KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team (19-7, 9-4) is set to continue the 2025-26 slate Saturday, as it travels to Nashville to face No. 19/18 Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5) at Memorial Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. ET.
Fans can watch Saturday’s game on ESPN and stream on the ESPN App. Dave O’Brien (play-by-play), Cory Alexander (color) and Dick Vitale (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
• UT’s 132 wins over Vanderbilt are its most versus any foe. Georgia (101) is the only other school it has defeated triple-digit times.
• The Volunteers are 14-2 in their last 16 outings against Vanderbilt, since 1/9/18. Both defeats were one-point road setbacks (66-65 on 2/8/23 and 76-75 on 1/18/25).
• Of the 66 series meeting in the last 32 seasons (1993-94 to 2024- 25), just three have featured Tennessee unranked in the AP Poll with Vanderbilt ranked. The Volunteers won all three: 60-51 on 2/22/11 (away), 84-57 on 2/10/07 (home) and 76-66 on 1/14/04 (home). UT’s average margin of victory in those affairs is 15.3 ppg.
• The Vols rallied from a 16-point deficit, 42-26, for an 81-76 home win over Vanderbilt on 2/15/25 in the most recent series meeting. It was the fifth-largest comeback in the program’s recorded history.
• After going 20-13 (8-10) in 2024- 25, the Commodores were picked No. 11 in the SEC preseason poll.
• Sophomore guard Tyler Tanner paces Vanderbilt with 18.6 ppg, 5.3 apg and 2.5 spg.
NEWS & NOTES
• Playing for Vanderbilt last year, Jaylen Carey averaged 16.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 2.0 apg in 24.5 mpg versus UT. He shot 10-of-12 from the field and 11-of-15 at the line.
• Rick Barnes‘ 855 wins lead all active DI coaches and rank ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• Barnes is one SEC win from tying Rick Stansbury (122) for No. 17 on the league’s all-time leaderboard.
• The Vols are 36-7 versus in-state foes under Rick Barnes, including 19-2 in their last 21 such games.
• Nate Ament scored 16-plus points in UT’s last 11 outings, with 22-plus in seven and 28-plus in four. He is averaging a team-best 22.8 ppg in that span, with a 45.2 FG%, a 39.1 3P% and an 84.4 FT%.
• UT has made a 3-pointer in 500 straight games, dating to 11/22/11.
• The Vols have played just seven regular season games in the last six years (2021-26) as an unranked team and won all of them.
• In its last six games, Tennessee has trailed for just 9:25 of action.
• UT needs one more SEC win to reach 10 for the sixth straight year, a streak it has posted once before.
• In the win over Oklahoma, Ja’Kobi Gillespie became the eighth player in the last 20 years (2006- 26) with 16 points, eight assists and eight steals versus a DI team. His eight steals set a UT record, plus tied the fifth-best mark in SEC history and the second-best tally ever in SEC league play.
• UT’s 45.2 offensive rebounding percentage is on pace to be, per KenPom, the third-best mark this century. It trails only 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0) and 2000- 01 Georgetown (45.3).
• 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’ 220 wins the last nine years (2017-26) rank eighth in Division I. Only Houston (266), Gonzaga (265), Duke (244), Kansas (232), Purdue (227), Saint Mary’s (224) and Liberty (221) possess more. Arizona (218) is next on the list.
IN-STATE SUCCESS
• Tennessee is 36-7 (.837) against fellow Volunteer State foes under Rick Barnes, including 19-2 (.905) in its last 21 such games.
• The 36 wins are against Vanderbilt (16x), Tennessee Tech (6x), East Tenn. State (3x), Austin Peay (2x), Lipscomb (2x), UT Martin (2x), Tennessee State (2x), Chattanooga, Memphis and Middle Tenn. State.
MAJOR MARGINS
• Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, Tennessee has 41 wins by 20-plus points. Twelve of them, a single-season program record, came in 2022-23.
• Of the Vols’ 46 SEC victories the last four seasons (2022-26), 14 are by at least 20 points (five in 2022- 23, six in 2023-24, two in 2024-25, one in 2025-26).
• In the last four years, UT has 30 wins by 25-plus (12 in 2022-23, six in 2023-24, five in 2024-25, seven in 2025-26). That includes 22 by 30-plus (nine, five, four and four, respectively) and 17 by 35-plus (four, six, four and three, respectively). It has eight by 40- plus (four 2022-23, two in 2024-25, two in 2025-26).
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.
• 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).
• In addition, 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 Division I foe. He is the only one in that span to achieve the feat against a Power Six opponent.
