HOOPS CENTRAL: #23/25 Tennessee at South Carolina

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 23/25 Tennessee men’s basketball team (20-9, 10-6) is set to continue the 2025-26 slate Tuesday, as it takes on the South Carolina Gamecocks (12-17, 13-13) at Colonial Life Arena. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. ET.

Fans can watch Tuesday’s game on ESPN and stream on the ESPN App. Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Perry Clark (color) will have the call.

Fans state-wide can tune in to their local Vol Network radio affiliate to hear Voice of the Vols Mike Keith and analyst Chris Lofton depict the action.

THE MATCHUP
•    Tennessee is 12-2 in its last 14 matchups with South Carolina, dating to 1/20/18.
•    The Vols are 7-1 in their last eight against the Gamecocks, with six wins by 10-plus, five by 20-plus and two by 40-plus. Their average margin of victory is 23.4 ppg.
•    This is the third year in a row the sides are meeting in the last week of the regular season.
•    Tennessee is 5-1 in its last six trips to South Carolina, since 1/20/18.
•    In its last visit to Colonial Life Arena, on 3/6/24, UT clinched the 2023-24 SEC outright regular season title with a 66-59 victory.
•    Since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1991-92, this is just the fifth time the two schools are not meeting multiple times in the regular season. They also played just once each in 2024-25, 2020-21 (one game canceled due to COVID-19), 2013-14 and 2012-13.
•    Coming off a 12-20 (2-16) year, the Gamecocks checked in at No. 16 in the 2025-26 SEC preseason poll.
•    Redshirt senior guard Meechie Johnson paces South Carolina with 17.2 ppg, 4.3 apg and 1.3 spg.

NEWS & NOTES
•    Rick Barnes‘ 856 wins co-lead all active DI coaches and rank co-ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
•    Ja’Kobi Gillespie has recorded eight steals in two of Tennessee’s last four games after no Vol had ever reached that number previously. He is the fourth player in SEC history with multiple eight-steal outings, including the only one to do it twice in league play.
•    Against #17/18 Alabama, Ja’Kobi Gillespie became the first Division I player in the last 15 seasons (2011-26) with 26 points, eight steals, seven assists and five rebounds in a game.
•    Felix Okpara, the 20th player to log 100 blocks as a Vol, is averaging 12.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg on 75.0% shooting the last four outings.
•    Tennessee has led by double-digit points in each of its last four defeats, including by 13-plus in the second half of three.
•    UT has played just three games (2-1) that did not include a lead of 10-plus either way. Only one (1-0) did not have a nine-point margin.
•    Tennessee has held each of its last nine foes to fewer than 75 points.
•    UT’s 45.4 offensive rebounding percentage is on pace to be, per KenPom, the second-best mark this century. It trails only 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0).
•    The Vols have grabbed at least 15 offensive boards 19 times this year.
•    Tennessee is looking to reach 11-plus SEC wins for the fifth season in a row. It has done that just once previously, with a seven-year tally from 1970-71 to 1976-77.
•    The Vols are also seeking 21-plus wins for the fifth straight year, which they have also done once before, from 2005-06 to 2009-10.
•    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 a program-best fifth in the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and KenPom in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
•    The Volunteers’ 221 wins the last nine years (2017-26) place co-eighth in DI, alongside Arizona. Only Gonzaga (267), Houston (267), Duke (247), Kansas (233), Purdue (228), Saint Mary’s (227) and Liberty (223) possess more.

WINNING WAYS
•    Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee (221-83; .727) paces all SEC programs in total victories, overall winning percentage and postseason victories (23). In that span, UT has three SEC titles (2018 and 2024 regular seasons, 2022 tournament).
•     In that same period, the Volunteers are one of two SEC teams with even 210-plus wins and/or a winning percentage above .690, alongside Auburn (217-85; .719).
•    Over SEC play across the same span, Tennessee (108-51; .679) is first in both league victories and league winning percentage. The only other schools at even 100-plus wins and/or a .615 clip are Kentucky (107-52; .673), Alabama (103-57; .644) and Auburn (102-58; .638).
•     In just the last five seasons (2021-26), the Vols own a 129-45 (.741) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Auburn (.724; 123-47).
•     In that time, Tennessee (61-27; .693) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (63-25; .716).

OWNING THE OPENING TIP
•    Tennessee won the jump-ball in 29 of 38 outings last year, with Felix Okpara taking all of them.
•    After starting 12-9 in jump-balls, Okpara claimed 17 in a row to conclude the season. He then won five in a row to open 2025-26, giving him 22 straight wins.
•    Okpara is 18-10 so far in 2025-26, including overtime, giving him a 47-19 (.712) overall mark as a Vol.
•    Per KenPom, Okpara has 70 jump-ball wins the last three years (2023-26), second among active players.

BEASTS ON THE BOARDS
•    Tennessee leads the nation, according  to KenPom, with a 45.4 offensive rebounding percentage. That is 2.8 above second-ranked Florida (42.6) and 6.0 ahead of third-place Virginia (39.4).
•    UT is on pace, per KenPom, to be the second-best offensive rebounding team this century. The Vols trail only 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0), while placing just above 2000-01 Georgetown (45.3).
•    The Volunteers have logged double-digit offensive rebounds in 28 of 29 games, with 13-plus in 24, 15-plus in 19, 20-plus in six and 23-plus in four. Their top tally is 26.
•    UT is first in DI in offensive rebounds per game (16.10), second in rebounding margin (13.5) and third in total rebounds per game (42.97).
•    The Vols have grabbed at least 35 total boards in 26 of 29 contests, with 40-plus in 18, 45-plus in 14 and 50-plus in six. Their highest mark is 60.
•    Jaylen Carey (five times), J.P. Estrella (three), Felix Okpara (three), Bishop Boswell (two), DeWayne Brown II (two) and Nate Ament (one) have all amassed 10 total rebounds in a game this season.
•    Per KenPom, Jaylen Carey is eighth in the country with his 17.9 offensive rebounding percentage. J.P. Estrella has a 17.7 mark, but does not qualify.
•    In his second start, versus Gardner-Webb (12/21/25), DeWayne Brown II had 14 rebounds. He tied Grant Williams (3/1/17), Jarnell Stokes (3/3/12) and Brian Williams (12/15/07) for the most by a UT freshman in the last 20 seasons (2006-26). He also tied the fifth-highest total by any Vol in the Rick Barnes era.
•    The Volunteers pulled down 60 rebounds in the double-overtime victory against Texas A&M (1/13/26) and conceded just 35 (plus-25). It marked their first time with 55-plus rebounds since grabbing 58 on 11/18/08 versus UT Martin. UT had 24 offensive boards and allowed only 10 (plus-14). Jaylen Carey (10p, 9r) was one rebound away from giving Tennessee three players with double-digit boards and double-doubles, as Bishop Boswell (13p, 11r) and Felix Okpara (10p, 12r) both hit that mark.
•    In the overtime win at Georgia (1/28/26), Tennessee grabbed 52 rebounds and allowed only 27 (plus-25). It also pulled down an astounding 26 offensive boards while giving up just seven (plus-19). Two Vols, J.P. Estrella and Felix Okpara, had as many offensive boards individually as the Bulldogs did as a team. Bishop Boswell (13p, 10r) tallied a double-double, while Estrella (17p, 9r) and Okpara (6p, 11r) nearly did so.
•    In the victory against Auburn (1/31/26), Tennessee had four players—Nate Ament, Bishop Boswell, Jaylen Carey and Amari Evans—grab eight rebounds. It marked the second such instance for the Volunteers in the last 20 seasons (2006-26), alongside a 12/23/13 game versus Morehead State. DeWayne Brown II gave UT five players with seven-plus boards, the first such occurrence for UT in the last two decades and just the fourth by any SEC team in league play.
•    At Kentucky (2/7/26), DeWayne Brown II pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds. That tied for the third-most by a Tennessee freshman in an SEC game the last 20 seasons (2006-26). The only others to hit that mark are Grant Williams (14 on 3/1/17 at LSU), Jarnell Stokes (14 on 3/3/12 against Vanderbilt), Tobias Harris (12 on 1/29/11 at Ole Miss) and Wayne Chism (12 on 2/10/07 against Vanderbilt).

GILLESPIE’S GREATNESS
•    After scoring eight points in his Tennessee debut, Gillespie has scored double-digit points in all 28 games since then. He has 15-plus points in 22 tilts, 17-plus in 18, 20-plus in 12 and 24-plus in five.
•    Per ESPN’s Kevin Connors, Gillespie’s 28-game double-figure scoring streak is the second longest by a Vol this century. It trails only Ron Slay’s multi-year streak of 29 games from 2001-02 into 2002-03.

SNATCHING STEALS
•    Ja’Kobi Gillespie set a program single-game record with eight steals in the win over Oklahoma (2/18/26). He added 16 points and eight assists.
•    In UT’s next home game, versus #17/18 Alabama (2/28/26), Gillespie again had eight steals, including seven in the first 18 minutes. He also notched 26 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
•    The eight steals tied the fifth-highest total ever by an SEC player, including the co-second-most versus a fellow SEC team.
•    Only seven other SEC players have tallied eight-plus steals versus league SEC foes: Boogie Fland (2026), Tremont Waters (2018), Anthony Hickey (2013), Rajon Rondo (2005), Clarence Ceasar (1994), Shawn Griggs (1991 [10]) and Clifford Lett (1989).
•    Gillespie is the fourth player in SEC history with multiple eight-steal outings, joining Shawn Griggs (three), Gary Hooker and Tremont Waters. He is the only player to achieve the feat twice in league play.
•    In addition, against the Sooners, Gillespie became the eighth player from any league in the last 20 seasons (2006-26) with 16 points, eight assists and eight steals versus a DI foe. He is the only one in that span to achieve the feat against a Power Six team.
•    Furthermore, versus the Crimson Tide, he became the only DI player player in the last 15 years (2011-26) with 26 points, eight steals, seven assists and five rebounds in a contest.