[2] Tennessee (28-7 | 12-6 SEC) vs. [7] UCLA (22-10 | 13-7 Big 10)
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 | 8:40pm CT / 9:40pm ET
Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena | TV: TBS/truTV
Lexington, KY – After defeating 15th-seeded Wofford in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the sixth-ranked, second-seeded Tennessee men’s basketball team prepares for a second round bout versus UCLA Saturday night at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is slated for 8:40pm CT (9:40pm ET).
Fans can catch Saturday’s game between the Volunteers (28-7) and Bruins (22-10) on TBS/truTV. Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (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 its most recent action, Tennessee began its program-record seventh straight NCAA Tournament berth Thursday night with a wire-to-wire victory, 77-62, over No. 15-seeded Wofford at Rupp Arena.
UT led for all but the first 13 seconds of the victory, securing a spot in the Round of 32 for the fourth straight season. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier dropped 29 points, the third-most by a Volunteer in NCAA Tournament play, while senior guard Zakai Zeigler had a 12-point, 12-assist double-double and broke the school record for career assists in the triumph.
The Matchup
The only prior matchup came on 1/30/77, when #8 UCLA defeated #7 Tennessee, 103-89, in Atlanta.
Tennessee owns a 35-44 all-time record against the current Big Ten membership. That includes a 66- 64 road win on 12/14/24 at Illinois on a Jordan Gainey buzzer-beater.
Rick Barnes is 41-40 versus the current Big Ten members, including 8-8 at Tennessee with wins over seven different teams.
Barnes was 3-1 against UCLA at Texas: a 63-61 road win on 12/2/07, a 68-64 home win on 12/4/08, a 69-59 road win on a 12/3/11 and a 65-63 home loss on 12/8/12.
The lone prior meeting between Mick Cronin and Rick Barnes came on 3/16/12 in the NCAA Round of 64, a 65-59 Cincinnati win over Texas in Nashville, Tenn.
UT beat Cronin-led Murray State, 64-53, on 11/30/05 in Nashville.
UCLA, making its fourth NCAA Round of 32 appearance in the last five years, tied for fourth in its first season in the Big Ten.
Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, a Third Team All-Big Ten choice, paces the Bruins with 13.5 ppg.
News and Notes
Jahmai Mashack is from Fontana, Calif., just 66 miles east of UCLA.
This is his second time facing a home-state school while at UT. The Volunteers defeated USC, 73- 66 (OT), in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals on 11/24/22 in Paradise Island, Bahamas, en route to winning the title.
In the victory over Wofford, Zakai Zeigler became, per Elias Sports Bureau, the sixth player in the last 50 years (1975-2025) with 12 points, 12 assists and no turnovers in NCAA Tournament play, joining Colorado’s McKinley Wright IV (2021), UCLA’s Earl Watson (2000), Bradley’s Jim Les (1986), Indiana’s Isiah Thomas (1981) and Missouri’s Larry Drew (1980).
Chaz Lanier scored 29 points in his NCAA Tournament debut, good for the third-most ever by a Volunteer in the event and the most in a win. His six 3-pointers tied UT’s single-game record in NCAA Tournament action.
Lanier (116) is now just two made 3-pointers shy of the Tennessee single-season record of 118, set in 2007-08 by Chris Lofton.
The Vols are 29-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including 10-6 under Rick Barnes, who has the most such wins in program history. More on Pages 10-11.
Tennessee is looking to reach the NCAA Sweet 16 for the third straight year. It would be the first such instance in program history.
With 834 wins, Rick Barnes is tied with John Calipari for ninth all- time (min. 10 years in DI) and for the most among active coaches.
Tennessee’s 199 wins over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co-sixth in DI, alongside Auburn, Liberty and Saint Mary’s. Only Gonzaga (239), Houston (239), Duke (216), Kansas (212) and Purdue (205) own more.
The Vols, who reached 25 regular season victories for the third time, are in seeking their third 29-win campaign. They went 31-6 in 2018- 19 and 31-5 in 2007-08.
All-SEC Accolades
Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier both won individual SEC awards from the league’s head coaches. Zeigler earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year plaudits for the second straight season, while Lanier claimed the inaugural SEC Newcomer of the Year honor.
The league’s coaches tabbed Zeigler a First Team All-SEC competitor and Lanier a Second Team All- SEC designee. Zeigler is the 14th player in program history with at least three All-SEC nods that include two first-team choices. The others are Dale Ellis, Ernie Grunfeld, Allan Houston, Gilbert Huffman, Reggie Johnson, Bill Justus, Bernard King, Len Kosmalski, Chris Lofton, Dyron Nix, Paul “Lefty” Walther, Tony White and Ron Widby.
Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack both made the cut for the coaches’ SEC All-Defensive Team. This is just the ninth season—10th instance—with multiple players from the same team receiving SEC All-Defensive Team honors, including the second in a row for UT.
Meanwhile, in the Associated Press voting, Lanier collected First Team All-SEC distinction and Zeigler garnered Second Team All-SEC status.
A Pair Of All-Americans
Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler both earned The Sporting News Third Team All-America and NABC Third Team All-America plaudits. No other school put multiple players on either list.
Zeigler was also tabbed an AP Third Team All- American and a USBWA Third Team All-American, while Lanier picked up AP All-America Honorable Mention recognition.
Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King form the only other same-season All-American tandem in Tennessee history. They each earned All-America plaudits in both 1975-76 and 1976-77.
Lanier and Zeigler are also the lone teammate pair on the Wooden Award Top 15 National Ballot, from which the Wooden All-Americans and Wooden Award winner will be selected.
The guards also form one of just three teammate tandems to make the 30-man Lute Olson Award finalist list.
Racking Up Ranked Victories
TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee’s 29 AP top-25 wins lead DI. Only Alabama (closest SEC team with 26), Connecticut (26), Kansas (26), Iowa State (25) and Purdue (23) are within seven.
TOP 20: Tennessee is first in the nation with 25 AP top-20 triumphs over that span. Only Connecticut (24), Kansas (22) and Alabama (closest SEC team with 21) are even within five.
TOP 15: The Volunteers lead DI with 22 AP top-15 decisions over those four years. Kansas (20) and Alabama (closest SEC team with 18) are the only schools even within five.
TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns 12 AP top-10 wins, co-first nationally, alongside Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12) and Kansas (12). The only school within one is Kentucky (closest SEC team with 11).
TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has seven AP top-five victories, the most in the country. Only four other schools have even five: Alabama (six), Arizona (six), Florida (five) and Iowa State (five).
TOP THREE: The Vols have four AP top-three wins in those four years, matching Alabama (four), Arizona (four) and Florida (four) for the DI lead.
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.
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.
Quite The Campaign
Tennessee’s nine AP top-25 wins this season are its most ever, eclipsing the seven it had in both 2023- 24 and 2021-22. It has tallied at least seven in three of the last four years after never before doing so.
UT has seven AP top-15 wins this year, passing 2021- 22 (six) for the most in school history. The Vols had five in 2022-23, giving them five-plus in three of the last four years after never before hitting that mark.
This is the third time in program history, including the second in Rick Barnes‘ tenure, the Vols have logged four AP top-seven (or even AP top-10) victories in a single season, joining 2021-22 and 1976-77.
Tennessee has 25-plus wins in a season for the ninth time, including the sixth under Rick Barnes (all in the last eight years) and the fourth in a row. It reached 25 victories in the regular season for the third time, joining 2018-19 (27-4) and 2007-08 (28-3).
The Volunteers own 28-plus wins for the fourth time (second under Barnes). They went 31-6 in 2018-19, 28-9 in 2009-10 and 31-5 in 2007-08.
Top-Tier Triumphs
Tennessee is 43-42 (.506) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 27-15 (.643) in its past 42 such games (since 1/22/22).
The Volunteers are 37-34 (.521) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes’ tenure, including 23-11 (.676) in their last 34 such affairs (since 1/22/22).
UT is 29-27 (.518) against AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 22-10 (.688) in its last 32 such games (since 12/22/21).
The Vols own a 17-16 (.515) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 15-10 (.600) mark in their last 25 such contests (since 3/2/19) and a 12-7 (.632) tally in their last 19 (since 12/22/21).
UT is 11-10 (.524) against AP top-five foes in Barnes’ tenure, including 7-5 (.583) in its last 12 such affairs (since 2/15/22). It is 9-3 (.750) versus AP top-five SEC teams, including 8-2 (.800) in its last 10 such outings (since 3/2/19).
Strong In The Standings
Tennessee finished fourth in the SEC this season. It marked the program’s seventh top-four finish in the last eight years, including its fifth in a row.
The Volunteers are the only team in the league to place top-four each of the past five seasons. Only three others have done it multiple times: Alabama (four), Auburn (three) and Kentucky (three).
UT is also the only school to place top-four in seven of the last eight campaigns. Just three others have done it even four times: Auburn (six), Kentucky (six) and Alabama (four).
Sensational Six
Tennessee, Drake, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston and Saint Mary’s are the only schools with 25-plus wins each of the past four seasons (2021-22 to 2024-25).
Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024- 25 with a three-year streak and can still join that list.
Tennessee Torchbearer
On 3/7/25, Chancellor Donde Plowman surprised Jahmai Mashack before a team film session by naming him a Torchbearer, which is the highest student honor conferred by the University of Tennessee. He was one of just 10 individuals to receive the prestigious distinction in 2025.
Mashack is the fourth men’s basketball to win the award, joining Carl Langschmidt (1953), Byrl Logan (1939) and Charles Lucas (1931).
Mashack and swimmer Griffin Hadley, a fellow 2025 winner, are the first male non-football student- athletes to receive the honor in 72 years, dating to Langschmidt. The only other male student-athletes to garner it during that time are football standouts Joshua Dobbs (2016) and Trey Smith (2020).
The award is given for academic achievement and outstanding commitment to others as demonstrated by the student’s various activities and significant contributions to the university and the community.
