University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, November 10
Madison, WI
9 PM
University of Tennessee
at
Wisconsin
Hoops Central: #9/10 Tennessee at Wisconsin
November 09, 2023 | Men's Basketball
MADISON, Wis. – The ninth-ranked Tennessee basketball team hits the road to face Wisconsin Friday night at the Kohl Center in Madison. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET.
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Fans can catch Friday's game on the streaming service called Peacock. Terry Gannon (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) will have the call.
In Monday's season-opening victory over Tennessee Tech, the Vols earned an 80-42 wire-to-wire victory at Food City Center. Fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht, in his official team debut, scored a game-high 17 points in the win.
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THE MATCHUP
• After winning each of the first two meetings in series history, Tennessee dropped each of its past three matchups with Wisconsin.
• The lone prior contest between the Volunteers and Badgers on the latter's home court came on 12/29/01, with Wisconsin earning a 65-62 victory.
• Wisconsin, coming off a 20-15 (9-11 B1G) campaign in which it reached the NIT semifinals, was picked fifth in the Big Ten preseason poll.
• The Badgers return their top five scorers from 2022-23, including junior guard Chucky Hepburn, who averaged team highs in points (12.2) and assists (2.8) per game a year ago.
• Wisconsin opened the season just outside the top 25 in the national rankings, placing No. 26 in the AP Poll (first among "receiving votes" category) and No. 27 in the Coaches Poll (second).
• The Vols and Badgers were initially scheduled to play in Madison, Wis., on 11/11/20 during the 2020- 21 campaign, but the game was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEWS & NOTES
• Tennessee director of sports performance Garrett Medenwald was born in Madison, Wis., and lived there for the first few years of his life before moving to Green Bay, Wis., and eventually attending UW-Whitewater, where he won DIII national championships in 2010 and 2011 as a running back.
• Wisconsin is the last team to beat UT on its home court, posting a 68-48 victory at the Food City Center on 12/28/19, after which the Volunteers are 22-0 at home.
• Santiago Vescovi arrived at Tennessee as a midyear enrollee the day the Volunteers fell to the Badgers and he made his college debut one week later against LSU.
• The only Tennessee athletic teams to visit Madison since the men's basketball team last did in 2001 are men's cross country (twice in 2018) and women's tennis (2004).
• Including exhibitions, UT has three Big Ten teams on its schedule, while it could also play another (Purdue) in the Maui Invitational.
• The Volunteers are 25-37 all-time against current Big Ten schools, while Rick Barnes is 31-32.
STARTING STRONG
• Through two exhibition games and one regular season affair, the Volunteers have led for 118:01 of a possible 120 minutes without trailing for even a single second.
• Including exhibition action, Dalton Knecht is averaging 19.3 ppg through his first three outings as a Vol, leading the team in scoring twice (28 at Michigan State, 17 vs. Tennessee Tech) and finishing one shy of the team high in the other contest (13 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne).
• Tennessee conceded just 12 first- half points in its 80-42 season- opening win over Tennessee Tech, good for the lowest total it has allowed in any half against a DI opponent since the turn of the century (2000-01).
• After tearing his left ACL on 2/28/23 in the home finale against Arkansas, Zakai Zeigler returned to action 251 days later in the 2023-24 season opener, posting a game-high five assists and zero turnovers in 12 minutes.
• Santiago Vescovi, with 1,320 and 176 respectively, is 23 points and one steal away from top-25 and top-five all-time in UT history.
BEATING THE BEST
• Under Rick Barnes' tutelage, Tennessee has defeated many of the most successful programs in college basketball history. The list includes national champions Arizona, Arkansas (6x), Cincinnati, Duke, Florida (8x), Kansas (2x), Kentucky (10x), Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina and NC State, as well as two-tiume runner-up Gonzaga.
• The Volunteers also own additional non-conference victories during Barnes' tenure over schools such as Colorado, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Memphis, Purdue, Wake Forest, Washington, West Virginia and VCU.
POLL PRESENCE
• Tennessee has played 168 games as a ranked team in the AP Poll under Rick Barnes, posting a stellar 125-43 (.744) record. Over 62.5 percent of the Volunteers' games since Barnes arrived in 2015-16 have come with the team ranked in the AP Poll.
• Furthermore, UT owns a 104-38 (.732) record while ranked in the top 20 during Barnes' tenure, a 74-26 (.740) mark while in the top 15, a 57-16 (.781) ledger while in the top 10, a 25-7 (.781) tally while in the top five and a 17-2 (.895) record while in the top three.
• The Vols are 21-17 (.553) in top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 16-10 (.615) with both teams in the top 20, 9-5 (.643) with both in the top 15 and 6-3 (.667) with both in the top 10.
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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: Wisconsin
- Tipoff:Â Friday, Nov. 10Â | 9Â p.m. ET
- Venue:Â Kohl Center
- Watch Online:Â Peacock
- Online:Â Listen Live |Â Live Stats
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets Game Day Information Follow @Vol_Hoops SEC ClubhouseTENNESSEE
Roster Schedule Game NotesWISCONSIN
Roster ScheduleÂTHE LATEST FROM THE VOLS
Vols Ink Top-70 Recruit Bishop Boswell#9/10 Vols Roll Past Tennessee Tech, 80-42, in Season OpenerVescovi Selected to Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch ListZeigler, Vescovi and James Claim Preseason All-SEC Honors from CoachesVols Sold Out of Season TicketsFans can catch Friday's game on the streaming service called Peacock. Terry Gannon (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) will have the call.
In Monday's season-opening victory over Tennessee Tech, the Vols earned an 80-42 wire-to-wire victory at Food City Center. Fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht, in his official team debut, scored a game-high 17 points in the win.
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THE MATCHUP
• After winning each of the first two meetings in series history, Tennessee dropped each of its past three matchups with Wisconsin.
• The lone prior contest between the Volunteers and Badgers on the latter's home court came on 12/29/01, with Wisconsin earning a 65-62 victory.
• Wisconsin, coming off a 20-15 (9-11 B1G) campaign in which it reached the NIT semifinals, was picked fifth in the Big Ten preseason poll.
• The Badgers return their top five scorers from 2022-23, including junior guard Chucky Hepburn, who averaged team highs in points (12.2) and assists (2.8) per game a year ago.
• Wisconsin opened the season just outside the top 25 in the national rankings, placing No. 26 in the AP Poll (first among "receiving votes" category) and No. 27 in the Coaches Poll (second).
• The Vols and Badgers were initially scheduled to play in Madison, Wis., on 11/11/20 during the 2020- 21 campaign, but the game was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEWS & NOTES
• Tennessee director of sports performance Garrett Medenwald was born in Madison, Wis., and lived there for the first few years of his life before moving to Green Bay, Wis., and eventually attending UW-Whitewater, where he won DIII national championships in 2010 and 2011 as a running back.
• Wisconsin is the last team to beat UT on its home court, posting a 68-48 victory at the Food City Center on 12/28/19, after which the Volunteers are 22-0 at home.
• Santiago Vescovi arrived at Tennessee as a midyear enrollee the day the Volunteers fell to the Badgers and he made his college debut one week later against LSU.
• The only Tennessee athletic teams to visit Madison since the men's basketball team last did in 2001 are men's cross country (twice in 2018) and women's tennis (2004).
• Including exhibitions, UT has three Big Ten teams on its schedule, while it could also play another (Purdue) in the Maui Invitational.
• The Volunteers are 25-37 all-time against current Big Ten schools, while Rick Barnes is 31-32.
STARTING STRONG
• Through two exhibition games and one regular season affair, the Volunteers have led for 118:01 of a possible 120 minutes without trailing for even a single second.
• Including exhibition action, Dalton Knecht is averaging 19.3 ppg through his first three outings as a Vol, leading the team in scoring twice (28 at Michigan State, 17 vs. Tennessee Tech) and finishing one shy of the team high in the other contest (13 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne).
• Tennessee conceded just 12 first- half points in its 80-42 season- opening win over Tennessee Tech, good for the lowest total it has allowed in any half against a DI opponent since the turn of the century (2000-01).
• After tearing his left ACL on 2/28/23 in the home finale against Arkansas, Zakai Zeigler returned to action 251 days later in the 2023-24 season opener, posting a game-high five assists and zero turnovers in 12 minutes.
• Santiago Vescovi, with 1,320 and 176 respectively, is 23 points and one steal away from top-25 and top-five all-time in UT history.
BEATING THE BEST
• Under Rick Barnes' tutelage, Tennessee has defeated many of the most successful programs in college basketball history. The list includes national champions Arizona, Arkansas (6x), Cincinnati, Duke, Florida (8x), Kansas (2x), Kentucky (10x), Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina and NC State, as well as two-tiume runner-up Gonzaga.
• The Volunteers also own additional non-conference victories during Barnes' tenure over schools such as Colorado, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Memphis, Purdue, Wake Forest, Washington, West Virginia and VCU.
POLL PRESENCE
• Tennessee has played 168 games as a ranked team in the AP Poll under Rick Barnes, posting a stellar 125-43 (.744) record. Over 62.5 percent of the Volunteers' games since Barnes arrived in 2015-16 have come with the team ranked in the AP Poll.
• Furthermore, UT owns a 104-38 (.732) record while ranked in the top 20 during Barnes' tenure, a 74-26 (.740) mark while in the top 15, a 57-16 (.781) ledger while in the top 10, a 25-7 (.781) tally while in the top five and a 17-2 (.895) record while in the top three.
• The Vols are 21-17 (.553) in top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 16-10 (.615) with both teams in the top 20, 9-5 (.643) with both in the top 15 and 6-3 (.667) with both in the top 10.
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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