NEWS & NOTES
• MTSU's Chris Loofe played on the prep team at Link Academy (Mo.) while Cameron Carr, Ben Linnemeyer and Cade Phillips were on the high school team.
• Tennessee is among just four undefeated Division I schools— three are in the SEC—alongside Drake, Florida and Oklahoma. Only UT is also unbeaten in women's basketball.
• UT is 11-2 all-time as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll. It is 10-1 under Rick Barnes (2-0 in 2023-24, 7-1 in 2018-19) and was 1-1 under Bruce Pearl (1-1 in 2007-08). This is the first time UT is ranked first nationally during pre-SEC, non- conference action.
• The Volunteers are 25-4 all- time as an AP top-three team, including 21-2 under Barnes.
• Over his 10-year tenure at UT, Barnes is 33-6 (.846) against in- state foes, including 16-1 (.941) in the last 17 such games. He has victories over nine different Volunteer State foes, with Belmont and Middle Tennessee State the only two he has not played or defeated.
• The Volunteers rank top-two nationally in scoring defense, scoring margin, field-goal percentage defense (first) and 3-point percentage defense.
• Through 10 outings, UT's largest deficit is eight points. Meanwhile, it has held a lead of at least 18 points all but one game, including an edge of 26-plus in all but two. It has won all but one contest by at least 13 points, with seven by 22-plus and four by 35-plus.
• The Volunteers are 11-0 for the fourth time ever and are seeking their third 12-0 start. They opened 14-0 in 1922-23 and finished with a 12-0 record in 1915-16.
• Tennessee is riding an 11-game winning streak for the ninth time (seventh in a single season). It is looking for its seventh 12-game ledger (fifth in a single campaign).
• Tennessee's 182 wins over the last eight years (2017-25) rank co-seventh nationally, alongside Liberty and Virginia. Only Gonzaga (221), Houston (215), Kansas (199), Duke (194), Purdue (190) and San Diego State (184) possess more.
