Tag: Central

AUBURN, Ala. – The sixth-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team is geared up for its third consecutive Saturday SEC road contest, as it travels south to The Plains for a battle against No. 1 Auburn Saturday night at Neville Arena. Tipoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. ET.

 
Fans can catch Saturday’s game between the Volunteers (17-2, 4-2 SEC) and Tigers (17-1, 5-0 SEC) on ESPN. Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Jess Sims (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 registered a commanding 68-56 win Tuesday night in a top-15 showdown with No. 14 Mississippi State in front of a sold-out crowd at Food City Center. UT led from start to finish in the first-ever ranked clash between the two longtime league opponents. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier paced the victors with a game-high 23 points.

THE MATCHUP

• Tennessee is 3-1 in its last four contests versus Auburn after dropping six in a row before that.

• This is the fifth time in the last nine meetings both Tennessee and Auburn are ranked, with the Volunteers 3-1 in the prior three, including winning the past three. Before 3/17/19, both sides were ranked in just two of the first 85 clashes of the AP Poll era (since 1948-49), each claiming one.

• Additionally, this is the 11th straight series matchup with at least one team ranked. Before 1/2/18, only 27 of the first 83 AP Poll era contests featured a ranked team.

• Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl led UT for six seasons, 2005-11, going 145-61 with three Sweet 16s, including an Elite Eight, and one SEC regular season crown.

• After going 27-8 (13-5), winning the SEC Tournament and making a third straight NCAA Tournament trip, Auburn took second in this year’s SEC preseason poll.

• Johni Broome, a senior forward/ center, paces the Tigers with 17.9 ppg, an SEC-best 10.7 rpg and and an SEC-high 2.7 bpg.

NEWS & NOTES

• Auburn associate head coach Steven Pearl played for his father at UT from 2007-11, while assistant coach Ira Bowman competed for Rick Barnes at Providence for two seasons (1991-93).

• This will be UT’s 16th game versus Bruce Pearl, tying him with Andy Kennedy for active coach whom the Vols have faced the most, behind John Calipari (39), Rick Pitino (22) and Frank Martin (18).

• UT is 6-15 all-time versus AP No. 1 teams. The six such wins are tied for the 14th-most of any school. UT is 6-6 in its last 12 such games (since 3/5/66), including 4-4 in its last eight (since 2/23/08). It is also 5-4 against all programs other than Kentucky.

• The Vols own two road wins over an AP No. 1 team. They beat South Carolina, 55-54, on 12/6/69 while unranked and defeated Memphis. 66-62, on 2/23/08 while ranked second. The latter victory was with Bruce Pearl at the helm.

• UT is 2-1 in Rick Barnes‘ tenure against AP No. 1 teams, including 1-1 away from home and 1-0 in SEC play. All three were top-10 clashes.

• This marks the fifth AP top-six showdown in UT history, including the fourth under Rick Barnes and second in SEC action. All five have come away from home.

• During its active 71-week streak in the AP Poll, dating to the 2021-22 preseason release, UT has played just 13 of 116 games as a lower- ranked team, going 8-5. That includes a 7-3 mark since 1/22/22, a 5-1 tally (with five straight wins) versus SEC foes and a 5-1 ledger at campus sites (with four straight wins). Its last such non-neutral game was a 68-59 home win over #1 Alabama on 2/15/23.

• UT’s DI-leading 25.9 3P% defense is 1.3 percent better than second- place, larger than the gap from No. 2 Middle Tennessee State (27.2) to No. 13 Oklahoma (28.4).

• The Volunteers’ 188 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co-sixth nationally, alongside San Diego State. Only Gonzaga (227), Houston (222), Kansas (204), Duke (201), and Purdue (197) possess more. Auburn (187), Saint Mary’s (187) and Liberty (186) round out the top 10.

WINNING WAYS

• Over the last eight seasons (2017-25), Tennessee paces all SEC programs in total wins (188), is tied for first postseason victories (18) and sits a close second in overall winning percentage (.734). 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 (.739) and Kentucky (.703).

• In SEC play over the same eight-year period, Tennessee (90-41; .687) is co-first in league victories and a close second in league winning percentage, matching Kentucky (90-40; .692) in the former and trailing it in the latter. Only Auburn (86-45; .656) and Alabama (83-49; .629) are at even 75-plus wins.

• Over just the last four seasons (2021-25), the Volunteers own a 96-30 (.762) 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 (93-28; .769) in the latter category.

• In that same four-year stretch, Tennessee (43-17; .717) is tied with Alabama (43-17; .717) and Auburn (43-16; .729) for first in SEC wins. The Volunteers are co-second in league winning percentage.

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 24-15 (.615), has the SEC’s best record versus AP top-25 opponents over the last four seasons (2021-25). Auburn (15-10 .600) ranks second, while no one else has a mark above .530.

• The Vols 20-10 (.667) against AP top-20 teams in that span, 10 games over the .500 mark. Auburn (12-8; .600) ranks second in the SEC, with no other teams above a .500 clip.

• UT is 17-7 (.708) 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 (9-6; .600).

• At 8-6 (.571), 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.

• 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 (39) against AP top-25 foes of any SEC team in the last four years (2021-25). They trail just Texas (47), Oklahoma (41) and Alabama (40) in such outings, while no other SEC school is above 33.

POLL PRESENCE

• Tennessee has played 222 games as a ranked team in the AP Poll in Rick Barnes‘ tenure, posting a 168-54 (.757) record. Over 68.0 percent of the Volunteers’ 322 games since Barnes arrived in 2015- 16 have come with the team ranked in the AP Poll, all since 2017-18 (222 of 256, 86.7 percent).

• UT is 147-49 (.750) while in the AP top 20 under Barnes, 116-36 (.763) while top-15, 90-27 (.769) 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 32-23 (.582) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 24-16 (.600) with both teams in the top 20, 15-10 (.600) with both in the top 15 and 7-7 (.500) with both in the top 10.

DYNAMITE “D” A UT TRADEMARK

• Tennessee, through 1/22/25, ranks third in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency (89.2), only behind Houston (86.7) and Duke (88.0).

• 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, through 1/22/25, has won 44 times in a row when holding its foe under 60 points, since 3/11/22, including posting a dazzling 22-0 mark in 2022-23.

• The Vols, through 1/22/25, have won 49 straight when allowing 50 points or fewer, dating to 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 six teams to reach the AP top two in multiple seasons, joining Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Purdue.

POLL VOLS

• Tennessee has been in every AP Poll since the 2021- 22 preseason rankings, 71 releases in a row, vastly surpassing the prior program record of 38 (March 1999 to Feb. 2001.) The Volunteers have been top-10 in 41 of those 70, including top-five 19 times.

• UT’s 71-week streak is the third-longest in the country, behind only Houston (97) and Kansas (76). No other team is at even 55-plus, while the closest in the SEC, Kentucky (33), is 38 weeks behind.

• Dating to the 2020-21 preseason poll, UT has made 85 of 88 releases (not the final three of 2020-21), with 47 top-10 spots and still 19 in the top five.

• Since 11/28/22, Tennessee has earned a top-15 ranking in 45 of the 48 AP Poll 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.