LAS VEGAS – The No. 17/16 Tennessee men’s basketball team (7-0) is set to continue the 2025-26 slate at MGM Grand Garden Arena Wednesday as they face the Kansas Jayhawks in the third-place contest of the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.
Fans can watch Wednesday’s game on TNT and stream on HBO Max. Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Grant Hill (color) and Lauren Jbara (reporter) will have the call.
Fans state-wide can tune in to their local Vol Network radio affiliate to hear John Wilkerson and Steve Hamer depict the action.
THE MATCHUP
• This is sixth meeting between Tennessee and Kansas in the last eight seasons (2018-26) after they met just thrice previously. Every series matchup is since 2009.
• This is the third time in five years the two sides are facing off in their final game of a multi-team event. First, #22/21 Tennessee beat #3 Kansas, 64-50, on 11/25/22 in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game. Then, #7/8 Tennessee fell to #1 Kansas, 69-60, on 11/22/23 in the Maui Invitational third-place contest.
• This will be the seventh different site for the last seven meetings between the two teams.
• The Volunteers are 33-32 against the current Big 12 membership. Barnes is 169-100 versus such foes, including 11-9 on Rocky Top.
• Following a 21-13 (11-9) showing in 2024-25, the Jayhawks placed sixth in the Big 12 preseason poll.
• Kansas is led by sophomore forward Flory Bidunga’s 16.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg.
• Rick Barnes and Bill Self rank first and third, respectively, in wins among active DI coaches. They have 1,664 combined victories.
NEWS & NOTES
• Rick Barnes has 187 victories over NCAA title-winning programs in his career, including 47 in his Tennessee tenure.
• UT is looking to go undefeated in its MTE for the third time in the last four years. It won the Battle 4 Atlantis in 2022 and the Baha Mar Championship in 2024, both of which were in the Bahamas.
• In Rick Barnes‘ tenure, UT is 14-10 in 10 multi-team events (MTE’s). That includes 7-9 record in America (5-5 in continental U.S.) and a 7-1 ledger in the Bahamas.
• The Volunteers are 17-13 all-time in the Pacific Time Zone (15-12 in December, 2-0 in November, 0-1 in March). Their only previous outing in the last 15 seasons (2010-25) was an 86-79 setback versus Gonzaga in Seattle on 12/19/15.
• UT’s only prior trips to Nevada— all in Las Vegas—came in Dec. 1977 (0-2) and Dec. 1982 (1-1).
• With 843 wins, Rick Barnes leads active DI coaches and ranks ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• Ja’Kobi Gillespie is averaging 21.5 ppg in the last six games, with 17- plus in each and 20-plus in four.
• With its 76-73 victory over #3/2 Houston, UT now solely leads all DI teams with 31 AP top-25 wins the last five seasons (2021-26). Its eight AP top-five triumphs match Arizona for the most in that span and its 13 AP top-10 victories tie Connecticut for the top mark.
• The win against Houston moved the Vols to 12-11 against AP topfive teams under Rick Barnes, including 8-6 since 2/15/22. Six of the 12 are versus top-three teams.
• Tennessee, Alabama and Houston are the only schools to make the last three Sweet 16s. Tennessee, Alabama and Duke are the only three in the last two Elite Eights.
• UT finished fifth in the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and KenPom for the second consecutive season in 2024-25, tying the program best set/tied just one year prior.
• Tennessee’s 208 victories in the last nine years (2017-26) are the sixth-most in DI. Only Houston (249), Gonzaga (246), Duke (227), Kansas (217) and Purdue (212) own more. The rest of the top 10 is Auburn (207), Saint Mary’s (206), Liberty (204) and Drake (202).
