LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 5/4 Tennessee men’s basketball team is primed for its second consecutive road contest, as it faces No. 15/18 Kentucky Tuesday at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Tuesday’s game between the Volunteers (20-4, 7-4 SEC) and Wildcats (16-7, 5-5 SEC) on ESPN. Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (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 its most recent action, Tennessee used a scintillating first-half shooting performance to claim a commanding lead in the opening minutes and never looked back, en route to a thorough 70-52 triumph Saturday afternoon at Oklahoma.
UT made 15 of its initial 17 field goals in its first-ever game at the Lloyd Noble Center and led by as many as 28 points in the dominant result. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier led the way with a game-high 21 points in the first conference matchup between the two programs.
THE MATCHUP
• The Volunteers’ 78 victoties over the Wildcats lead all teams. Vanderbilt is second with 50.
• UT’s eight wins at Rupp Arena are the second-most of any school, trailing only Florida (10). Just Alabama (seven), Arkansas (six) and LSU (six) have even five-plus.
• Rick Barnes has led UT to a 4-3 mark at Rupp Arena over the last seven years after it was 2-36 in the prior 38 seasons (1979-2017).
• UT’s 11 wins over Kentucky in Barnes’ tenure (2015-25) are five more than any other team (Auburn and Kansas have six each). That includes a 10-7 record against ranked Wildcat teams, good for twice as many such wins as anyone else (five by Kansas).
• Barnes has led UT to a 7-4 record in AP top-25 showdowns against Kentucky, including a 5-3 mark with both in the top 20.
• After posting a 23-10 (13-5) record and logging a third straight NCAA Tournament berth last year, Kentucky came in at eighth in the SEC preseason poll.
• The Wildcats are paced by junior guard Otega Oweh’s 16.0 ppg.
NEWS & NOTES
• Tennessee is 11-11 versus Kentucky under Rick Barnes with at least one victory in eight of his 10 years, including two thrice. That includes a 6-6 mark away from home.
• In the 22 seasons 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.
• Over the past eight campaigns, all the Rick Barnes era, UT is 27-8 (.771) in the second leg of regular season home-and-home series.
• Rick Barnes (826) is one win away from tying John Calipari (827) for No. 10 on the all-time DI victories list and for the most such wins by an active head coach.
• Since shooting 11-of-45 (24.4 percent) on 3-pointers 1/28/25 against Kentucky, UT is 25-of-58 (43.1 percent) its last three games.
• On the defensive end, the Vols lead the nation in eFG% (42.3), FG% (36.2) and 3P% (26.6).
• Zakai Zeigler’s 645 assists are co- seventh in SEC history, matching LSU’s Kenny Higgs (1974-78). He is one behind Kentucky’s Dirk Minniefield (646 from 1979-83) for sixth and 11 shy of Georgia/ Kentucky’s Sahvir Wheeler (656 from 2019-23) for fifth.
• Zeigler’s 1,348 points put him 17 behind Jordan Bowden (1,365 from 2016-20) for a top-25 spot on the Vols’ all-time leaderboard. He and Jahmai Mashack are also one victory away from becoming the seventh and eighth players to win 100 games at Tennessee.
• Tennessee’s 191 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co-eighth in DI, alongside Auburn (191). Only Gonzaga (231), Houston (227), Kansas (207), Duke (205), Purdue (201), San Diego State (192) and Saint Mary’s (192) possess more. Liberty (190) rounds out the top 10.
• Tennessee has 20-plus wins for the 31st time in program history, including the sixth in the last eight years and fourth in a row. Rick Barnes has his 25th such season, co-No. 11 all-time at the DI level.
RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES
• TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee’s 26 AP top-25 wins lead the nation. Only Connecticut (25), Iowa State (24), Kansas (24) and Purdue (23) are even within three, while the closest SEC school is four behind (Alabama with 22).
• TOP 20: Tennessee possesses an SEC-high 22 AP top-20 triumphs over that span, the co-second- most of any DI school, tied with Kansas (22) and trailing only Connecticut (23). Just Purdue (19), Alabama (closest SEC team with 18) and Iowa State (18) are even within five of the Volunteers.
• TOP 15: The Volunteers own an SEC-best 19 AP top-15 decisions over those four seasons, good for second-most in the country, behind just Kansas (20). Only Alabama (16), the closest SEC team, and Iowa State (15) are even within four of Tennessee.
• TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns nine AP top- 10 wins, co-second in the SEC and co-sixth nationally, both alongside Alabama. Only Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12), Kansas (12), Kentucky (10) and Purdue (10) have more. The nine 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), at #10 Kentucky (2/3/24) and #5 Florida (2/1/25).
• TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has six AP top-five victories, tied with Arizona for the most in the country. Only five other schools have even four: Alabama (five), Iowa State (five), Florida (four), Gonzaga (four) and Purdue (four).
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.
• UT is one of seven schools with an AP top-20 ranking in each of the last eight years (2017-25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. Just two others—Houston and Purdue—have even been AP top-25 each season.
• 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.
PARTICULARLY POTENT AT HOME
• Under Rick Barnes, Tennessee is 22-8 (.733) versus AP top-25 teams at Food City Center, including 17-2 (.895) in its last 19 such games (since 1/30/21).
• The Volunteers are 17-7 (.708) at home against AP top-20 teams in the Barnes era, including 13-2 (.867) in their last 15 such contests (since 1/30/21).
• UT has a 14-5 (.737) mark when hosting AP top-15 squads under Barnes, including a 12-2 (.857) record in its last 14 such affairs (since 1/30/21).
• Barnes has led the Vols to an 8-1 (.889) ledger at Food City Center versus AP top-10 teams, with seven consecutive wins (since 3/2/19).
• UT is a perfect 6-0 when hosting AP top-five teams in the Barnes era (all since 1/24/17). The six straight wins are an SEC record, per ESPN, surpassing the mark of five by Kentucky in 1978-84 and 1956-59.
• The Vols won 12 straight home games against AP top-25 foes from 1/30/21 to 2/28/24. That is an SEC record, per CBS Sports, and the longest in DI since Kansas had 17 straight from 1/11/14 to 2/13/17. Nine of those victories were versus top-15 foes, with five against the top 10 and three over top-five teams.
• Tennessee is 19-5 (.792) in AP top-25 home matchups under Barnes, including 13-5 (.722) with both teams in the top 20, 8-2 (.800) with both in the top 15 and 4-0 (1.000) with both in the top 10.
1.3K CLUB
• Tennessee, Alabama (five), Ole Miss and Xavier—all but one are in the SEC—are the only schools with at least four 1,300-point scorers. Just 11 others programs have even three.
• In total, only 27 teams—10 are in the SEC—have four- plus players with even 1,000 collegiate points.
• Jordan Gainey possesses 1,433 points in 124 contests, an average of 11.6 ppg over four years.
• Darlinstone Dubar has 1,431 points in 135 outings, good for 10.6 ppg across five seasons.
• Chaz Lanier, the only member of the quartet who entered the season below 1K, now has 1,363 points in 128 outings, a 10.6 ppg ledger across five campaigns.
• Zakai Zeigler owns 1,348 points in 124 appearances, giving him a 10.9 ppg average in four seasons.
TOP-TIER TRIUMPHS
• Tennessee is 40-40 (.500) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 24-13 (.649) in its past 37 such games (since 1/22/22).
• The Volunteers are 34-32 (.515) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes’ tenure, including 20-9 (.690) in their last 29 such affairs (since 1/22/22).
• UT is 26-25 (.510) against AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 19-8 (.704) in its last 27 such games (since 12/22/21).
• The Vols own a 14-15 (.483) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 12-9 (.571) mark in their last 21 such contests (since 3/2/19) and a 9-6 (.600) tally in their last 15 (since 12/22/21).
• UT is 10-9 (.526) against AP top-five opponents in Barnes’ tenure, including 6-4 (.600) in its last 10 such affairs (since 2/15/22). It is 8-2 (.800) versus AP top-five SEC teams, including 7-1 (.875) in its last seven such outings (since 3/2/19).
20,000 STRONG
• In Rick Barnes‘ 10 seasons, Tennessee has played in front of a home crowd of at least 20,000 on 44 occasions (34-10), with 31 sellouts (24-7).
• In 2022-23, the Volunteers had five sellout crowds, at the time tying an arena single-season record.
• Tennessee well eclipsed that mark last season by selling out eight home games—including seven of nine in SEC play—good for its most ever at Food City Center. Four of those were over-capacity crowds, with the last three above 22,000.
• This season, Tennessee has already clinched six sellouts: Syracuse (12/3/24), Arkansas (1/5/25), Mississippi State (1/21/25), Kentucky (1/28/25), Florida (2/1/25) and Alabama (3/1/25).
HAPPY AT HOME
• Over the last four seasons (2021-25), the Vols’ .919 (57-5) home winning percentage is co-eighth in DI (co-fifth in Power Five, second in SEC).
• In the last eight years (2017-25), UT is at .875 (112-16), co-No. 10 in DI (co-fifth in Power Five, second in SEC).
• In total, UT is 135-25 (.844) 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).
