No. 7 Auburn (16-2, 4-1 SEC) vs. No. 13 TENNESSEE (16-2, 4-1 SEC)
Tuesday, Jan. 25
Thompson-Boling Arena (24,535)
Tipoff: 9:05 p.m. EST
| The Series
Tennessee leads 59-33
at Knoxville: UT leads 36-7
at Auburn: AU leads 23-19
at Neutral Sites: UT leads 4-3 Auburn vs. Vols Series
Tennessee and Auburn will be meeting for the 93rd time with the Volunteers holding a 59-33 series lead. The Tigers have won the last four meetings and nine of the last 13. The Vols have won three of the last four in Knoxville. UT has not scored 70 points against the Tigers since a 92-85 win in 1994. Last Meeting
Jan. 2, 1999
AUBURN--Bryant Smith led five Auburn players in double figures with 20 points to pace the Tigers to a 90-62 win over Tennessee. Smith connected on 6-of-12 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 6-of-9 from the free throw line. Chris Porter (17), Scott Pohlman (15), Mamadou N'Diaye (11) and Reggie Sharp (10) joined Smith in double figures. Smith, Porter and N'Diaye also pulled down double figure rebounds. Tony Harris led Tennessee with 16 points. Trailing 9-6 early in the game, Auburn went on a 17-0 run to take a commanding lead it never surrendered. Television
ESPN--(Brad Nessler and Larry Conley) Radio
Vol Network: (Bob Kesling & Bert Bertelkamp)
Statewide network with night time penetration into 38 states and part of Canada. The Vol Network broadcast may also be heard at www.utsports.com via broadcast.com Coaches
Tennessee: Jerry Green (Appalachian State 1968)
Overall: 279-198 (.585) - 17th season
At Tennessee: 57-20 (.740) - 3rd season
Auburn: Cliff Ellis (Florida State 1968)
Overall: 460-273 (.628) - 25th season
At Auburn: 112-61 (.647) - 6th season
| The Volunteers
Tennessee has won five of its last six games and faces its third ranked opponent of the season when it plays host to Auburn. The Vols will be going for their first 5-1 start in SEC action since the 1988-89 season against the Tigers. They have won 10 of their last 11 SEC games overall and are 16-5 in the last 21. Four of the Vols' five league contests have been decided by eight points or less. They are averaging 84.0 ppg over the last three after just 62.0 ppg in the first two SEC games. The 16-2 start posted by the Vols this season is the best since the 1975-76 team went 17-2 to start. Tennessee's double-overtime win over Florida (1/18) was its first double overtime tilt since dropping a 111-107 decision to South Carolina in the 1992-92 season. The Vols are 8-9 all-time in double overtime games. The 38-point victory margin over Mississippi was the highest against an SEC foe since the Vols defeated Florida 116-73 in 1979. The Vols tied the second-best start in school history with a 14-1 mark set last in the 1941-42 season and were one win shy of the best start with one loss at 15-1 set in the 1922-23 season. They were off to their third-best unbeaten start in school history at 11-0 before dropping the championship game of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic to Tulsa. Vols Set SEC Road Win Mark
Tennessee set a school record when won its sixth consecutive SEC road game with an 81-79 double overtime victory at Florida (1/18). The Vols won their last three league road games last season at Mississippi, South Carolina and Georgia, before reeling off three straight road wins this season at South Carolina, LSU and Florida. Both LSU and Florida were nationally ranked at the time of the game. The Vols posted five consecutive league road victories in the 1976-77 season when they notched road victories over Vanderbilt, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi and Auburn. The Vols have won their last nine games played at an opponents home court. UT is 6-0 on the road this season and 1-1 on a neutral court. Harris Becomes 33rd UT Player To Score 1000 Points
Junior guard Tony Harris became the 33rd player in Tennessee basketball history to score 1000 points in a career when he knocked down the second of two free throw attempts at Florida (1/18) at 6:49 in the first half. Harris scored 14 points against the Gators, giving him 1006 points in 75 career games for a 13.4 points per game average. Harris continues to lead the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage at .466, while ranking third with 2.28 3-pointers per game. His 3-point field goal percentage tops UT's all-time single-season, bettering the 43.4 percent by Mark Griffin in 1988-89. He has 153 career 3-pointers which ranks fourth on UT's career 3-point chart. He needs 18 more treys to surpass Greg Bell into third place on UT's career list. His 2.04 treys made per game in his career ranks second behind Allan Houston's 2.91 three-pointers per game in UT history. Harris also ranks seventh at UT in career assists with 344. Hail To Victor
Junior forward Isiah Victor has played like a man possessed the last three games, scoring a total of 54 points, including a 20-point outing versus Vanderbilt (1/12) and a season-high 22-point game against Florida (1/18). Victor now has five career 20-point games in his career. He has scored 21, 17 and 22 points in his last three games versus Florida. He has also pulled down 30 rebounds during that span, including 14 against Vanderbilt which ranked as the second-highest total in his career. Victor is also shooting well, connecting on 18-of-24 (.750) from the field and 18-of-24 from the free throw line. He has also recorded six steals, two blocks and four assists. Victor struggled from the field in the previous nine games, going 21-for-57 (.368) and scoring 54 points (6.0 ppg). He connected on 8-of-10 field goals versus the Commodores, 3-of-4 against the Rebels and 7-of-10 versus the Gators. Last Outing
- TENNESSEE 81, FLORIDA 79 (2OT)
Jan. 18, 2000 at Gainesville, Fla. Isiah Victor had a game-high 22 points and C.J. Black hit the go-ahead free throw with 1:04 left in the second overtime as No. 16 Tennessee won its school-record sixth straight SEC road game, 81-79, over No. 9 Florida. Jon Higgins added a late free throw after Florida's Brett Nelson missed a 25-foot, 3-point attempt. Donnell Harvey led Florida with 19 points, with 14 coming in the second half and overtimes. Vincent Yarbrough added 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Tony Harris had 14 points for the Vols. Victor forced overtime with a baseline, turnaround jumper with three-tenths of a second left that evened the game at 66-66. He scored 10 of his 11 first-half points over the final four minutes as the Volunteers led 38-37 at intermission. Florida scored 14 unanswered points and took a 58-51 lead midway through the second half. Harris ended a seven-minute Tennessee scoring drought with a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to 58-54 with 7 1/2 minutes left. Yarbrough's trey tied it at 58-58 two minutes later. Upcoming Slate
Tennessee plays two of its next three games game on the road at Kentucky (2/1) and Mississippi State (2/6), while hosting South Carolina (1/29). The game at Kentucky concludes a three-game stretch of ESPN nationally televised games on Tuesday nights. Eight of UT's last 10 games will be televised with the exceptions of Vanderbilt (2/19) and Georgia (3/4). SEC Wins Under Green
Tennessee has won 10 of it last 11 conference games under coach Jerry Green and is 25-12 (.676) in SEC play since he took over the Vols for the 1997-98 season. The Vols were 12-25 (.324) in their previous 37 league contests. UT is 15-4 in its last 19 games against the Eastern Division, including a 9-1 mark last season. They have won eight of their last nine versus its division foes and five consecutive division road games. They are 19-4 the last two-plus seasons against the SEC Western Division, and are 5-3 in the last eight meetings. The Vols are 5-2 under Green on the road against the West. Road Success
The Vols are 7-1 in games played away from Knoxville this season, including 3-0 in SEC play. They have won 10 of their last 11 regular season games played away from home. They opened the season with four straight road/neutral site victories before being derailed by Tulsa in the championship game of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic. Home Cooking
Tennessee has won nine of its 10 home games this season by an average of 22.7 points. The Vols had their 11-game winning streak at Thompson-Boling Arena snapped with a 76-73 loss to Vanderbilt Jan. 12. The Vols have won their last 27 home non-conference games since suffering a 73-62 defeat to Tennessee Tech in the 1996-97 season. Jerry Green's Volunteers are 22-0 in home non-conference games since taking over the program before the 1997-98 campaign. UT is 37-4 (.902) in its last 41 home games, including 14-4 in SEC play. The Vols were 14-1 at Thompson-Boling last season. Earning PT
The Vols bench runs deep as nine players average at least 11 minutes per game and one is at nine minutes. UT's starting five average 25.7 minutes per game, with Vincent Yarbrough leading at 28.4 minutes. Ron Slay averages 15.6 minutes off the bench. Team Offensive Notes
Tennessee has averaged 84.0 ppg over its last three SEC contests. They have made a living at the free throw line, making 105 trips to the charity stripe during that span and connecting on 68 for 64.7 percent. The Vols are shooting 46.5 percent over the last three games (81-of-174) and 34.4 percent from 3-point range (22-of-64). After shooting 50 percent from the field in five of their first 11 games, the Vols have shot only 50 percent once in their last seven (Mississippi--55.6). They have been held under 40 percent only once (Tulsa-30.4 percent). Here's a contrast. In SEC play only, the Vols have taken 18 fewer shots overall than their opponents (308-290) and made 16 more (131-115). When it comes to 3-point attempts, UT has taken eight more (101-93) and made six more (32-26). The Vols, who rank second in the SEC in scoring at 81.5 ppg, have scored at least 70 points in 15 of their 18 games. They posted two 100-point efforts against South Florida (102-90) and American-PR (102-58), marking the first time since the 1992-93 season that a Vol team has reached the century mark at least two times in a season. In fact, 11 of Tennessee 16 victories have been by at least 12 points. The Vols, who rank second in the SEC in scoring margin (17.2), have seven wins by at least 25 points. UT, which ranks second in the SEC with 41.9 rebounds per game, has outrebounded or equaled 13 of its 18 opponents. They have also posted at least a 10-rebound edge in five contests. They own a 5.2 edge in rebounding margin, including a 1.6 lead on the offensive boards. Three times this season, the Vols have pulled down at least 50 rebounds in a game. The Vols have been able to keep possessions alive with an average of 15.3 offensive rebounds per game which ranks third in the SEC. They have pulled down at least eleven offensive caroms in each game with a season-high 28 versus Elon in the season opener. In SEC play, the Vols are being outrebounded on the offensive end by 2.4 per game. Team Defensive Notes
The Vols have held four of the last six opponents to 60 points or less, and four of the last six foes to under 40 percent shooting from the field. In fact, no SEC team has shot better than 43.9 percent against the Vols. Opponents are shooting just 35.9 percent over the last six games and just 37.3 percent in SEC play. They are shooting 28.0 percent from beyond the arc. Tennessee, which ranks third in the SEC in field goal percentage defense at 38.8 percent, has held 16 of its 18 opponents to under 50 percent shooting from the field. South Florida (50.8) and Tulsa (60.0) are the only teams to shoot over 50 percent. In fact, UT has held 12 teams to under 40 percent on the season, including seven of the last 10. The Vols held Radford to a season-low 46 points on 29 percent shooting from the field. They have held 12 of their opponents to under 70 points in a game and are giving up an average of 64.3 per game. The Vols lead the SEC with 6.7 blocks per game, while C.J. Black ranks second among individuals at 2.3 per game. Tennessee has recorded at least eight blocks in a game seven times. They came up with a season-high 12 against Southern Illinois, while swatting away 11 versus Elon College and Pittsburgh. UT is averaging 10.2 steals per game which ranks fourth in the SEC. They set a school-record with 22 steals against American-PR. The old mark was 20 set against Western Carolina last season. Tennessee has posted at least 10 steals 10 times. They have only 48 in the last six games (8.0 stpg). Vols Second In 3-pt. Pct.
The Vols are second in the SEC in 3-point percentage at .380 and second in 3-pointers made at 8.1 per game. They have made at least five 3-pointers in each game, hitting at least 11 on four occasions. UT tied a school record with 15 against South Florida when they connected on 15-of-28. Over the last 10 games, the Vols have hit 70-of-205 for 34.1 percent and an average of 7.0 threes per game. In the first eight games, they hit 76-of-179 for 42.5 percent (9.5 threes per game). Tony Harris and Jon Higgins have been the main 3-point threats, making 41 and 33 for 46.6 and 36.7 percent respectively. Free Throw Shooting
After shooting 70.5 percent from the charity stripe through the first nine games (141-of-200), the Vols have made only 142 of the last 244 free throws (58.1percent) the last nine games. Eight of UT's last 10 opponents have made at least 21 trips to the free throw line. The Vols have ventured to the line at least 21 times 11 times all season. Opponents have made 220 trips to the free throw line over the last 10 games for an average of 22.0 per game and have made 146 for 66.4 percent. In the first eight games, opponents made only 114 trips to the line for an average of 14.3 per game. Free Throws In SEC Play
UT OppSC 3-6 2-6LSU 11-18 19-28VU 19-26 18-21MISS 29-44 15-24FLA 20-35 16-22 Tony Harris
After scoring just five points against Tulsa (12/23) and Radford (1/2), Tony Harris has scored in double figures in four of the last five games for a total of 72 points (14.4 ppg). He posted his fourth 20-point game of the season against Mississippi (1/15) with 21 points (6-of-7 threes). He has also been deadly from 3-point range, hitting 14 of his last 23 (.608) over the last six games. Harris has not had a rebound in his last three games and four of his last five. He has shot over 50 percent in four of the last five games, hitting 24 of his last 46 field goal attempts (.522). He has scored in double digits 14 times and has made at least one three pointer in 16 games. Harris has four 20-point efforts on the season, including a career-high 29 points against South Florida. He also had 23 versus MTSU, 21 against Southern Illinois and 21 versus Mississippi. Harris, who was named to the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic All-Tournament team after scoring 38 points in three games, scored only three points against the Golden Hurricane, snapping his string of consecutive games scoring in double digits at eight. As UT's assists leader, Harris is averaging 5.1 per game and holds a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has made at least six assists in eight games, including a career-high 10 against MTSU. Vincent Yarbrough
Vincent Yarbrough leads the Vols with 14.8 points per game, 2.1 steals per game, while ranking second with 6.4 rebounds per game, 1.2 blocks per game and 2.2 assists per game. Yarbrough, five points shy of 500 points in his career, posted his second double-double of the season and third of his career with 21 points and 10 rebounds against Florida (1/18). He had 16 points and 14 rebounds versus West Virginia. He has scored in double figures in four of the last five games and 15 games on the season. He has four 20-point games including a career-high 25 points against South Florida. He also had 21 versus Southern Illinois and 20 vs. Tulsa, marking the first time in his career he recorded back-to-back 20-point games. After going 0-for-14 from 3-point range in his four previous games, Yarbrough has hit on 5-of-12 (.417) from long range in the last two games. Over the last 10 games, he is just 7-for-37 (.189) from long range. Over the last four games, he is shooting 32.7 percent (16-of-49) from the field with 26 rebounds. Yarbrough scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half of UT's league opening win over South Carolina, making a season-high nine field goals. Yarbrough has also been hitting the boards hard, ranking second with 115 total rebounds for a 6.4 average per game. He has pulled down at least six caroms 11 times and is averaging 7.25 rebounds over the last 12 games. He also leads the team with 38 steals, averaging 2.2 per game. Three times he has recorded five steals in a game (Elon, S. Florida and American-PR). He has six multi-block games on the season, including a season-high four at Pittsburgh. Jon Higgins
Jon Higgins has found scoring in SEC play a little tough, averaging 6.0 points per game while hitting on just 8-of-35 (.229) from the field and going 5-for-27 (.185) on 3-pointers. Higgins has been handling the ball better, making only six turnovers in last six games (1 turnover every 28.7 minutes). He had 20 turnovers in the first 12 games (1 turnover every 16 minutes). He has not committed a turnover in three of the last six games. He made a season-high four steals versus Florida and has 18 steals over the last nine games after just six in the first nine. Since going 0-for-6 from 3-point range against Memphis, Higgins has hit on 17 of his last 45 (37.8 percent) 3-pointers over the last nine games. He is 22-of-61 (36.1 percent) from the field during that span. Noted as one of Tennessee's 3-point threats, 33 of his 44 field goals (.750) made have been 3-pointers. He scored 36 points in a three-game stretch against Southern Illinois (12), Tulsa (13) and Radford (11). Versus SIU, he had a season-high eight rebounds. Higgins was inserted into the starting lineup in the second game against UNC Asheville after Jenis Grindstaff was lost due to a knee injury. He has made at least two three-pointers in 11 of the 16 games he has started and has six games of making at least three 3-pointers. C.J. Black
C.J. Black was a force inside against Florida, pulling down a season-high six offensive rebounds among his total of eight for the game. He also scored eight points, marking just the third time in his last seven games he has scored that many. Black scored a season-high 18 points against Vanderbilt (1/12), for his second double-digit scoring effort in the last eight games. He has hit 28 of his last 57 field goal attempts (49.1 percent). He ranks third with 5.2 rebounds per game, but has only 42 in the last 11 games for 3.8 rpg. He has scored in double digits on six occasions, including three straight against Long Island (12), South Florida (10) and Miami-Ohio (12). Black, UT's all-time blocked shots leader with 196, needs four more to become the 14th player in SEC history to record 200 in a career. He is averaging 2.2 blocks per game this season. He has swatted away at least four shots in a game on five occasions and tied his career-high with five against UNC Asheville and South Florida. Isiah Victor
Isiah Victor has been a man among boys the last two games, scoring 32 points while pulling down 22 rebounds and shooting 11-of-14 from the field and 10-of-14 from the free throw line. He broke out of his slump in a big way with his third double-double of the season and 11th of his career against Vanderbilt, posting season-highs with 20 points and 14 rebounds in 26 minutes of action. He was 8-of-10 from the field and pulled down six offensive boards among his 14 rebounds. He pumped in 12 points with eight boards in 20 minutes versus Mississippi. He leads the Vols with 7.0 rebounds per game and ranks third at 10.1 points per game. Prior to the Vanderbilt game, he had scored just 54 points with 43 rebounds in a nine-game span (6.0 ppg and 4.8 rpg). He was 21-for-57 from the field (.368) during that stretch. He was held without a rebound for the first time in his career against LSU. Victor scored in double digits through the first six games, averaging 14.2 points per game. He began the season with double-doubles in two of the first three games with 16 points and 13 rebounds against Elon and then pumped in 12 with 10 boards versus Long Island. Ron Slay
Ron Slay was held scoreless for only the second time this season as he played only 11 minutes against Florida, four below his season average. He has scored in double digits in two of the last four games off the bench and has been the most productive player off the bench for the Vols, averaging 8.4 points per game and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 48.7 percent. Slay is also steady at the free throw line with a .756 percentage, hitting 7 of last 8. In the first five SEC games, he is 13-of-28 from the field, including 2-of-3 3-pointers, while pulling down 19 rebounds. He has pulled down 37 rebounds in the last seven games (5.3 rpg), including a season-high 10 against Radford. He had three seven-rebound efforts versus Long Island, Memphis and Mississippi. Slay, who has scored in double digits seven times, had a season-high 17 against Elon. He made his only start against American-PR, scoring 11 points with four rebounds. He averaged 10.4 ppg in the first 10 games. Marcus Haislip
Freshman Marcus Haislip has a knack for getting to basket this season, posting a 61.2 field goal percentage. He has made 37 of his last 55 field goal attempts for 67.3 percent, including going 6-for-9 from three-point range. He has made 5 of his last 6 from the free throw line after a 2-for-13 streak. He scored a season-high 22 points against West Virginia on 9-of-9 from the field, including two 3-pointers. He scored 29 points in three games at the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, hitting on 13-of-18 shots (72 percent). He scored 17 against American-PR on 8-of-10 shooting and then went 3-for-3 with a trey versus Southern Illinois for eight points. He posted 11 points against Radford while going 5-for-6 from the field. Off The Bench
Charles Hathaway is 2-for-9 from the field in the last eight games but has pulled down 25 rebounds and connected on 10-of-20 free throws during that span. He scored a season-high 12 against American-PR and had five rebounds versus Elon. Harris Walker played a season-high 23 minutes versus Mississippi and followed with 13 against Florida. He had played only eight minutes in the first three SEC games with two points. In the previous four games, he scored 18 points while pulling down 12 rebounds during that span. He scored eight points against Radford, his second-highest total of the season (12 vs. Elon). He dished out a season-high seven assists versus W. Virginia. Terrence Woods' played 17 minutes and scored six points against Mississippi. He had 10 minutes in the first three SEC games. Woods scored a season-high 11 at Memphis while hitting 3-of-5 three-pointers. He hit a clutch free throw off the bench for an injured Ron Slay against LSU that gave the Vols a four-point, 63-59, lead with 30 seconds left. He has 10 points and 7 rebounds in the last four games. Del Baker played a season-high 24 minutes against Florida. He is averaging 4.8 ppg off the bench over the last nine games and has hit 8 of his last 13 field goals the last four games. He has scored 10 points twice against Radford and American-PR. The defensive specialist has played at least 10 minutes in 11 of the last 12 games after playing just 48 minutes in the first six. Vegas Davis is just 3-for-11 over his last eight games with 13 rebounds. Non-Conference Success
Tennessee finished the regular season non-conference portion of its schedule with a 12-1 mark. In three years under Jerry Green, the Vols have posted a 29-4 (.878) slate in regular season non-conference play, including a perfect 22-0 record at home. Overall, the Vols are 32-8 (.800) in non-conference play under Green. Harris On Checklist
Tony Harris has been selected as a midseason candidate for the 24th annual John Wooden Award. He is one of 30 players named on the checklist. Green Gets 50th Win At UT
Jerry Green became the fastest Tennessee coach to reach the 50-win mark with a 74-69 triumph over the Memphis Tigers 12/18/99. He reached the milestone in his 68th game, bettering the mark of 69 games set by John Mauer who coached the Vols from 1939-47. In just his third season, Green has amassed a 55-19 (.743) record at Tennessee. Fastest To 50 Wins At UT
Jerry Green 50 wins in 68 gamesJohn Mauer 50 wins in 69 gamesEmmitt Lowery 50 wins in 72 gamesDon DeVoe 50 wins in 75 gamesRay Mears 50 wins in 78 games Postgame Interviews
Tennessee's locker room is closed to the media following the game. Head coach Jerry Green will address the media following a 10-minute cooling off period. Selected Tennessee players will follow Green in meeting with the press outside the UT locker room. Grindstaff Has Surgery
Jenis Grindstaff, who opened the season in the Vols' starting lineup at shooting guard, had successful knee surgery Dec. 14 to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. Grindstaff injured the knee in the season opener against Elon after playing just 14 minutes. He transferred to Tennessee prior to last season after earning All-Freshman honors at Virginia Tech in 1997-98. | 
