KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 8 Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home for a border battle with No. 12 Kentucky in its fourth consecutive home contest against a ranked SEC foe Tuesday night at Food City Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
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GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO
- Opponent: Kentucky Wildcats
- Tipoff: Tuesday, Jan. 28 | 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Food City Center
- Watch Online: ESPN
- Online: Listen Live | Live Stats
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Fans can catch Tuesday’s game between the Volunteers (17-3, 4-3 SEC) and Wildcats (14-5, 3-3 SEC) on ESPN. Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Jimmy Dykes (analyst) and Molly McGrath (reporter) 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 fell just shy of knocking off the No. 1 team in the nation Saturday night, falling at top-ranked Auburn, 53-51, at a sold-out Neville Arena.
In the fifth AP top-six showdown in program history, UT led by four with under two minutes left, but the Tigers earned the win in a back-and-forth defensive affair. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler paced the Volunteers with 14 points.
THE MATCHUP
• The Volunteers’ 78 victories against the Wildcats are the most by any team. Vanderbilt ranks second with 50.
• Tennessee’s 11 wins over Kentucky in Rick Barnes‘ tenure (2015-25) are five more than any other team (Auburn and Kansas have six each). That includes a 10-6 record against ranked Wildcat teams, good for twice as many such wins as any other team (five by Kansas). UT is 7-5 versus AP top- 15 Kentucky teams under Barnes, including 7-1 with the Wildcats in the top 10.
• Barnes has led UT to a 7-3 record in AP top-25 showdowns against Kentucky, including a 5-2 mark with both in the top 20.
• This is the third straight AP top- 15 clash between the two schools, a second in series history, joining the three 2018-19 meetings.
• Following a 23-10 (13-5) campaign in 2023-24 that included a third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid, the Wildcats took eighth place in the SEC preseason poll.
• Kentucky is led by junior guard Otega Oweh’s 15.9 ppg and 1.7 spg.
NEWS & NOTES
• Tennessee is 11-10 versus Kentucky under Rick Barnes with at least one victory in eight of his first nine years, including two thrice. It is 5-4 in home contests.
• In the 22 years before Barnes’ arrival (1993-2015), UT went 9-35 against Kentucky, including 7-28 when the Wildcats were ranked.
• Barnes’ 12 wins over the Wildcats are the seventh-most all-time, one shy of Dean Smith (13). He has two more than any other active coach (Bruce Pearl with 10). More information is on Page 6.
• Walk-on guards Gavin Paull (Tennessee) and Walker Horn (Kentucky) were teammates at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, in 2021-22.
• Tennessee is in the midst of the first stretch of four straight games versus AP top-15 foes in program history. Its lone prior four-game streak against even AP top-20 teams was last season (2/28/24 to 3/9/24), while it also had four in a row versus AP top-25 teams in 2003-04 (1/20/04 to 1/31/04). The only opponent featured in all three stretches is Kentucky.
• Kentucky is the fourth of at least five consecutive ranked teams visiting Food City Center.
• Tennessee is seeking a 4-0 home start in SEC play for the third time under Rick Barnes, joining 9-0 showings in 2021-22 and 2018-19.
• Zakai Zeigler is three points away from becoming the second player in SEC history with 1,300 points, 600 assists and 200 steals. Only Arkansas’ Kareem Reid (1995-99) has achieved the feat.
• Zeigler (622) is also just 11 assists behind Mississippi State’s Dee Bost (633 from 2008-12) for a top-10 spot in SEC history.
• UT’s DI-leading 25.4 3P% defense is 2.0 percent better than second- place, equal to the gap from No. 2 Appalachian State (27.4) to No. 28 Saint Peter’s (29.4).
• The Volunteers’ 188 victories over the last eight seasons (2017- 25) rank co-eighth nationally, alongside Auburn. Only Gonzaga (228), Houston (224), Kansas (205), Duke (202), Purdue (198), San Diego State (190) and Saint Mary’s (189) own more. Liberty (187) rounds out the top 10.
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.
• Tennessee is one of just seven schools to earn an AP top-20 ranking in each of the past eight years (2017- 25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. Just two others— Houston and Purdue—have even reached the AP top 25 in each of those seasons.
• 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.
DYNAMITE “D” A UT TRADEMARK
• Tennessee, through 1/25/25, ranks first nationally in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency (86.8), just ahead of second-place Houston (87.0).
• The Volunteers finished third in 2023-24 in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency (90.2) and placed fifth in DI in field-goal percentage defense (39.4).
• In 2022-23, UT led the nation in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency (87.5), taking the top spot for 15 weeks. The Vols led all DI teams in 3-point defense (26.5) that year, plus ranked third in scoring defense (57.9) and field-goal percentage defense (37.3).
• In five of the last seven seasons (2017-24), UT has finished top-10 in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: third in 2023-24, first in 2022-23, third in 2021-22, fifth in 2020-21 and sixth in 2017-18.
• UT is 98-9 (.916) under Rick Barnes when allowing 60 or fewer points, with 44 such wins in a row from 3/11/22 to 1/21/25. It had a 22-0 mark in 2022-23.
• The Vols, through 1/25/25, have won 49 straight (39 under Barnes) when conceding 50 points or fewer, since 12/29/12. That includes 12 such victories in 2022-23, matching Houston for the DI lead that year.
RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES
• TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee’s 24 AP top-25 wins are tied, alongside Iowa State (24) and Kansas (24), for the most in the nation. Only Connecticut (23) and Purdue (22) are even within two, while the closest SEC school is three behind (Alabama with 21).
• TOP 20: Tennessee possesses an SEC-high 20 AP top-20 wins over that span, the third-most of any DI school, while trailing only Connecticut (22) and Kansas (21). Just Purdue (19) and Iowa State (18) are even two back of the Volunteers, while the closest SEC program is three shy (Alabama with 17).
• TOP 15: The Volunteers own an SEC-best 17 AP top-15 decisions over those four seasons, good for second-most in the country, behind just Kansas (19). Only Alabama (15), the closest SEC team, and Iowa State (15) are even within two of Tennessee.
• TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns eight AP top-10 triumphs, third in the SEC and, alongside North Carolina, co-seventh nationally. Only Iowa State (12), Connecticut (11), Kansas (11), Purdue (10), Alabama (nine) and Kentucky (nine) have more. The eight such 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) and at #10 Kentucky (2/3/24).
• TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has five AP top-five wins, tied with Alabama, Arizona and Iowa State for the most in the country. Only two other schools, Gonzaga and Purdue, have even four.
…AND DOING SO EFFICIENTLY
• Tennessee, at 24-16 (.600), has the SEC’s second- best record versus AP top-25 foes over the last four seasons (2021-25). Auburn (16-10 .615) ranks first, while no one else has a mark above .530.
• The Vols are 20-11 (.645) against AP top-20 teams in that span, nine games over the .500 mark. Auburn (13-8; .619) ranks second in the SEC, with no other teams above a .500 clip.
• UT is 17-7 (.680) versus AP top-15 foes in that time, also 10 games over .500, while the next closest SEC team in winning percentage, a distant second, is Auburn (10-6; .625).
• At 8-7 (.533), the Volunteers have the best record in the SEC against AP top-10 foes over those four seasons. Kentucky (9-9; .500) is the only other team at even a .500 mark.
• With a 5-5 (.500) record, Tennessee is one of two SEC teams that does not have a losing record versus AP top-five teams in that stretch, alongside Arkansas (3-3; .500).
• The Volunteers, despite their excellent winning percentage, have played the co-third-most games (40) against AP top-25 foes of any SEC team in the last four years (2021-25), matching Alabama. They trail just Texas (48) and Oklahoma (41) in such outings, while no other SEC school is above 33.
WINNING WAYS
• Over the last eight seasons (2017-25), Tennessee co-leads all SEC programs in total wins (188) and postseason victories (18), plus sits a close second in overall winning percentage (.732). In that span, UT has three SEC titles (2018 and 2024 regular seasons, 2022 tournament).
• In that same eight-year stretch, the Vols are one of only three SEC teams with an overall winning percentage above even .660, alongside Auburn (.740) and Kentucky (.700).
• In SEC play over the same eight-year period, Tennessee (90-42; .682) is co-first in league victories and a close second in league winning percentage, matching Kentucky (90-41; .687) in the former and trailing it in the latter. Only Auburn (87-45; .659) and Alabama (84-49; .632) are at even 75-plus wins.
• Over just the last four seasons (2021-25), the Volunteers own a 96-31 (.756) overall record. That is good for the most victories and the second-best winning percentage in the SEC over that span. They trail only Auburn (94-28; .770) in the latter category.
• In that same four-year stretch, Tennessee (43-18; .705) is third in SEC victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (44-17; .721) and Auburn (44-16; .733).
POLL PRESENCE
• Tennessee has played 223 games as a ranked team in the AP Poll in Rick Barnes‘ tenure, posting a 168-55 (.753) record. Over 69.0 percent of the Volunteers’ 323 games since Barnes arrived in 2015- 16 have come with the team ranked in the AP Poll, all since 2017-18 (223 of 257, 86.8 percent).
• UT is 147-50 (.746) while in the AP top 20 under Barnes, 116-37 (.758) while top-15, 90-28 (.763) while top-10, 44-13 (.772) while top-five, 25-3 (.893) while top-three and 14-2 (.875) while No. 1.
• The Vols are 32-24 (.571) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 24-17 (.585) with both teams in the top 20, 15-11 (.577) with both in the top 15 and 7-8 (.467) with both in the top 10.
HAPPY AT HOME
• Over the last five seasons (2020-25), the Vols’ .907 (68-7) home winning percentage is eighth in DI (fourth among Power Five teams, first in SEC). In the last four years (2021-25), they are at .932 (55-4).
• In total, UT is 133-24 (.847) 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).
