NEWS & NOTES
• The Volunteers are playing back- to-back unranked SEC teams for the first time in over a year, dating to a six-game stretch from 2/7/24 to 2/24/24.
• The last time Tennessee played a league game against a team with a sub-.500 record was 2/20/24 at Missouri, with this contest ending a 22-game streak.
• Tennessee is seeking its ninth 25- win season, including its sixth in the Rick Barnes era (all in the past eight years) and fourth in a row. It would be UT's third time reaching that mark in the regular season alone (27-4 in 2018-19 under Barnes and 28-3 in 2007-08).
• The Vols are also looking to finish top-four in the SEC standings for the seventh time in eight years, includingthe fifth in a row.
• UT will honor seven seniors after the game: Darlinstone Dubar, Jordan Gainey, Grant Hurst, Chaz Lanier, Jahmai Mashack, Igor Miličić Jr., and Zakai Zeigler.
• After 26 seasons together as the radio crew, dating to 1999-2000, this is the final home broadcast for Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp.
• With 830 victories, Rick Barnes is tied with Jim Phelan for No. 11 all-time (min. 10 years at DI level), just one behind Cliff Ellis and John Calipari for No. 10.
• Barnes' 111 SEC wins are one shy of Hank Crisp for No. 18 in history.
• Zakai Zeigler needs 12 assists to break the UT single-season record of 227, set by Rodney Woods in 1974-75. The 12 assists would also give him 700 as a collegian and make him the fourth SEC player, including the second Volunteer— Johnny Darden had 715 from 1975-79—ever to hit that mark. He is just four assists shy of the SEC's single-season top 15 (220).
• Igor Miličić Jr., is eight points away from reaching 1,000. He would be the fifth quadruple-digit scorer on the Volunteers' roster.
• Tennessee's 195 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank ninth in DI. Only Gonzaga (236), Houston (234), Duke (212), Kansas (210), Purdue (203), Saint Mary's (198), Auburn (197) and San Diego State (197) own more. Drake (194) and Liberty (194) tie to round out the top 10.
GBO!!!
