The Official #19 Tennessee vs. South Carolina State Game Thread, 8:00 PM ET, SEC Network

#1
YankeeVol

YankeeVol

Let's Geaux Peay
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
150,515
Likes
85,603
#1
#19 Tennessee Volunteers: 9-3 (0-0 SEC)

G8uD8WOXoAAy1p1


vs.

South Carolina State Bulldogs: 1-13 (0-0 MEAC)

convert


GAME 13| TENNESSEE vs. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE - Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 | 8 p.m. ET | Knoxville, Tenn. | Food City Center (21,678)

Line: UT -44.5
O/U: 148.5

TV: SEC Network / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen / Live Stats
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM 106 & 190 / Internet: SXM App
Online: WatchESPN.com

South Carolina State Game Notes

G9bAmdKXkAIrxkM
 
  • Like
Reactions: orangello and alwaysvol
#2
#2
THE MATCHUP
• South Carolina State is the last of three teams on Tennessee's schedule it has never met before. UT previously beat both Northern Kentucky and North Florida.
• The Volunteers have played just three prior games against the current MEAC membership. They are 2-0 versus Norfolk State, with wins each of the past two seasons, and 1-0 against Coppin State.
• Rick Barnes owns a perfect 9-0 record versus the MEAC's current schools. He is 3-0 against Coppin State, 2-0 versus Morgan State, 2-0 against Norfolk State and 2-0 versus South Carolina State.
• Both of Barnes' prior meetings with the Bulldogs came during the 1997 calendar year, while he was the head coach at Clemson. His Tigers posted a 63-44 home win on 1/4/97 and then an 84-60 home victory on 12/28/97.
• Coming off a 20-13 (11-3), South Carolina State was picked fourth in the MEAC. Sophomore guard Jayden Johnson was the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.
• Junior guard Owen Bronston Jr., leads the Bulldogs with 11.7 ppg.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orangello
#3
#3
NEWS & NOTES
• With 845 wins, Rick Barnes leads all active DI coaches and is ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI). He is, as announced 12/19/25, on the ballot for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the third consecutive year.
• Tennessee leads the country with a 44.6 offensive rebounding percentage. It has logged double-digit offensive rebounds in all 12 games this year, with 15-plus in seven outings, 18-plus thrice and 20-plus twice, with a high of 23.
• The Volunteers' +13.3 rebounding margin ranks fifth nationally. They have grabbed at least 35 total boards in 11 of 12 contests, with 43-plus in seven, 47-plus in five and 50-plus in three, with a top tally of 54.
• Tennessee is looking to get to double-digit victories before SEC play for the fourth consecutive season, dating to 2022-23.
• Ja'Kobi Gillespie won SEC CoPlayer of the Week on 12/22/25 and USBWA Robertson Trophy Co-National Player of the Week on 12/23/25. He has 1,475 points in his career, just 25 from 1,500.
• With 845 wins, Rick Barnes leads all active DI coaches and is ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI). He is, as announced 12/19/25, on the ballot for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the third consecutive year.
• Tennessee leads the country with a 44.6 offensive rebounding percentage. It has logged double-digit offensive rebounds in all 12 games this year, with 15-plus in seven outings, 18-plus thrice and 20-plus twice, with a high of 23.
• The Volunteers' +13.3 rebounding margin ranks fifth nationally. They have grabbed at least 35 total boards in 11 of 12 contests, with 43-plus in seven, 47-plus in five and 50-plus in three, with a top tally of 54.
• Tennessee is looking to get to double-digit victories before SEC play for the fourth consecutive season, dating to 2022-23.
• Ja'Kobi Gillespie won SEC CoPlayer of the Week on 12/22/25 and USBWA Robertson Trophy Co-National Player of the Week on 12/23/25. He has 1,475 points in his career, just 25 from 1,500.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orangello
#4
#4
HOLDING SERVE
• The Volunteers went undefeated at home in non-conference play each of the last five seasons (2020- 25). Including their 7-0 record this year, they have won 43 such games in a row, dating to the to the 2020-21 season opener (12/8/20).
• Per Elias Sports Bureau, the 43-game non-conference home winning streak is tied for the second-longest such mark in program history. The prior tally came from 12/7/40 to 12/10/49.
• The Volunteers' 43-game regular season non-conference home winning streak is co-fourth in DI, alongside Akron. That trails only Auburn (65), Baylor (51) and Texas Tech (45). The lone other teams above even three-dozen are Iowa State (41) and Providence (39).
• The only other school with 43-plus non-conference regular season home wins and no such losses over the past six years (2020-26) is Texas Tech (45-0). Just five additional programs are above 20: Baylor (42-0), Providence (37-0), Auburn (36-0), Akron (31-0) and Purdue Fort Wayne (24-0).
• During its streak, Tennessee owns victories over programs such as Arizona, Cincinnati, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisville, Syracuse and Texas.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orangello
#5
#5
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
• According to Will Warren of Basket Under Review, Rick Barnes entered 2025-26 with the best record of any coach against Quad 3 and Quad 4 opponents over the previous five seasons (2020-25) at 58-0.
• Per Warren, the only other head coaches with 25- plus such games and no losses in that five-year span are Ole Miss' Chris Beard at 45-0 and Duke's Jon Scheyer at 44-0.
• Adding in Volunteers' 7-0 record in such games in 2025-26, Barnes is now 65-0 versus Quad 3 and Quad 4 foes over the last six years (2020-26). Meanwhile, Beard is no longer undefeated, at 52-1, while Scheyer is now 50-0.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orangello and volunator
#6
#6
Who schedules a basketball game the same time as a bowl game? Anyway, I will watch the Football Vols beat Illinois and then catch the second half of the basketball game. Hoping for a couple wins today. Go Vols!

Oh, and thanks to all those awesome UT fans that make this Forum possible. I truly appreciate what you do. Cheers to a lot of wins and a couple Championship trophies in 2026.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BernardKingGOAT, GiveHim6InSC, m_scott and 1 other person
#8
#8
87&91ALUM said:
Who schedules a basketball game the same time as a bowl game? Anyway, I will watch the Football Vols beat Illinois and then catch the second half of the basketball game. Hoping for a couple wins today. Go Vols!

Oh, and thanks to all those awesome UT fans that make this Forum possible. I truly appreciate what you do. Cheers to a lot of wins and a couple Championship trophies in 2026.
Click to expand...
The basketball game was scheduled way before we knew we would be in the Music City Bowl
 
  • Like
Reactions: 87&91ALUM, BernardKingGOAT and YankeeVol
#9
#9
Rickyvol77 said:
The basketball game was scheduled way before we knew we would be in the Music City Bowl
Click to expand...

The date was, not the start time. But they really don’t have a better option. They took the Music City Bowl so that the players could spend Christmas with their families. Since it’s not a holiday or weekend they really had to go with the 8pm tip off instead of near noon. At least it’s a buy game versus one of the worst teams in the country and not a matchup with a blue blood.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 87&91ALUM, Plecoptera and Rickyvol77
#10
#10
Thunder Good-Oil said:
The date was, not the start time. But they really don’t have a better option. They took the Music City Bowl so that the players could spend Christmas with their families. Since it’s not a holiday or weekend they really had to go with the 8pm tip off instead of near noon. At least it’s a buy game versus one of the worst teams in the country and not a matchup with a blue blood.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they adjusted the time back because of the bowl game. Probably would have been a 5pm start
 
  • Like
Reactions: 87&91ALUM
New Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

Advertisement



Back
Top