#5 Tennessee (23-5 | 10-5 SEC) vs. #6 Alabama (23-5 | 12-3 SEC)
Saturday, March 1st, 2025 | 3:00pm CT / 4:00pm ET
Knoxville, TN | Food City Center | TV: ESPN
Knoxville, TN – The #5 Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home for the first time since February 15th as it faces #6 Alabama Saturday at Food City Center in the first AP top-six matchup in series history. Tipoff is slated for 3:00pm CT (4:00pm ET).
Fans can catch Saturday’s game between the Volunteers (23-5, 10-5 SEC) and Crimson Tide (23-5, 12-3 SEC) on ESPN. Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Jimmy Dykes (analyst), Dick Vitale (analyst) and Molly McGrath (reporter) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
In Tennessee’s most recent outing, it trailed for just 92 seconds in a 65-59 triumph Tuesday night at LSU. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler paced fifth-ranked Tennessee (23-5, 10-5 SEC) with a co-game-high 17 points in the win at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Matchup
Tennessee is 6-4 in its last 10 meetings with Alabama, dating back to 3/4/17. The Volunteers won the last three games after the Crimson Tide took the prior three.
Nine of the series’ last 11 games, including seven of the past eight, had a single-digit scoring margin.
Tennessee and Alabama are meeting with both in the AP top six for the first time ever.
This is the third consecutive year Alabama is in Knoxville. UT won, 91-71, on 1/20/24 behind 25 points from Dalton Knecht. It also won an AP top-10 showdown, 68-59, on 2/15/23 over #1 Alabama for its sixth victory over the AP #1 team.
Rick Barnes‘ was as an assistant at Alabama in 1985-86. UT assistant Gregg Polinsky then replaced him on staff, working there 1986-95.
Coming off a 25-12 (13-5) showing in 2023-24 that included its first Final Four bid, Alabama was picked to win the SEC this year.
Graduate guard Mark Sears, the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, paces the Crimson Tide with 19.0 ppg, second-best in the SEC, and 5.0 apg.
News and Notes
Cade Phillips is a native of Jacksonville, AL. His father (John David Phillips), uncle (Brodie Croyle) and grandfather (John Croyle) played football at Alabama, while his mother (Reagan [Croyle] Phillips) played basketball there.
Tennessee and Alabama are two of the only three schools with three 1,400-point scorers. The other, Ole Miss, is also in the SEC.
This is UT’s fifth AP top-eight clash in SEC play this year, after it had six prior in program history.
Dick Vitale will broadcast from Food City Center for the first time since 1/28/23, when he called #4 Tennessee’s win over #10 Texas, 82-71, in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
UT opens March with at home after playing there just once over the final 23 days of February.
The Vols are 7-1 all-time in home AP top-10 matchups. That includes a 4-0 mark at Food City Center, all under Rick Barnes, with each win by nine-plus points. UT went 3-1 at Stokely Athletics Center.
Zakai Zeigler has 16-plus points in nine of the last 12 contests, including each of the past six.
With 829 DI victories, Rick Barnes is one shy of John Calipari for first among active coaches and for No. 10 all-time. His 110 SEC wins tie Don DeVoe for the No. 19 spot.
Zakai Zeigler has 197 assists this year, putting him three shy of the fifth 200-assist campaign in UT history, including his second. His 1,420 career points also put him 12 away from a top-20 spot on the Volunteers’ all-time list.
Chaz Lanier (97) is three made 3-pointers away from passing Allan Houston (99 in 1990-91) for fifth on the program’s single-season list. He would be the third Vol with 100 in a year, joining Chris Lofton (three times) and Santiago Vescovi (102 in 2021-22).
UT has earned a top-10 position in 33 of the 38 AP Poll releases the last two seasons, with a top-eight spot in 29 of the last 32 releases.
Tennessee’s 194 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank ninth in DI. Only Gonzaga (235), Houston (232), Duke (210), Kansas (210), Purdue (201), San Diego State (196), Saint Mary’s (196) and Auburn (196) and possess more.
Racking Up Ranked Victories
TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee’s 27 AP top-25 wins lead the nation. Only Connecticut (25) and Kansas (25) are even within to, while the closest SEC school is three back (Alabama with 24).
TOP 20: Tennessee is co-first in DI with 23 AP top- 20 triumphs over that span, tied with Connecticut (23) for the national lead. Only Kansas (22) is even within three, while the closest SEC program is four behind (Alabama with 19).
TOP 15: The Volunteers are tied for the DI lead with 20 AP top-15 decisions over those four years, matching Kansas (20). Only Alabama (closest SEC team with 16) is even within four of UT.
TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns 10 AP top- 10 wins, second in the SEC and co-fifth nationally, the latter alongside Purdue (10). Only Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12), Kansas (12) and Kentucky (11) have more. The 10 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), #5 Florida (2/1/25) and at #7 Texas A&M (2/22/25).
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.
1.4K Club
Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss—all are in the SEC—are the only schools with four 1,400-point scorers. Just eight others programs have even three.
In total, only 32 teams—10 are in the SEC—have four- plus players with even 1,000 collegiate points.
Jordan Gainey possesses 1,469 points in 128 contests, an average of 11.5 ppg over four years.
Darlinstone Dubar has 1,436 points in 139 outings, good for 10.3 ppg across five seasons.
Chaz Lanier, the only member of the quartet who entered the season below 1K, now has 1,428 points in 132 outings, a 10.8 ppg ledger across five campaigns.
Zakai Zeigler owns 1,420 points in 128 appearances, giving him an 11.1 ppg average in four seasons.
Top-Tier Truimphs
Tennessee is 41-41 (.500) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 25-14 (.641) in its past 39 such games (since 1/22/22).
The Volunteers are 35-33 (.515) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes’ tenure, including 21-10 (.677) in their last 31 such affairs (since 1/22/22).
The Vols own a 15-15 (.500) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 13-9 (.591) mark in their last 22 such contests (since 3/2/19) and a 10-6 (.625) tally in their last 16 (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).
20,000 Strong
In Rick Barnes‘ 10 seasons, Tennessee has played in front of a home crowd of at least 20,000 on 45 occasions (35-10), with 32 sellouts (25-7).
In 2022-23, the Volunteers had five sellout crowds, at the time tying an arena single-season record.
Tennessee well eclipsed that mark last season by selling out eight home games—including seven of nine in SEC play—good for its most ever at Food City Center. Four of those were over-capacity crowds, with the last three above 22,000.
This season, Tennessee has clinched seven sellouts: Syracuse (12/3/24), Arkansas (1/5/25), Mississippi State (1/21/25), Kentucky (1/28/25), Florida (2/1/25), Vanderbilt (2/15/25) and Alabama (3/1/25).
Happy At Home
Over the last four seasons (2021-25), the Vols’ .921 (58-5) home winning percentage is co-sixth in DI (co-fourth in Power Five, second in SEC).
In the last eight years (2017-25), UT is at .876 (113- 16), No. 11 in DI (sixth in Power Five, second in SEC).
In total, UT is 136-25 (.845) at Food City Center in Rick Barnes‘ 10 years and has twice gone undefeated at home (18-0 in 2018-19 and 16-0 in 2021-22).
