University of Tennessee Athletics
Sunday, December 21
Knoxville, TN
3 PM ET
University of Tennessee
vs
Gardner-Webb
HOOPS CENTRAL: #20/23 Tennessee vs. Gardner-Webb
December 20, 2025 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 20/23 Tennessee men's basketball team (8-3) is set to continue the 2025-26 slate at Food City Center Sunday as they face the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (2-12). Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET.
Fans can watch Sunday's game on SEC Network+ and stream on the ESPN App. Andy Brock (play-by-play) and Steve Hamer (color) will have the call.
Fans state-wide can tune in to their local Vol Network radio affiliate to hear Voice of the Vols Mike Keith and analyst Chris Lofton depict the action.
THE MATCHUP
• This is the fourth meeting between the two schools. Tennessee won the previous three, all at home.
• The sides are playing for the second year in a row, after facing off in the 2024-25 season opener. The other contest during Rick Barnes' tenure was on 11/22/15, his fourth game at the helm.
• Tennessee is 29-0 versus the current Big South schools, with 11 of the wins over UNC Asheville. It has defeated all nine members, beating six at least twice.
• Rick Barnes owns a 24-0 mark against the Big South's current schools, including an 11-0 tally at UT. He has beat all nine schools, topping six on multiple occasions.
• Gardner-Webb is one of five non-conference opponents Tennessee is playing for the second straight year, alongside Houston, Syracuse, Illinois and Louisville. It is UT's fourth such game in a row.
• After going 11-20 (5-10) last year, Gardner-Webb took eighth place in the Big South preseason poll.
• The Runnin' Bulldogs are paced by sophomore forward Jacob Hogarth's 11.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg.
NEWS & NOTES
• Gardner-Webb redshirt junior guard D.J. Jefferson spent two seasons (2022-24) at Tennessee.
• In a memorable post-game presser last season, Gardner-Webb head coach Jeremy Luther said of being at UT and Food City Center: "It's cool. It's big for all of us. .. You guys got more refrigerators than any place in America."
• The Volunteers are coming off their second AP top-11 win of the year, an 83-62 victory over #11 Louisville. It marked the second time in the last two seasons Tennessee beat the Cardinals by 20-plus and held them under 63 points, joining a 77-55 road win on 11/9/24. Each of those feats have only been achieved against Louisville one additional time in its other 44 games the last two years, the former in an 86-63 loss to Ole Miss on 12/3/24 and the latter in a 62-point showing versus Duke on 3/15/25 in Charlotte, N.C.
• With the victory over Louisville, UT now has 24 AP top-15 victories in the last five seasons (2021-26), four more than any other team in the country.
• The Volunteers are on a 42-game non-conference home winning streak that dates to the 2020- 21 season opener. Per Elias, that is just one shy of the program record of 43 set from 12/7/40 to 12/10/49. More on page 5.
• With 844 wins, Rick Barnes co-leads active DI coaches and is co-ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• After averaging 5.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 13.2 mpg over his first six outings as a Vol, Jaylen Carey is producing 12.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg in 22.6 mpg in the last five contests.
• Tennessee, Alabama and Houston are the only schools to make the last three Sweet 16s. Tennessee, Alabama and Duke are the only three in the last two Elite Eights. The Vols finished fifth in the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and KenPom in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.
• The Vols' 209 wins the last nine years (2017-26) rank co-seventh in DI, alongside Saint Mary's (207). Only Houston (253), Gonzaga (250), Duke (231), Kansas (221), Purdue (216) and Auburn (210) own more. Liberty (206) is next, followed by a three-way tie at 10th.
HOLDING SERVE
• The Volunteers went undefeated at home in non-conference play each of the last five seasons. Including their 6-0 record this year, they have won 42 such games in a row, dating to the to the 2020-21 season opener (12/8/20).
• Per Elias Sports Bureau, the 42 straight wins marks the second-longest such streak in UT history, passing a 38-game tally from 12/15/96 to 12/17/01. The program record, according to Elias, is 43 from 12/7/40 to 12/10/49.
• The Volunteers' 42-game regular season non-conference home winning streak is co-fourth in DI, alongside Akron. That trails only Auburn (65), Baylor (49) and Texas Tech (45). The lone other teams above even three-dozen are Iowa State (40) and Providence (39).
• The only other school with 42-plus non-conference regular season home wins and no such losses over the past six years (2020-26) is Texas Tech (45-0). Just five additional programs are above 20: Baylor (40-0), Providence (37-0), Auburn (36-0), Akron (31-0) and Purdue Fort Wayne (24-0).
• During its streak, Tennessee owns victories over programs such as Arizona, Cincinnati, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisville, Syracuse and Texas.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
• According to Will Warren of Basket Under Review, Rick Barnes entered 2025-26 with the best record of any coach against Quad 3 and Quad 4 opponents over the previous five seasons (2020-25) at 58-0.
• Per Warren, the only other head coaches with 25- plus such games and no losses in that five-year span are Ole Miss' Chris Beard at 45-0 and Duke's Jon Scheyer at 44-0.
• Adding in Volunteers' 6-0 record in such games (through 12/18/25) in 2025-26, Barnes is now 64-0 versus Quad 3 and Quad 4 foes over the last six years (2020-26). Meanwhile, Beard is no longer undefeated, at 52-1, while Scheyer is now 50-0.
GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO
- Opponent: Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs
- Tipoff: Sunday, Dec. 20 | 3:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Food City Center
- Watch Online: SEC Network+
- Online: Listen Live | Live Stats
RELATED LINKS
Follow @Vol_HoopsTENNESSEE
Roster Schedule Game NotesGARDNER-WEBB
Roster Schedule Game NotesTHE LATEST FROM THE VOLS
Vols Mourn the Passing of Hank Bertelkamp Gillespie Tabbed to Lute Olson Award Early Season Watch List #20/23 Vols Crush #11 Louisville, 83-62Vols Earn 65th Consecutive AP Top-20 Ranking Vols Announce 2025-26 Game DesignationsFans can watch Sunday's game on SEC Network+ and stream on the ESPN App. Andy Brock (play-by-play) and Steve Hamer (color) will have the call.
Fans state-wide can tune in to their local Vol Network radio affiliate to hear Voice of the Vols Mike Keith and analyst Chris Lofton depict the action.
THE MATCHUP
• This is the fourth meeting between the two schools. Tennessee won the previous three, all at home.
• The sides are playing for the second year in a row, after facing off in the 2024-25 season opener. The other contest during Rick Barnes' tenure was on 11/22/15, his fourth game at the helm.
• Tennessee is 29-0 versus the current Big South schools, with 11 of the wins over UNC Asheville. It has defeated all nine members, beating six at least twice.
• Rick Barnes owns a 24-0 mark against the Big South's current schools, including an 11-0 tally at UT. He has beat all nine schools, topping six on multiple occasions.
• Gardner-Webb is one of five non-conference opponents Tennessee is playing for the second straight year, alongside Houston, Syracuse, Illinois and Louisville. It is UT's fourth such game in a row.
• After going 11-20 (5-10) last year, Gardner-Webb took eighth place in the Big South preseason poll.
• The Runnin' Bulldogs are paced by sophomore forward Jacob Hogarth's 11.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg.
NEWS & NOTES
• Gardner-Webb redshirt junior guard D.J. Jefferson spent two seasons (2022-24) at Tennessee.
• In a memorable post-game presser last season, Gardner-Webb head coach Jeremy Luther said of being at UT and Food City Center: "It's cool. It's big for all of us. .. You guys got more refrigerators than any place in America."
• The Volunteers are coming off their second AP top-11 win of the year, an 83-62 victory over #11 Louisville. It marked the second time in the last two seasons Tennessee beat the Cardinals by 20-plus and held them under 63 points, joining a 77-55 road win on 11/9/24. Each of those feats have only been achieved against Louisville one additional time in its other 44 games the last two years, the former in an 86-63 loss to Ole Miss on 12/3/24 and the latter in a 62-point showing versus Duke on 3/15/25 in Charlotte, N.C.
• With the victory over Louisville, UT now has 24 AP top-15 victories in the last five seasons (2021-26), four more than any other team in the country.
• The Volunteers are on a 42-game non-conference home winning streak that dates to the 2020- 21 season opener. Per Elias, that is just one shy of the program record of 43 set from 12/7/40 to 12/10/49. More on page 5.
• With 844 wins, Rick Barnes co-leads active DI coaches and is co-ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• After averaging 5.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 13.2 mpg over his first six outings as a Vol, Jaylen Carey is producing 12.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg in 22.6 mpg in the last five contests.
• Tennessee, Alabama and Houston are the only schools to make the last three Sweet 16s. Tennessee, Alabama and Duke are the only three in the last two Elite Eights. The Vols finished fifth in the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and KenPom in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.
• The Vols' 209 wins the last nine years (2017-26) rank co-seventh in DI, alongside Saint Mary's (207). Only Houston (253), Gonzaga (250), Duke (231), Kansas (221), Purdue (216) and Auburn (210) own more. Liberty (206) is next, followed by a three-way tie at 10th.
HOLDING SERVE
• The Volunteers went undefeated at home in non-conference play each of the last five seasons. Including their 6-0 record this year, they have won 42 such games in a row, dating to the to the 2020-21 season opener (12/8/20).
• Per Elias Sports Bureau, the 42 straight wins marks the second-longest such streak in UT history, passing a 38-game tally from 12/15/96 to 12/17/01. The program record, according to Elias, is 43 from 12/7/40 to 12/10/49.
• The Volunteers' 42-game regular season non-conference home winning streak is co-fourth in DI, alongside Akron. That trails only Auburn (65), Baylor (49) and Texas Tech (45). The lone other teams above even three-dozen are Iowa State (40) and Providence (39).
• The only other school with 42-plus non-conference regular season home wins and no such losses over the past six years (2020-26) is Texas Tech (45-0). Just five additional programs are above 20: Baylor (40-0), Providence (37-0), Auburn (36-0), Akron (31-0) and Purdue Fort Wayne (24-0).
• During its streak, Tennessee owns victories over programs such as Arizona, Cincinnati, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisville, Syracuse and Texas.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
• According to Will Warren of Basket Under Review, Rick Barnes entered 2025-26 with the best record of any coach against Quad 3 and Quad 4 opponents over the previous five seasons (2020-25) at 58-0.
• Per Warren, the only other head coaches with 25- plus such games and no losses in that five-year span are Ole Miss' Chris Beard at 45-0 and Duke's Jon Scheyer at 44-0.
• Adding in Volunteers' 6-0 record in such games (through 12/18/25) in 2025-26, Barnes is now 64-0 versus Quad 3 and Quad 4 foes over the last six years (2020-26). Meanwhile, Beard is no longer undefeated, at 52-1, while Scheyer is now 50-0.
Players Mentioned
F
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