NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The sixth-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team is headed to the midstate for a bout with Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gymnasium. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET.

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GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO

Opponent: Vanderbilt Commodores
Tipoff: Saturday, Jan. 18 | 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Memorial Gymnasium
Watch Online: SEC Network
Online: Listen Live | Live Stats

TENNESSEE

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VANDERBILT

Roster Schedule Game Notes

THE LATEST FROM THE VOLS

Zeigler Leads #6 Vols to 74-56 Victory over #23 Georgia Vols Ranked Sixth in Both National Polls #1 Vols Claim 74-70 Road Win at Texas #1 Vols’ Undefeated Start Ends at #8 Florida Lanier, Zeigler on Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List
Fans can catch Saturday’s game between the Volunteers (16-1, 3-1 SEC) and Commodores (14-3, 2-2 SEC) on SEC Network. Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (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.

In its most recent action, Tennessee turned a one-point halftime deficit into an 18-point victory, 74-56, Wednesday night against No. 23 Georgia. In the first-ever AP top-25 matchup between the two long-time conference foes, UT dominated the second half to remain undefeated this season at Food City Center. In a contest during which he broke the program’s career steals record, Zakai Zeigler had 16 points, a game-leading seven assists and a career-best six steals, while fellow senior guard Jordan Gainey scored a game-high 19 points.

THE MATCHUP
• UT’s 131 wins over Vanderbilt are its most versus any foe. Georgia (100) is the only other school it has defeated triple-digit times.
• The Volunteers are 13-1 in their last 14 contests against Vanderbilt, since 1/9/18. The lone defeat was a one-point road setback, 66-65, on a buzzer-beater on 2/8/23.
• This is the 13th time in the last 15 series meetings, also dating to 1/9/18, Tennessee is ranked and Vanderbilt is not. It is the eighth time in that stretch, including the fifth in a row, UT is in the top 10.
• Ranked UT teams are 23-8 all- time against unranked Vanderbilt squads, including 15-2—both losses are by one—since 2/3/01.
• Mark Byington is the fourth Vanderbilt coach Rick Barnes will face in his 10-year UT tenure. Barnes went 9-1 against Jerry Stackhouse (2019-24), 5-1 versus Bryce Drew (2016-19) and 1-2 against Kevin Stallings (2015-16).
• After going 9-23 (4-14) in 2023- 24, the Commodores were tabbed No. 16 in the SEC preseason poll.
• Junior guard Jason Edwards paces Vanderbilt with 17.0 ppg.

NEWS & NOTES
• Tennessee is 34-6 (.850) against in-state teams under Rick Barnes, including 17-1 (.944) in its last 18 such games.
• Zakai Zeigler logged a career- high six steals in the 74-56 win over #23 Georgia (1/15/25), upping his career total to 215 and breaking the prior program record of 212 by Santiago Vescovi (2019-24). Zeigler also became the second player in the last 20 seasons (2005-25) with 1,000 points, 600 assists and 200 steals in the SEC, joining Texas A&M’s Alex Caruso (2012-16). In addition, he now has 1,258 points, 12 shy of a top-30 spot all-time at UT.
• Jahmai Mashack shot 5-of-5 against Georgia, the fifth UT guard in the last 20 years with that line.
• Igor Miličić Jr., whose next start will be his 100th as a collegian, is one of 10 Power Five players averaging at least 10.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 2.0 apg. The others are Oumar Ballo, Brooks Barnhizer, Johni Broome, Hunter Dickinson, Collin Murray-Boyles, Great Osobor, Ian Schieffelin, Thomas Sorber and Danny Wolf.
• The Vols’ Chaz Lanier, the third- leading scorer in the SEC (18.2), is a Nashville native. The only hometown school he has faced is Lipscomb, against which he went 3-3 while at North Florida, including 2-2 on the road. In his last two matchups with the Bisons, he averaged 19.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg, with a 6-of-11 3-point clip.
• Tennessee is looking to start at least 4-1 in SEC play for the fifth time in seven years, including the third in a row.
• UT’s DI-best 24.9 3P% defense is 2.0 percent better than second- place Cincinnati (26.9). That is larger than the gap from No. 2 to No. 23 Nicholls State (28.7).
• Tennessee (16-1), Auburn (16-1) and Iowa State (15-1) are the only three DI teams without two losses. UT, Auburn and Utah State (16-2) are the lone three with 16 wins.
• The Volunteers’ 187 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank seventh nationally. Only Gonzaga (227), Houston (221), Kansas (203), Duke (200), Purdue (196) and San Diego State (188) possess more.

WINNING WAYS
• Over the last eight seasons (2017-25), Tennessee paces all SEC programs in total wins (187), plus is tied for first in postseason victories (18) and sits a close second in overall winning percentage (.736). 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 (.738) and Kentucky (.706).
• In SEC play over the same eight-year period, Tennessee (89-40; .690) is second in the league, behind Kentucky (90-39; .698), in both victories and winning percentage. Only Auburn (85-45; .654) and Alabama (81-49; .623) are at even 75-plus wins.
• Over just the last four seasons (2021-25), the Volunteers own a 95-29 (.764) overall record. That is good for the most victories and the second-best winning percentage (just .0005 behind Auburn [92- 28]) in the SEC over that span.
• In that same four-year stretch, Tennessee (42-16; .724) is tied with both Auburn Kentucky for the best record in conference play among SEC teams.

RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES
• TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee has an SEC-best 22 AP top-25 wins, tied with Connecticut for third nationally. It is behind just Kansas (24) and Iowa State (24). Only Purdue (21) is even within two of the Volunteers, while the closest SEC school is three behind (Alabama with 20).
• TOP 20: Tennessee possesses an SEC-high 19 AP top-20 wins over that span, the third-most of any DI school, trailing only Connecticut (22) and Kansas (21). The only other schools with even 17-plus are Iowa State (18) and Purdue (18). The closest SEC program is two shy (Alabama with 16).
• TOP 15: The Volunteers own an SEC-best 16 AP top-15 decisions over those four seasons, good for second-most in the country, trailing just Kansas (19). Only Iowa State (15) is even within one of Tennessee, while the closest SEC team is two back (Alabama with 14).
• TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns eight AP top-10 triumphs, co-second in the SEC and co- sixth nationally, alongside Alabama and North Carolina. Only Iowa State (12), Connecticut (11), Kansas (11), Purdue (10) 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 23-15 (.605), has the SEC’s best record versus AP top-25 opponents over the last four seasons (2021-25). Auburn (14-10 .583) ranks second, while no one else has a mark above .540.
• The Vols are nine games over .500 (19-10; .655) against AP top-20 teams in that span. Auburn (12-8; .600) ranks second in the SEC, with Kentucky (13-12; .520) the only other team is even at a .500 clip.
• UT is also nine games over .500 (16-7; .696) versus AP top-15 foes in that time, while the next closest SEC team in winning percentage is Auburn (9-6; .600), with just Kentucky (13-9; .591) also above a .500 mark.
• At 8-6 (.571), the Volunteers have the best record in the SEC against AP top-10 foes over those four seasons. Kentucky (9-8; .529) places second and no one else is at even a .500 mark.
• Tennessee (5-4; .556) is the only SEC team with a winning receord versus AP top-five teams in that four-year stretch. Arkansas (3-3; .500) ranks second, while all others are under a .500 tally.
• The Volunteers, despite their excellent winning percentage, have played the fourth-most games (38) against AP top-25 foes of any SEC team in the last four years (2021-25). They trail just Texas (45), Oklahoma (41) and Alabama (39) in such outing, while no other SEC school is above 33.

POLL PRESENCE
• Tennessee has played 220 games as a ranked team in the AP Poll in Rick Barnes‘ tenure, posting a 167-53 (.759) record. Over 68.0 percent of the Volunteers’ 320 games since Barnes arrived in 2015-16 have come with the team ranked in the AP Poll, all since 2017-18 (220 of 254, 86.6 percent).
• UT is 146-48 (.753) while in the AP top 20 under Barnes, 115-35 (.767) while top-15, 89-26 (.774) 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 31-23 (.574) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 23-16 (.590) with both teams in the top 20, 14-10 (.583) with both in the top 15 and 7-7 (.500) with both in the top 10.

DYNAMITE “D” A UT TRADEMARK
• Tennessee, through 1/15/25, ranks fourth in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency (87.8), just shy of Houston (87.0), Duke (87.5) and Kansas (87.8).
• 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, Tennessee led the nation in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency (87.5), holding the top spot for 15 total weeks. The Vols also led all DI teams in 3-point defense (26.5) that year, as well as ranked third in both 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, through 1/16/25, has won 43 times in a row when holding its foe under 60 points, dating to 3/11/22, including posting a dazzling 22-0 mark in 2022-23.
• The Vols, through 1/16/25, have won 49 straight when allowing 50 points or fewer, since 12/29/12. That includes 12 such victories in 2022-23, matching Houston for the most of any team that season.

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 five teams to reach the AP top two in multiple seasons, joining Alabama, Connecticut, Kansas and Purdue.

POLL VOLS
• Tennessee has been in every AP Poll since the 2021- 22 preseason rankings, 70 releases in a row, vastly surpassing the prior program record of 38 (March 1999 to Feb. 2001.) The Volunteers have been top-10 in 40 of those 70, including top-five 19 times.
• UT’s 70-week streak is the third-longest in the country, behind only Houston (96) and Kansas (75). No other team is at even 55-plus, while the closest in the SEC, Kentucky (32), is 38 weeks behind.
• Dating to the 2020-21 preseason poll, UT has made 84 of 87 releases (not the final three of 2020-21), with 46 top-10 spots and still 19 in the top five.
• Since 11/28/22, Tennessee has earned an AP top-15 ranking in 44 of the 47 releases.
• UT reached No. 1 this season, fourth last year, second in 2022-23, fifth in 2021-22 and sixth in 2020-21.
• The Vols, who hit No. 1 in 2018-19, have been in the AP top six in six of the past seven years (2018-25). It hit that mark an equal six times in program history before Rick Barnes‘ tenure (2007-08, 2000-01, 1999-2000, 1969-70, 1967-68 and 1958-59).
• UT has been in the AP top five in five of the last seven seasons (2018-25). It achieved that feat an equal five times before Barnes’ arrival (each of the above six seasons except for 1969-70).
• The 2024-25 campaign is the eighth in a row UT has earned an AP top-20 spot. The prior program record was seven straight years (1966-67 to 1972-73).
• UT’s 15-week AP top-10 streak (12/18/23 to 4/9/24) to close 2023-24 was the second-longest in program history. Three of the Vols’ five all-time double-digit streaks have come since 2018-19 under Rick Barnes.
• The Vols’ six-week AP top-three streak this season (12/2/24 to 1/6/25) was its second-best such streak ever and tied its second-longest AP top-five streak.