University of Tennessee Athletics
Sunday, October 29
East Lansing, MI
3:30 PM
University of Tennessee
at
Michigan State
Hoops Central: #9 Tennessee at #4 Michigan State
October 28, 2023 | Men's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The ninth-ranked Tennessee basketball team hits the hardwood for the first time in 2023-24, traveling to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on No. 4 Michigan State in a charity exhibition contest on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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Fans can catch Sunday's game on Big Ten Network, FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Bill Raftery (analyst) will have the call.Â
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Tennessee is coming off a 25-11 season in which it reached the Sweet Sixteen for the second time under head coach Rick Barnes. The Vols spent the entire season ranked in the AP Top 25, ascending to a high of No. 2, and won at least 25 games for the fourth time under Barnes.
All proceeds from the game will be donated to the Hawai'i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, providing financial resources to the relief efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires.
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THE MATCHUP
• Tennessee is 2-5 all-time against Michigan State. The sides have met just once since 1994, a 70-69 win for the Spartans on 3/28/10 in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in St. Louis, Mo.
• The Spartans, ranked fourth nationally in both preseason polls, are coming off a 21-13 (11-8 B1G) campaign that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Michigan State was picked second in the Big Ten preseason poll.
• Michigan State returns five of its top six scorers from last season, including graduate student guard Tyson Walker, who paced the team with 14.8 points per game.
• Michigan State graduate student forward Malik Hall is a alumnus of Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.), where one of his coaches for two seasons was current Tennessee assistant Rod Clark.
• The Vols will be without two- time First Team All-SEC honoree Santiago Vescovi, who is at home in Uruguay for a family matter.
• UT guard Josiah-Jordan James is the son of Kurt James, a Michigan State forward from 1979-82.
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PLAYING FOR A CAUSE
• This exhibition contest between the Volunteers and Spartans will raise money for the Hawai'i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, providing financial resources to the relief efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires.
• Tennessee will play in the Maui Invitational this season and has previously done so thrice (2004, 2011, 2016). This will be the sixth time head coach Rick Barnes takes a team to the tournament, including the second at Tennessee.
• Michigan State has been to the Maui Invitational five times (1991, 1995, 2005, 2010, 2019). Head coach Tom Izzo has competed in the tournament four times, including making his coaching debut there in 1995, and will take the Spartans back in 2024.
• This is the second straight season UT begins play with a charity exhibition against a top-five team. Last year, No. 11 Tennessee downed second-ranked Gonzaga, 99-80, in the inaugural Legends of Basketball Classic at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, benefitting the McLendon Foundation.
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COACHING ICONS
• Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes (27) and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo (25) rank first and second, respectively, in NCAA Tournament appearances among active DI coaches. The two own a combined 1,466 career victories, as Barnes (779) ranks third among active DI coaches and Izzo (687) is No. 10. In addtion, Barnes (23) and Izzo (22) placed co-fifth and eighth, respectively, in career DI 20-win seasons among active coaches.
• Barnes and Izzo squared off eight times during Barnes' tenure at Texas, with each team winning four times. The most recent meeting came on 12/21/13, with Michigan State notching a 92-78 road victory over the Longhorns.
• The eight matchups between Barnes and Izzo came in six different locations. They met twice each in Austin, Texas, and East Lansing, Mich. They also played in Houston, New York, San Antonio and San Juan, P.R.
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THE PRESEASON PICK
• Tennessee placed first in the SEC preseason poll, as voted on by a select panel of both SEC and national media members.
• This is the fifth time the Volunteers have been picked to win the league since polling began in 1989-90, with each nod coming since the turn of the century in advance of the 2000-01 season. UT's five first- place selections during that time are more than the combined total of every other program in the league except for Kentucky, as Florida (twice) and Alabama (once) are the only schools that have taken the pole position besides the Vols and Wildcats.
• The Volunteers have now been picked first in two of the last four seasons, as their prior such recognitions came in 2020-21, 2008-09, 2007-08 and 2000-01.
• The complete SEC preseason poll can be found below:
    1. Tennessee
    2. Texas A&M
    3. Arkansas
    4. Kentucky
    5. Alabama
    6. Auburn
    7. Mississippi State
    8. Florida
    9. Missouri
    10. Ole Miss
    11. Vanderbilt
    12. Georgia
    13. LSU
    14. South Carolina
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SEC PRESEASON PLAUDITS
• Santiago Vescovi earned Preseason First Team All- SEC status, while Zakai Zeigler collected Preseason Second Team All-SEC recognition. Both earned the same designation before (and after) the 2022-23 campaign.
• Tennessee was one of four schools with multiple Preseason All-SEC distinctions, joining Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky.
• Vescovi is the fifth multiple-time Preseason First Team All-SEC designee in program history—polling began in 1989-90—alongside Allan Houston (thrice), Tony Harris (thrice), Chris Lofton and Tyler Smith.
• Zeigler is the eighth Volunteer to pick up multiple Preseason All-SEC honors, a list that also features Jeronne Maymon and Jarnell Stokes.
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TALENTED TRIO
• Three Volunteers were tabbed to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame "Starting Five" Preseason Watch Lists.
• Zakai Zeigler is one of 20 players on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List.
• Santiago Vescovi is among 20 individuals on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List.
• Dalton Knecht, before even playing a game at Tennessee, is one of the 20 selections for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List.
MORE INFO
GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO
- Opponent: Michigan State
- Tipoff:Â Sunday, Oct. 29Â | 3:30Â p.m. ET
- Venue:Â Breslin Center
- Watch Online: Big Ten Network
- Online: Live Stats
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets Game Day Information Follow @Vol_Hoops SEC ClubhouseTENNESSEE
Roster Schedule Game NotesMICHIGAN STATE
Roster Schedule Game NotesTHE LATEST FROM THE VOLS
Tennessee Athletics Announces Important Basketball Gameday UpdatesKnecht Named to Julius Erving SF of the YearPreseason Watch ListVescovi Named to Jerry West SG of the Year Preseason Watch ListZeigler Tabbed to Bob Cousy PG of the Year Preseason Watch ListÂ
Fans can catch Sunday's game on Big Ten Network, FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app. Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Bill Raftery (analyst) will have the call.Â
 Â
Tennessee is coming off a 25-11 season in which it reached the Sweet Sixteen for the second time under head coach Rick Barnes. The Vols spent the entire season ranked in the AP Top 25, ascending to a high of No. 2, and won at least 25 games for the fourth time under Barnes.
All proceeds from the game will be donated to the Hawai'i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, providing financial resources to the relief efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires.
 Â
THE MATCHUP
• Tennessee is 2-5 all-time against Michigan State. The sides have met just once since 1994, a 70-69 win for the Spartans on 3/28/10 in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in St. Louis, Mo.
• The Spartans, ranked fourth nationally in both preseason polls, are coming off a 21-13 (11-8 B1G) campaign that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Michigan State was picked second in the Big Ten preseason poll.
• Michigan State returns five of its top six scorers from last season, including graduate student guard Tyson Walker, who paced the team with 14.8 points per game.
• Michigan State graduate student forward Malik Hall is a alumnus of Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.), where one of his coaches for two seasons was current Tennessee assistant Rod Clark.
• The Vols will be without two- time First Team All-SEC honoree Santiago Vescovi, who is at home in Uruguay for a family matter.
• UT guard Josiah-Jordan James is the son of Kurt James, a Michigan State forward from 1979-82.
Â
PLAYING FOR A CAUSE
• This exhibition contest between the Volunteers and Spartans will raise money for the Hawai'i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, providing financial resources to the relief efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires.
• Tennessee will play in the Maui Invitational this season and has previously done so thrice (2004, 2011, 2016). This will be the sixth time head coach Rick Barnes takes a team to the tournament, including the second at Tennessee.
• Michigan State has been to the Maui Invitational five times (1991, 1995, 2005, 2010, 2019). Head coach Tom Izzo has competed in the tournament four times, including making his coaching debut there in 1995, and will take the Spartans back in 2024.
• This is the second straight season UT begins play with a charity exhibition against a top-five team. Last year, No. 11 Tennessee downed second-ranked Gonzaga, 99-80, in the inaugural Legends of Basketball Classic at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, benefitting the McLendon Foundation.
Â
COACHING ICONS
• Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes (27) and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo (25) rank first and second, respectively, in NCAA Tournament appearances among active DI coaches. The two own a combined 1,466 career victories, as Barnes (779) ranks third among active DI coaches and Izzo (687) is No. 10. In addtion, Barnes (23) and Izzo (22) placed co-fifth and eighth, respectively, in career DI 20-win seasons among active coaches.
• Barnes and Izzo squared off eight times during Barnes' tenure at Texas, with each team winning four times. The most recent meeting came on 12/21/13, with Michigan State notching a 92-78 road victory over the Longhorns.
• The eight matchups between Barnes and Izzo came in six different locations. They met twice each in Austin, Texas, and East Lansing, Mich. They also played in Houston, New York, San Antonio and San Juan, P.R.
Â
THE PRESEASON PICK
• Tennessee placed first in the SEC preseason poll, as voted on by a select panel of both SEC and national media members.
• This is the fifth time the Volunteers have been picked to win the league since polling began in 1989-90, with each nod coming since the turn of the century in advance of the 2000-01 season. UT's five first- place selections during that time are more than the combined total of every other program in the league except for Kentucky, as Florida (twice) and Alabama (once) are the only schools that have taken the pole position besides the Vols and Wildcats.
• The Volunteers have now been picked first in two of the last four seasons, as their prior such recognitions came in 2020-21, 2008-09, 2007-08 and 2000-01.
• The complete SEC preseason poll can be found below:
    1. Tennessee
    2. Texas A&M
    3. Arkansas
    4. Kentucky
    5. Alabama
    6. Auburn
    7. Mississippi State
    8. Florida
    9. Missouri
    10. Ole Miss
    11. Vanderbilt
    12. Georgia
    13. LSU
    14. South Carolina
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SEC PRESEASON PLAUDITS
• Santiago Vescovi earned Preseason First Team All- SEC status, while Zakai Zeigler collected Preseason Second Team All-SEC recognition. Both earned the same designation before (and after) the 2022-23 campaign.
• Tennessee was one of four schools with multiple Preseason All-SEC distinctions, joining Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky.
• Vescovi is the fifth multiple-time Preseason First Team All-SEC designee in program history—polling began in 1989-90—alongside Allan Houston (thrice), Tony Harris (thrice), Chris Lofton and Tyler Smith.
• Zeigler is the eighth Volunteer to pick up multiple Preseason All-SEC honors, a list that also features Jeronne Maymon and Jarnell Stokes.
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TALENTED TRIO
• Three Volunteers were tabbed to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame "Starting Five" Preseason Watch Lists.
• Zakai Zeigler is one of 20 players on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List.
• Santiago Vescovi is among 20 individuals on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List.
• Dalton Knecht, before even playing a game at Tennessee, is one of the 20 selections for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List.
Players Mentioned
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