game and a home triumph over Texas.
• Tennessee boasts five total Quad 1 wins and joins Arizona, Baylor, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas State and Xavier as the only programs with multiple wins over current NET top-10 teams.
• The four teams that have beaten Tennessee are all ranked in the top 65 of the NET ratings: No. 9 Arizona, No. 31 Kentucky, No. 43 Florida and No. 65 Colorado.
• In a Dec. 17 true road game at Arizona, UT held what was then the nation’s highest-scoring offense 17 points below its average in a five-point loss without senior standout Josiah-Jordan James (knee).
-UT Athletics
BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | JAMES POSTGAME ON ESPN | BARNES POSTGAME | JAMES POSTGAME | VESCOVI POSTGAME
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – An outstanding defensive performance and a clutch 4-point play in the final minutes helped lift second-ranked Tennessee to a 46-43 win against No. 25 Auburn at Thompson-Boling Arena Saturday.
After the Tigers clawed their way back to cut it to a two-point game despite offensive woes, Santiago Vescovi delivered a strike from beyond the 3-point arc on the left wing while also drawing a foul. The senior guard converted the 4-point play with 2:33 left in the game to give the Vols (19-4, 8-2 SEC) a 44-38 advantage.
Auburn (17-6, 7-3 SEC) refused to go away, cutting the lead to one point with less than 20 seconds left, but Zakai Zeigler ended the Tigers’ late rally by knocking down a pair of free throws to restore a three-point cushion.
A clean and effective vertical contest by Olivier Nkamhoua on a buzzer-beating 3-point attempt by Tigers guard Wendell Green Jr. ensured that the potential game-tying shot missed the mark, sealing Tennessee’s second straight win over Auburn.
Defensively, Tennessee held AU to 24 percent (13-of-56) shooting from the field and 3-of-27 from beyond the arc. During a staggering stretch of 20:05 of game play, the Volunteers defense shut down the Auburn offense, allowing 1-of-26 shooting between 15:40 in the first half and 15:35 in the second half. The Big Orange effort held the Tigers to a season-low-tying 43 points, which also marked the fewest points in an SEC matchup by an Auburn squad during the Bruce Pearl era.
With offense coming sparingly, Josiah-Jordan James offered a consistent presence on that end of the floor, as he recorded the fifth double-double of his career with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Nkamhoua finished with nine points, two boards, two assists and two steals. Vescovi chipped in seven points, while Zeigler added six assists, four rebounds and three points.
The win marked Tennessee’s fourth against a top-25 opponent this season and was the Vols’ 25th victory over a ranked team during the Rick Barnes era.
Both teams opened the game with slow starts offensively. At the second media timeout, Auburn held a 10-6 advantage despite hitting five of its first seven shots to open the contest. The Vols had good looks at the basket but couldn’t get their shots to fall.
After connecting on two of its first 17 attempts, the Big Orange offense finally started hitting from the field and used a 15-5 run to pull ahead 15-13 with 7:16 left in the first half. During the stretch, Tennessee held the Tigers without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes.
The Volunteers defense continued to hold strong, as Auburn missed 18 of its final 19 shots and scored only nine points during the last 15:40 of the opening frame. The Tigers matched their season low in scoring at halftime with 19 points, shooting 23 percent from the field and 1-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Tennessee finished the period shooting 29 percent from the floor, but a 21-9 run to close the half gave the Vols a 23-19 advantage at the break. James led the way with nine points, five boards and one assist during the opening stanza.
The defensive battle continued in the second half, as both teams connected on just two shots from the field during the opening eight minutes of the frame. After Auburn tied things up with back-to-back buckets, a Tobe Awaka putback marked the first of four unanswered baskets by the Vols, pushing their lead to 36-28 with 9:09 left.
Auburn wasn’t going away, though. The Tigers knocked down a pair of shots and hit two free throws to pull within four points at 40-36 going into the final media timeout.Two more Auburn free throws cut the game to one possession. Vescovi then delivered his clutch 4-point play to make it a 44-38 game with 2:33 left. The 3-pointer was his first and Tennessee’s second and final long ball in the contest.
Auburn hit a 3-pointer of its own with 30.9 seconds left and then got the ball back with 23.8 on the clock after forcing a Tennessee turnover with its press. On the next possession, the Tigers grabbed the rebound on a missed basket and converted the second-chance opportunity to make it a 44-43 game with 18 seconds left. After getting fouled on the inbounds play, Zeigler sank both free throws to push the lead back to three and seal the victory for the Volunteers.
For the game, Tennessee shot 27 percent from the field and 2-of-21 from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT: The Vols travel to the state capital to take on Vanderbilt on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT in Memorial Gymnasium. The game will be televised on SEC Network and broadcast on the Vol Network.
TOP-25 TAKEDOWN: Saturday’s win over No. 25 Auburn marked Tennessee’s fourth win over a top-25 team this season. Dating to last season, the Vols have won seven of their past eight games against top-25 opponents.
Tennessee has also won eight straight games against top-25 teams inside Thompson-Boling Arena dating to the 2020-21 season.
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE SHOWS UP AGAIN: Tennessee entered Saturday’s game owning nation-leading marks in field goal percentage defense (.348) and 3-point defense (.225). The Vols held Auburn to worse totals in both categories, as the Tigers shot just 23.6 percent from the field overall and 11.1 percent from 3-point range.
Saturday also marked the 11th time this season that Tennessee has held an opponent 50 or fewer points. The Vols are 11-0 in those contests.
-UT Athletics
