Tennessee (29-7 | 12-6 SEC) vs. Kentucky (24-11 | 10-8 SEC)
Friday, March 28th, 2025 | 6:39pm CT / 7:39pm ET
Indianapolis, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium | TV: TBS/truTV
Indianapolis, IN – Having reached the Sweet Sixteen for the third consecutive season, a program first, the sixth-ranked, second-seeded Tennessee men’s basketball team is set to face No. 18/21, third-seeded Kentucky Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Tipoff is slated for 6:39pm CT (7:39pm ET).
Fans can catch Friday’s game between the Volunteers (29-7) and Wildcats (24-11) on TBS/truTV. Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Steve Lappas (analyst) and Evan Washburn (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 defeated seventh-seeded UCLA, 67-58, Saturday night at Rupp Arena.
UT led for the final 22-plus minutes in its first-ever victory over the Bruins, extending its margin as high as 19 in a commanding decision. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier, who set a new program single-season record for made 3-pointers, led all scorers with 20 points.
The Matchup
The UT Volunteers’ 78 victories over the Wildcats lead all teams. Vanderbilt is second with 50.
Tennessee’s 11 wins over Kentucky in Rick Barnes‘ tenure (2015-25) are four more than any other team. That includes a 10-8 record against ranked Wildcat teams, good for twice as many such wins as anyone else. The Vols have defeated Kentucky at least once in eight of his 10 years and are 6-7 away from home.
In the 22 seasons before Barnes’ arrival (1993-2015), UT went 9-35 against Kentucky, including 7-28 when the Wildcats were ranked.
Barnes’ 12 wins over the Wildcats rank seventh all-time, one shy of Dean Smith (13) and the most of any active coach.
This is the seventh consecutive series meeting with Tennessee ranked above Kentucky. Its prior high was four (2/1/00 to 2/14/01).
The Wildcats, who tied for sixth in the SEC, are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
Junior guard Otega Oweh, a Second Team All-SEC honoree, leads Kentucky with 16.3 ppg.
News and Notes
UT’s 27 all-time NCAA Tournament teams are a combined 28-30 (3-2 at neutral sites) versus Kentucky.
The Vols have never previously played a fellow SEC team in the NCAA Tournament. They fell at Vanderbilt, 89-85, in the 1980 NIT.
Tennessee is one of just three schools in the Sweet 16 for at least the third straight year, alongside Alabama and Houston.
This is UT’s eighth Sweet 16 trip since 2006-07, tied for eighth- most in that time.
Tennessee, Duke, Maryland and Ole Miss are the lone four schools in the men’s and women’s Sweet 16. UT is the only one that also made the College Football Playoff.
The Vols are 30-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including 11-6 under Rick Barnes, who has the most such wins in program history.
Tennessee is looking to reach the NCAA Elite Eight for the second straight year. It would be the first such instance in program history.
The Vols are playing a 37th game for the fifth time, alongside 1984- 85, 2009-10, 2013-14 and 2018-19.
With 835 wins, Rick Barnes is tied with John Calipari for ninth all- time (min. 10 years in DI) and for the most among active coaches.
Zakai Zeigler’s 260 assists match the SEC single-season record set by Ole Miss’ Sean Tuohy in 1979- 80. His 732 career assists are a program record and the third- most in SEC history.
Chaz Lanier, in just two outings, is already one of only eight Vols with multiple 20-point showings in NCAA Tournament play. His 29 points in his debut are the most by a UT player in an NCAA victory.
Lanier’s 120 made 3-pointers this year are a UT single-season record and the sixth-most in a single campaign in SEC history.
Tennessee’s 200 wins over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co-sixth in DI, alongside Auburn, Liberty and Saint Mary’s. Only Houston (240), Gonzaga (239), Duke (218), Kansas (212) and Purdue (206) own more.
The Vols, who had 25 regular season victories for the third time, are seeking a third 30-win year (31-6 in 2018-19, 31-5 in 2007-08).
Seeing The Second Weekend
Tennessee has reached the Sweet 16 in eight of the past 18 NCAA Tournaments (since 2006-07). That is tied for eighth-most trips in that span, matching Michigan, Purdue and UCLA.
The Vols’ trips have come under three coaches: Rick Barnes (2025, 2024, 2023, 2019), Cuonzo Martin (2014) and Bruce Pearl (2010, 2008, 2007).
The only seven schools that own more second- weekend bids over that span are Duke (11), North Carolina (11), Gonzaga (10), Michigan State (10), Arizona (nine), Kansas (nine, plus one vacated) and Kentucky (nine).
The SEC top-three in that stretch is Kentucky (nine), Tennessee (eight) and Florida (seven). No other school has greater than four.
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.
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 27), 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), Alabama (closest SEC team with 22) and Kansas (22) 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). A full list of the 12 wins is on Page 12 (left sidebar).
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.
IGH-Caliber Company
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 UT 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.
The Volunteers own 29-plus wins for the third time, including the second in the Barnes era. They went 31-6 in 2018-19, 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 surpised 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.
