Vols Set For First Round Matchup With Terriers
photo by UT Sports
After earning a No. 2 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket, the sixth-ranked Tennessee men's basketball team begins its seventh consecutive trip to the Big Dance Thursday at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is slated for 6:50 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Thursday's game between the Volunteers (27-7) and Terriers (19-15) on TNT. Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (reporter) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
In its most recent action, Tennessee dropped an 86-77 decision to second-seeded Florida in the SEC Tournament title game Sunday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena.
UT cut a 12-point deficit in the final 10 minutes down to five, but could not climb all the way back in the top-10 matchup with the third-ranked Gators. Senior guards Jordan Gainey (game-high 24) and Zakai Zeigler (23) both tallied season-best point totals in the program's 14th SEC Tournament final appearance.
THE MATCHUP
• UT is 8-0 all-time against Wofford, with three matchups coming in 1952-53 or 1953-54. The two have met just five times in 70 years since, with last year's game the only one in the past two decades.
• Wofford is one of four schools, two of which are DI institutions (both in the SoCon), the Volunteers are 8-0 or better against, alongside Lincoln Memorial (16-0), Emory & Henry (11-0) and Furman (11-0).
• Tennessee owns a 99-17 all-time record versus the current SoCon membership and has defeated all 10 teams at least twice.
• Rick Barnes is 25-1 in his career against current SoCon schools, good for his co-second-most wins without multiple losses versus any league. He is 10-1 at Tennessee, with the lone setback on 11/11/16 versus Chattanooga, 82-69.
• UT's Jordan Gainey and Wofford's Justin Bailey were teammates at USC Upstate in 2022-23.
• The Terriers, seeded sixth, earned three victories in three days to win the SoCon Tournament.
• Senior guard Corey Tripp leads Wofford with 14.3 ppg and 3.2 apg.
NEWS & NOTES
• For the second straight year, the Vols enter the NCAA Tournament at No. 5 on the official NCAA seed list and at No. 6 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
• UT is in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in a row, a program record and the fourth- longest active streak in the nation. It has been a top-five seed in all seven trips (top-three in five).
• This is the second time UT will play NCAA Tournament games at the arena of a league counterpart, joining a 3/13/77 setback versus Syracuse, 93-89 (OT), in Baton Rouge, La.
• In addition, this is the Volunteers' second NCAA Tournament trip to Kentucky. They fell to Purdue, 99- 94 (OT), on 3/18/19 in Louisville.
• The Vols are 28-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including 9-6 under Rick Barnes, who has the most such wins in program history. More on Pages 10-11.
• Tennessee is seeking an NCAA Round of 32 spot for the fourth straight year. It has achieved that feat once before with a five-year streak from 1979 to 1983.
• With 833 wins, Rick Barnes is tied with John Calipari for ninth all- time (min. 10 years in DI) and for the most among active coaches.
• Zakai Zeigler's 242 assists are a UT single-season record and 18 shy of No. 1 in SEC history. His 714 career assists put him one behind Johnny Darden for both the Vols' career record and the third-most by an SEC player. More on Page 13.
• UT's 198 wins over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co-eighth in DI, alongside Auburn and San Diego State. Only Gonzaga (238), Houston (238), Duke (216), Kansas (212), Purdue (204), Liberty (199) and Saint Mary's (199) own more.
• The Vols, who reached 25 regular season victories for the third time, are seeking their fourth 28-win campaign in program history.
• Tennessee, Drake, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston and Saint Mary's are the only six schools with 25-plus wins each of the past four seasons.
• Over the last four years, UT leads or co-leads DI in wins over teams in the AP top 25 (29), top 20 (25), top 15 (22), top 10 (12), top five (seven) and top three (four).
ALL-SEC ACCOLADES
• Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier both won individual SEC awards from the league's head coaches. Zeigler earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year plaudits for the second straight season, while Lanier claimed the inaugural SEC Newcomer of the Year honor.
• The league's coaches tabbed Zeigler a First Team All-SEC competitor and Lanier a Second Team All- SEC designee. Zeigler is the 14th player in program history with at least three All-SEC nods that include two first-team choices. The others are Dale Ellis, Ernie Grunfeld, Allan Houston, Gilbert Huffman, Reggie Johnson, Bill Justus, Bernard King, Len Kosmalski, Chris Lofton, Dyron Nix, Paul "Lefty" Walther, Tony White and Ron Widby.
• Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack both made the cut for the coaches' SEC All-Defensive Team. This is just the ninth season—10th instance—with multiple players from the same team receiving SEC All-Defensive Team honors, including the second in a row for UT.
• Meanwhile, in the Associated Press voting, Lanier collected First Team All-SEC distinction and Zeigler garnered Second Team All-SEC status.
A PAIR OF ALL-AMERICANS
• Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler both earned The Sporting News Third Team All-America plaudits. No other school put multiple players on the list.
• Zeigler also registered AP Third Team All-America status, while Lanier picked up AP All-America Honorable Mention recognition. The final two official All-America teams will be revealed 3/19/25.
• Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King form the only other same-season All-American tandem in Tennessee history. They each earned All-America plaudits in both 1975-76 and 1976-77.
• Lanier and Zeigler are also the lone teammate pair on the Wooden Award Top 15 National Ballot, from which the Wooden All-Americans and Wooden Award winner will be selected.
• The guards also form one of just three teammate tandems to make the 30-man Lute Olson Award finalist list.
RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES
• TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee's 29 AP top-25 wins lead DI. Only Alabama (closest SEC team with 26), Connecticut (26), Kansas (26), Iowa State (25) and Purdue (23) are within seven.
• TOP 20: Tennessee is first in the nation with 25 AP top-20 triumphs over that span. Only Connecticut (24), Kansas (22) and Alabama (closest SEC team with 21) are even within five.
• TOP 15: The Volunteers lead DI with 22 AP top-15 decisions over those four years. Kansas (20) and Alabama (closest SEC team with 18) are the only schools even within five.
• TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns 12 AP top-10 wins, co-first nationally, alongside Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12) and Kansas (12). The only school within one is Kentucky (closest SEC team with 11). A full list of the 12 wins is on Page 12 (left sidebar).
• TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has seven AP top-five victories, the most in the country. Only four other schools have even five: Alabama (six), Arizona (six), Florida (five) and Iowa State (five).
• TOP THREE: The Vols have four AP top-three wins in those four years, matching Alabama (four), Arizona (four) and Florida (four) for the DI lead.
HIGH-CALIBER COMPANY
• Tennessee and Kansas are the only two schools to earn an AP top-five ranking in each of the last four seasons (2021-25). Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024-25 with a three-year streak.
• The Volunteers are one of only four teams to reach the AP top six in each of the past five seasons, alongside Alabama, Houston and Kansas.
• UT is one of just five programs to reach the AP top six in at least six of the last seven seasons (2018- 25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Kentucky. Those are also the only five schools to enter the AP top five in at least five different years in that stretch.
• The Vols are among only eight teams to reach the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll in at least two of the last seven seasons (2018-25), joining Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Purdue.
• Over that same seven-year stretch (2018-25), UT is also one of seven teams to claim an AP top-two position in at least three seasons, alongside Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Purdue.
• UT is one of seven schools with an AP top-20 ranking in each of the last eight years (2017-25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. Just two others—Houston and Purdue—have even been AP top-25 each season.
• Additionally, over the last three years (2022-25), the Vols are one of just six teams to reach the AP top two in multiple seasons, joining Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Purdue.
QUITE THE CAMPAIGN
• Tennessee's nine AP top-25 wins this season are its most ever, eclipsing the seven it had in both 2023- 24 and 2021-22. It has tallied at least seven in three of the last four years after never before doing so.
• UT has seven AP top-15 wins this year, passing 2021- 22 (six) for the most in school history. The Vols had five in 2022-23, giving them five-plus in three of the last four years after never before hitting that mark.
• This is the third time in program history, including the second in Rick Barnes' tenure, the Vols have logged four AP top-seven (or even AP top-10) victories in a single season, joining 2021-22 and 1976-77.
• Tennessee has 25-plus wins in a season for the ninth time, including the sixth under Rick Barnes (all in the last eight years) and the fourth in a row. It reached 25 victories in the regular season for the third time, joining 2018-19 (27-4) and 2007-08 (28-3).
• UT has 27-plus wins for the sixth time (fourth under Barnes). It went 27-9 in 2023-24, 27-8 in 2021-22, 31-6 in 2018-19, 28-9 in 2009-10 and 31-5 in 2007-08.
TOP-TIER TRIUMPHS
• Tennessee is 43-42 (.506) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 27-15 (.643) in its past 42 such games (since 1/22/22).
• The Volunteers are 37-34 (.521) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes' tenure, including 23-11 (.676) in their last 34 such affairs (since 1/22/22).
• UT is 29-27 (.518) against AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 22-10 (.688) in its last 32 such games (since 12/22/21).
• The Vols own a 17-16 (.515) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 15-10 (.600) mark in their last 25 such contests (since 3/2/19) and a 12-7 (.632) tally in their last 19 (since 12/22/21).
• UT is 11-10 (.524) against AP top-five foes in Barnes' tenure, including 7-5 (.583) in its last 12 such affairs (since 2/15/22). It is 9-3 (.750) versus AP top-five SEC teams, including 8-2 (.800) in its last 10 such outings (since 3/2/19).
STRONG IN THE STANDINGS
• Tennessee finished fourth in the SEC this season. It marked the program's seventh top-four finish in the last eight years, including its fifth in a row.
• The Volunteers are the only team in the league to place top-four each of the past five seasons. Only three others have done it multiple times: Alabama (four), Auburn (three) and Kentucky (three).
• UT is also the only school to place top-four in seven of the last eight campaigns. Just three others have done it even four times: Auburn (six), Kentucky (six) and Alabama (four).
SENSATIONAL SIX
• Tennessee, Drake, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston and Saint Mary's are the only schools with 25-plus wins each of the past four seasons (2021-22 to 2024-25).
• Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024- 25 with a three-year streak and can still join that list.
TENNESSEE TORCHBEARER
• On 3/7/25, Chancellor Donde Plowman surpised Jahmai Mashack before a team film session by naming him a Torchbearer, which is the highest student honor conferred by the University of Tennessee. He was one of just 10 individuals to receive the prestigious distinction in 2025.
• Mashack is the fourth men's basketball to win the award, joining Carl Langschmidt (1953), Byrl Logan (1939) and Charles Lucas (1931).
• Mashack and swimmer Griffin Hadley, a fellow 2025 winner, are the first male non-football student- athletes to receive the honor in 72 years, dating to Langschmidt. The only other male student-athletes to garner it during that time are football standouts Joshua Dobbs (2016) and Trey Smith (2020).
• The award is given for academic achievement and outstanding commitment to others as demonstrated by the student's various activities and significant contributions to the university and the community.