University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Texas A&M
Hoops Central: #6 Tennessee at #7 Texas A&M
February 21, 2025 | Men's Basketball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Having won four of its past five games, the sixth-ranked Tennessee men's basketball team hits the road for its fourth top-10 bout of the season, as it faces No. 7 Texas A&M Saturday at Reed Arena. Tipoff is slated for noon ET.
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GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO
- Opponent: Texas A&M Aggies
- Tipoff:Â Saturday, Feb. 22Â |Â Noon ET
- Venue:Â Reed Arena
- Watch Online:Â ESPN
- Online:Â Listen Live |Â Live Stats
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Roster Schedule Game NotesTHE LATEST FROM THE VOLS
"Big Orange Caravan" Presented By Pilot Set For April 29 – May 1 Vols Ranked Sixth Nationally #5/4 Vols Rally From 16 Down to Beat Vanderbilt, 81-76 Lanier, Zeigler Among 30 on Naismith Trophy Midseason Team Lanier Named to Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Watch ListFans can catch Saturday's game between the Volunteers (21-5, 8-5 SEC) and Aggies (20-6, 9-4 SEC) on ESPN. Dave Pasch (play-by-play) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst) will have the call. Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Steve Hamer describing the action.
In its most recent action, Tennessee defeated Vanderbilt, 81-76, Saturday afternoon at a sold-out Food City Center, storming back from a 16-point deficit in the last minute of the opening half and a 13-point margin at the break.
Senior guard Zakai Zeigler, who entered the top five on the SEC's career assists leaderboard in the victory, had a season-high 22 points, all in the second half, and a game-best eight assists for UT at a sold-out Food City Center.
THE MATCHUP
• After they were unranked for the first 11 series meetings, this is the ninth time in the last 10 the Volunteers are ranked. They were 6-2 in the prior eight.
• This is the third time Tennessee is facing a ranked Texas A&M team, including its first time playing a top-20 Aggies side. Just one prior series meeting, a 68-63 road defeat on 2/21/23, featured both teams in the AP top 25, but neither were in the top 10.
• UT's 86-51 home win over Texas A&M on 2/24/24 in the most recent meeting between the two sides was the largest margin of victory either way in series history.
• Rick Barnes' 43 matchups with Texas A&M are his most versus any foe. His 32 wins over the Aggies are his second-most, trailing just his 33 against Texas Tech.
• Coming off a 21-15 (9-9) campaign in 2023-24 that included an NCAA Round of 32 bid, the Aggies were fifth in the SEC preseason poll.
• Senior guard Wade Taylor IV, a Preseason First Team All-SEC pick, leads Texas A&M with 14.9 ppg and 4.5 apg.
NEWS & NOTES
• The Volunteers' last non-home victory over Texas A&M was a 65- 50 decision on 3/13/22 in Tampa, Fla., in the SEC Tournament final, giving Tennessee its fifth such crown and first since 1979.
• This is UT's fourth AP top-eight matchup in SEC play this season. It had six such previous clashes in program history, with two each in 2018-19, 1980-81 and 1967-68.
• The Volunteers are playing before noon local time for the second time in 15 days. They earned a 70-52 victory in an 11 a.m. CT tip 2/8/25 at Oklahoma. UT is 5-7 in Rick Barnes' tenure when tip-off is before noon local time.
• Texas A&M is one of 14 schools Rick Barnes has defeated with three different teams, alongside Appalachian State, Mercer, Miami (four), Missouri, North Carolina, UNC Asheville (four), NC State, Seton Hall, South Carolina, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Western Carolina and Wofford.
• Texas A&M is the seventh AP top- 15 team Tennessee is playing in a nine-game span, including the third ranked in the top seven.
• With 827 DI wins, Rick Barnes is one behind John Calipari for the most among active coaches and for a top-10 all-time position.
• Zakai Zeigler has 659 assists, fifth-most in SEC history. He is five behind Alabama's Terry Coner (664 from 1983-87) for fourth. In addition, Zeigler's 187 assists this year put him five shy of Johnny Darden (192 in 1977-78) for fifth on UT's single-season list.
• Felix Okpara (47) is three blocks away from the 13th 50-block season in UT history, while Chaz Lanier (86) is three made 3-pointers from No. 10 on the program's single-season list (89).
• The Volunteers have earned a top- 10 position in 32 of the 37 AP Poll releases over the last two seasons, including a top-eight spot in 28 of the past 31 releases.
• Tennessee's 192 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co-ninth in DI, alongside Liberty. Only Gonzaga (234), Houston (230), Duke (208), Kansas (208), Purdue (201), Saint Mary's (195), San Diego State (195) and Auburn (194) possess more.
RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES
• TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee's 26 AP top-25 wins lead the nation. Only Connecticut (25), Kansas (25), Iowa State (24) and Purdue (23) are even within three, while the closest SEC school is four behind (Alabama with 22).
• TOP 20: Tennessee possesses an SEC-high 22 AP top-20 triumphs over that span, co-second-most of any DI school, tied with Kansas (22) and trailing only Connecticut (23). Just Purdue (19), Alabama (closest SEC team with 18) and Iowa State (18) are even within five of the Volunteers.
• TOP 15: The Volunteers own an SEC-best 19 AP top- 15 decisions over those four years, good for second- most in the country, behind just Kansas (20). Only Alabama (closest SEC team with 16), Iowa State (15) and Kentucky (15) are even within four of UT.
• TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns nine AP top- 10 wins, co-second in the SEC and co-sixth nationally, both alongside Alabama. Only Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12), Kansas (12), Kentucky (11) and Purdue (10) have more. The nine such wins in that time are against #1 Alabama (2/15/23), #3 Kansas (11/25/22), #3 Auburn (2/26/22), #4 Kentucky (2/15/22), #5 Kentucky (3/12/22), #6 Arizona (12/22/21), #10 Texas (1/28/23), at #10 Kentucky (2/3/24) and #5 Florida (2/1/25).
• TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has six AP top-five victories, tied with Arizona for the most in the country. Only six other schools have even four: Alabama (five), Iowa State (five), Florida (four), Gonzaga (four), Kentucky (four) and Purdue (four).
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.
PARTICULARLY POTENT AT HOME
• Under Rick Barnes, Tennessee is 22-8 (.733) versus AP top-25 teams at Food City Center, including 17-2 (.895) in its last 19 such games (since 1/30/21).
• The Volunteers are 17-7 (.708) at home against AP top-20 teams in the Barnes era, including 13-2 (.867) in their last 15 such contests (since 1/30/21).
• UT has a 14-5 (.737) mark when hosting AP top-15 squads under Barnes, including a 12-2 (.857) record in its last 14 such affairs (since 1/30/21).
• Barnes has led the Vols to an 8-1 (.889) ledger at Food City Center versus AP top-10 teams, with seven consecutive wins (since 3/2/19).
• UT is a perfect 6-0 when hosting AP top-five teams in the Barnes era (all since 1/24/17). The six straight wins are an SEC record, per ESPN, surpassing the mark of five by Kentucky in 1978-84 and 1956-59.
• The Vols won 12 straight home games against AP top-25 foes from 1/30/21 to 2/28/24. That is an SEC record, per CBS Sports, and the longest in DI since Kansas had 17 straight from 1/11/14 to 2/13/17. Nine of those victories were versus top-15 foes, with five against the top 10 and three over top-five teams.
• Tennessee is 19-5 (.792) in AP top-25 home matchups under Barnes, including 13-5 (.722) with both teams in the top 20, 8-2 (.800) with both in the top 15 and 4-0 (1.000) with both in the top 10.
1.3K CLUB
• Tennessee, Alabama (five), Ole Miss and Xavier—all but one are in the SEC—are the only schools with at least four 1,300-point scorers. Just 12 others programs have even three.
• In total, only 31 teams—10 are in the SEC—have four- plus players with even 1,000 collegiate points.
• Jordan Gainey possesses 1,450 points in 126 contests, an average of 11.5 ppg over four years.
• Darlinstone Dubar has 1,434 points in 137 outings, good for 10.5 ppg across five seasons.
• Zakai Zeigler owns 1,387 points in 126 appearances, giving him an 11.0 ppg average in four seasons.
• Chaz Lanier, the only member of the quartet who entered the season below 1K, now has 1,384 points in 130 outings, a 10.6 ppg ledger across five campaigns.
TOP-TIER TRIUMPHS
• Tennessee is 40-41 (.494) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 24-14 (.632) in its past 38 such games (since 1/22/22).
• The Volunteers are 34-33 (.507) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes' tenure, including 20-10 (.667) in their last 30 such affairs (since 1/22/22).
• UT is 26-26 (.500) against AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 19-9 (.679) in its last 28 such games (since 12/22/21).
• The Vols own a 14-15 (.483) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 12-9 (.571) mark in their last 21 such contests (since 3/2/19) and a 9-6 (.600) tally in their last 15 (since 12/22/21).
• UT is 10-9 (.526) against AP top-five opponents in Barnes' tenure, including 6-4 (.600) in its last 10 such affairs (since 2/15/22). It is 8-2 (.800) versus AP top-five SEC teams, including 7-1 (.875) in its last seven such outings (since 3/2/19).
SHOOTING TO SUCCEED
• Over the last four seasons (2021-25), Tennessee is 44-8 (.846) when hitting double-digit 3-pointers in a game, including 27-3 (.900) at home.
• During Rick Barnes' first six seasons on Rocky Top, 2015-16 to 2020-21, Tennessee was a strong 20-12 (.625) in such games, including 12-3 (.800) at home, but the last four years have been even better.
A SUPERB SIGN
• Tennessee is 131-15 (.897) under Rick Barnes when holding its opponent to 39.0 percent or worse field- goal shooting, including 72-8 (.900) when its foe shoots 35.0 or below. The Volunteers are a perfect 26-0 (1.000) in Barnes' tenure when holding their opponent to a field-goal clip of 30.0 or under.
