CENTER HOOPS: #25/RV [5] Tennessee vs. [12] Auburn

NASHVILLE – The No. 25/RV Tennessee males’s basketball group (21-10, 11-7) is about to proceed the 2025-26 slate Thursday, because it takes on the Auburn Tigers (17-15, 7-11) within the second spherical of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Tipoff is about for 3:00 pm ET.

Fans can watch Thursday’s sport on SEC Network and stream on the ESPN App. Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Jimmy Dykes (shade) and Alyssa Lang (reporter) can have the decision.

State-wide followers can tune in to their native Vol Network radio affiliate to listen to Voice of the Vols Mike Keith and analyst Chris Lofton depicts the motion.

THE MATCHUP

• UT led wire-to-wire within the common season assembly, a 77-69 house win on 1/31/26. Nate Ament had a game-high 22 factors and was one in every of 4 Vols with eight rebounds.
• In final yr’s SEC Tournament, the fourth-seeded Volunteers beat top-seeded Auburn, 70-65, within the semifinals on 3/15/25 behind 20 factors from Zakai Zeigler.
• UT is 10-4 versus Auburn within the SEC Tournament, together with 3-2 in Nashville (3-1 at Bridgestone).
• Tennessee is 5-2 in its final seven conferences—each setbacks have been on the street—with the Tigers, after dropping six in a row earlier than that.
• The final eight contests have been decided by 9 or fewer (5 inside 5), averaging 5.6 ppg.
• Auburn head coach Steven Pearl is a Tennessee alumnus. He performed for his father, Bruce Pearlon Rocky Top from 2007-11. The Vols went 99-42 in that four-year span.
• The Tigers, 3-8 since their 1/31/26 go to to Knoxville, tied for No. 11 within the SEC standings.
• Senior ahead Keyshawn Hall, a Third Team All-SEC selection, paces Auburn with 20.2 ppg.

NEWS & NOTES
• Steven Pearl was a UT teammate of Vol Network radio analyst Chris Lofton from 2006-08. Pearl redshirted the primary season.
• Auburn assistant coach Ira Bowman performed for Rick Barnes at Providence for 2 years (1991-93), serving to the group to 34 wins.
• Auburn’s Joah Shay is the son of Jason Shay, who was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 2005-11.
• Tennessee is 76-59 (.563) in SEC Tournament play, together with 46-18 (.719) in openers, with 5 titles. It is 13-8 (.619), with one title, beneath head coach Rick Barnes.
• UT is 21-15 (.583) at Bridgestone Arena, together with 13-12 (.520) in SEC Tournament motion.
• The Volunteers completed top-four within the SEC for the eighth time within the final 9 years (fifth in a row).
• UT has performed simply three video games (2-1) that didn’t embrace a lead of 10-plus both method. Only one (1-0) didn’t have a nine-point margin.
• Rick Barnes‘ 857 wins rank second amongst lively DI coaches and No. 10 all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• UT has had an SEC All-Defensive Team choose seven seasons in a row.
• The Vols have had a First Team All-SEC nod in 5 straight years.
• Ja’Kobi Gillespie is the one Vol to begin each sport this yr and his subsequent such nod would be the a hundredth of his profession. His subsequent double-digit scoring complete may even be his a hundredth.
• With a forty five.3 offensive rebounding share, UT is on tempo to submit, per KenPom, the co-second-best mark this century. It trails solely 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0), plus ties 2000-01 Georgetown.
• Tennessee is looking for 22-plus wins for the fifth straight yr, a feat it has by no means achieved earlier than.
• Tennessee, Alabama and Houston are the one faculties to make the final three Sweet 16s. Tennessee, Alabama and Duke are the one three within the final two Elite Eights.
• UT completed a program-best fifth within the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and KenPom in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
• The Volunteers’ 222 wins the final 9 years (2017-26) ninth place in Division I. Only Houston (269), Gonzaga (268), Duke (249), Kansas (234), Purdue (229), Saint Mary’s (227), Liberty (224) and Arizona (223) possess extra.

WINNING WAYS
• Over the final 9 seasons (2017-26), Tennessee (222-84; .725) paces all SEC packages in complete victories, total successful share and postseason victories (23). In that span, UT has three SEC titles (2018 and 2024 common seasons, 2022 match).
• In that very same interval, the Volunteers are one in every of two SEC groups with even 210-plus wins and/or a successful share above .690, alongside Auburn (218-86; .717).
• Over SEC play throughout the identical span, Tennessee (109-52; .677) is first in each league victories and league successful share. The solely different faculties at even 100-plus wins and/or a .620 clip are Kentucky (107-54; .665), Alabama (104-58; .642) and Auburn (103-59; .636).
• In simply the final 5 seasons (2021-26), the Vols personal a 130-46 (.739) total report. That is sweet for essentially the most complete wins and the most effective successful share within the SEC, far forward of Alabama (.720; 126-49) within the former and Auburn (.721; 124-48) within the latter.
• At that point, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league successful share, behind solely Alabama (64-26; .711).

SERIOUS STREAKS
• The Volunteers personal 20 wins for the fifth season in a row. That ties the longest streak in program historical past, recorded each from 1980-81 to 194-85 and 2005-06 to 2009-10. This is Tennessee’s seventh 20-win season within the final 9 years and thirty second all-time.
• UT has eclipsed 20 victories (21-plus) in all 5 years of its lively streak. Its solely prior such five-year streak was from 2005-06 to 2009-10.
• Tennessee has double-figure SEC victories for the sixth straight yr, good for the second-longest streak in program historical past. The Vols had 10-plus SEC wins 13 seasons in a row from 1964-65 to 1976-77.
• UT has notched eleven-plus SEC wins in all six seasons of its lively streak. That one shy of the highest mark in program historical past, set from 1970-71 to 1976-77

BEASTS ON THE BOARDS
• Tennessee leads the nation, in line with KenPom, with a forty five.3 offensive rebounding share. That is 2.7 above second-ranked Florida (42.6) and 6.2 forward of third-place Virginia (39.1).
• UT is on tempo, per KenPom, to be the co-secondbest offensive rebounding group this century. The Vols path solely 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0), whereas tying 2000-01 Georgetown (45.3).
• The Vols have double-digit offensive rebounds in 30 of 31 video games, with 13-plus in 25, 15-plus in 20, 20-plus in six and 23-plus in 4. Their prime tally is 26.
• UT is first in DI in offensive rebounds per sport (16.0), second in rebounding margin (13.3) and fourth in complete rebounds per sport (42.58).
• The Vols have no less than 35 complete boards in 27 of 31 contests, with 40-plus in 19, 45-plus in 14 and 50-plus in six. Their highest mark is 60.
• Jaylen Carey (5 instances), JP Star (4), Felix Okpara (4), Bishop Boswell (two), DeWayne Brown II (two) and Nate Ament (one) have all amassed 10 complete rebounds in a sport this season.
• By KenPom, Jaylen Carey is seventh within the nation along with his 17.9 offensive rebounding share. JP Star has a 17.6 mark, however doesn’t qualify.
• In his second begin, versus Gardner-Webb (12/21/25), DeWayne Brown II had 14 rebounds. He tied Grant Williams (3/1/17), Jarnell Stokes (3/3/12) and Brian Williams (12/15/07) for essentially the most by a UT freshman within the final 20 seasons (2006-26). He additionally tied the fifth-highest complete by any Vol within the Rick Barnes was.
• The Volunteers pulled down 60 rebounds within the double-overtime victory towards Texas A&M (1/13/26) and conceded simply 35 (plus-25). It marked their first time with 55-plus rebounds since grabbing 58 on 11/18/08 versus UT Martin. UT had 24 offensive boards and allowed solely 10 (plus-14). Jaylen Carey (10p, 9r) was one rebound away from giving Tennessee three gamers with double-digit boards and double-doubles, as Bishop Boswell (13p, 11r) and Felix Okpara (10p, 12r) each hit that mark.
• In the time beyond regulation win at Georgia (1/28/26), Tennessee grabbed 52 rebounds and allowed solely 27 (plus-25). It additionally pulled down an 26 offensive boards whereas giving up simply seven (plus-19). Two Vols, JP Star and Felix Okparahad as many offensive boards individually because the Bulldogs did as a group. Bishop Boswell (13p, 10r) tallied a double-double, whereas Estrella (17p, 9r) and Okpara (6p, 11r) practically did so.
• In the victory over Auburn (1/31/26), UT had 4 gamers—Nate Ament, Bishop Boswell, Jaylen Carey and Amari Evans—seize eight rebounds. It marked the second such occasion for the Volunteers within the final 20 seasons (2006-26), alongside a 12/23/13 sport versus Morehead State. DeWayne Brown II gave UT 5 gamers with seven-plus boards, its first such prevalence within the final twenty years and simply the fourth by any SEC group in league play.
• At Kentucky (2/7/26), DeWayne Brown II pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds. That tied for the third-most by a Tennessee freshman in an SEC sport the final 20 seasons (2006-26). The solely others to hit that mark are Grant Williams (14 on 3/1/17 at LSU), Jarnell Stokes (14 on 3/3/12 towards Vanderbilt), Tobias Harris (12 on 1/29/11 at Ole Miss) and Wayne Chism (12 on 2/10/07 towards Vanderbilt).
• The Volunteers hauled in 25 offensive rebounds versus #17/18 Alabama (2/28/26), a program finest in an SEC regulation contest.
• JP Star (20p, 10r) logged his first double-double in SEC play versus #24/22 Vanderbilt (3/7/26), whereas Felix Okpara (8p, 10r) practically had one, as properly.

CONFERENCE ACCLAIM
• Three Volunteers earned postseason honors from the league’s coaches. Ja’Kobi Gillespie garnered First Team All-SEC standing. Nate Ament acquired Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team nodes. Felix Okpara earned SEC All-Defensive Team distinction.
• Tennessee and Florida have been the one groups with a first- and second-team choice. This marked the fifth yr in a row the Volunteers had a number of first and/or second-team designees, in addition to the fifth yr in a row they’d a first-team choice.
• Okpara gave Tennessee an SEC All-Defensive Team selection for the seventh consecutive yr. No different group within the league has even made the record the final two seasons.
• In the Associated Press honors launched the subsequent day, Gillespie gained SEC Newcomer of the Year. It marked the third yr in a row a Volunteer gained the award from both the coaches or the AP.
• Additionally, Gillespie and Ament each collected AP Second Team All-SEC recognition.