The Official #25 Tennessee [5] vs. Auburn [12] Game Thread, 3:00 PM ET, SEC Network

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YankeeVol

YankeeVol

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SEC Tournament - 2nd Round

#25 Tennessee Volunteers: 21-10 (11-7 SEC)
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vs.

Auburn Tigers: 17-15 (7-11 SEC)
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GAME 32 | TENNESSEE vs. AUBURN - Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 3 p.m. ET | Nashville, Tenn. | Bridgestone Arena (18,500)

Line: UT -6.5
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

Auburn Game Notes

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#2
#2
THE MATCHUP
• UT led wire-to-wire in the regular season meeting, a 77-69 home win on 1/31/26. Nate Ament had a game-high 22 points and was one of four Vols with eight rebounds.
• In last year's SEC Tournament, the fourth-seeded Volunteers beat top-seeded Auburn, 70-65, in the semifinals on 3/15/25 behind 20 points from Zakai Zeigler.
• UT is 10-4 versus Auburn in the SEC Tournament, including 3-2 in Nashville (3-1 at Bridgestone).
• Tennessee is 5-2 in its last seven meetings—both setbacks were on the road—with the Tigers, after dropping six in a row before that.
• The last eight contests have been determined by nine or fewer (five within five), averaging 5.6 ppg.
• Auburn head coach Steven Pearl is a Tennessee alumnus. He played for his father, Bruce Pearl, on Rocky Top from 2007-11. The Vols went 99-42 in that four-year span.
• The Tigers, 3-8 since their 1/31/26 visit to Knoxville, tied for No. 11 in the SEC standings.
• Senior forward Keyshawn Hall, a Third Team All-SEC choice, paces Auburn with 20.2 ppg.
 
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#3
#3
NEWS & NOTES
• Steven Pearl was a UT teammate of Vol Network radio analyst Chris Lofton from 2006-08. Pearl redshirted the first season.
• Auburn assistant coach Ira Bowman played for Rick Barnes at Providence for two years (1991- 93), aiding the team to 34 wins.
• Auburn's Joah Shay is the son of Jason Shay, who was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 2005-11.
• Tennessee is 76-59 (.563) in SEC Tournament play, including 46-18 (.719) in openers, with five titles. It is 13-8 (.619), with one title, under head coach Rick Barnes.
• UT is 21-15 (.583) at Bridgestone Arena, including 13-12 (.520) in SEC Tournament action.
• The Volunteers finished top-four in the SEC for the eighth time in the last nine years (fifth in a row).
• 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.
• Rick Barnes' 857 wins rank second among active DI coaches and No. 10 all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• UT has had an SEC All-Defensive Team pick seven seasons in a row.
• The Vols have had a First Team All-SEC nod in five straight years.
• Ja'Kobi Gillespie is the only Vol to start every game this year and his next such nod will be the 100th of his career. His next double-digit scoring total will also be his 100th.
• With a 45.3 offensive rebounding percentage, UT is on pace to post, per KenPom, the co-second-best mark this century. It trails only 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0), plus ties 2000-01 Georgetown.
• Tennessee is seeking 22-plus wins for the fifth straight year, a feat it has never accomplished before.
• 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' 222 wins the last nine years (2017-26) place ninth in Division I. Only Houston (269), Gonzaga (268), Duke (249), Kansas (234), Purdue (229), Saint Mary's (227), Liberty (224) and Arizona (223) possess more.
 
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#4
#4
WINNING WAYS
• Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee (222-84; .725) 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 (218-86; .717).
• Over SEC play across the same span, Tennessee (109-52; .677) is first in both league victories and league winning percentage. The only other schools at even 100-plus wins and/or a .620 clip are Kentucky (107-54; .665), Alabama (104-58; .642) and Auburn (103-59; .636).
• In just the last five seasons (2021-26), the Vols own a 130-46 (.739) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Alabama (.720; 126-49) in the former and Auburn (.721; 124-48) in the latter.
• In that time, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (64-26; .711).

SERIOUS STREAKS
• The Volunteers own 20 wins for the fifth season in a row. That ties the longest streak in program history, recorded both from 1980-81 to 194-85 and 2005- 06 to 2009-10. This is Tennessee's seventh 20-win season in the last nine years and 32nd all-time.
• UT has eclipsed 20 victories (21-plus) in all five years of its active streak. Its only prior such five-year streak was from 2005-06 to 2009-10.
• Tennessee has double-figure SEC victories for the sixth straight year, good for the second-longest streak in program history. The Vols had 10-plus SEC wins 13 seasons in a row from 1964-65 to 1976-77.
• UT has notched 11-plus SEC wins in all six seasons of its active streak. That one shy of the top mark in program history, set from 1970-71 to 1976-77
 
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#5
#5
CONFERENCE ACCLAIM
• Three Volunteers earned postseason honors from the league's coaches. Ja'Kobi Gillespie garnered First Team All-SEC status. Nate Ament received Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team nods. Felix Okpara earned SEC All-Defensive Team distinction.
• Tennessee and Florida were the only teams with a first- and second-team selection. This marked the fifth year in a row the Volunteers had multiple firstand/or second-team designees, as well as the fifth year in a row they had a first-team selection.
• Okpara gave Tennessee an SEC All-Defensive Team choice for the seventh consecutive year. No other team in the league has even made the list the last two seasons.
• In the Associated Press honors released the next day, Gillespie won SEC Newcomer of the Year. It marked the third year in a row a Volunteer won the award from either the coaches or the AP.
• Additionally, Gillespie and Ament both collected AP Second Team All-SEC recognition.
 
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#14
#14
If our guards can stick to the game plan of playing inside out, then our chances go way up. Play JP & Felix 30+ minutes and constantly force feed them in the paint. Don’t shoot over 12-15 threes. We have a clear advantage in the post over burn so follow the South Carolina game plan
 
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#15
#15
goldvol said:
if we get beat by Steven Pearl, for the first time in more than 10 years, I will be questioning Rick Barnes.
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I question Barnes all the time, but still believe he is unquestionably the best coach in our program's history. Weird things happen, especially in this tournament. Most intangibles are not in our favor today, and I'll not be surprised at all if it's a frustrating loss.
 
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#17
#17
StickMan said:
I question Barnes all the time, but still believe he is unquestionably the best coach in our program's history. Weird things happen, especially in this tournament. Most intangibles are not in our favor today, and I'll not be surprised at all if it's a frustrating loss.
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Who cares about the intangibles? we’re the better team and it’s March so it’s put up or shut up time now
 
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