KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team is set to continue the 2026-27 season Tuesday as it hosts the Radford Highlanders. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Fans can watch Monday’s game on SEC Network+ and stream the game on Watch ESPN.com and the ESPN app. Myan Patel (play-by-play) Steve Hamer (color) and Sarah Detwiler (reporter) will have the call.
Fans state-wide can tune in to their local Vol Network radio affiliate to hear Voice of the Vols Mike Keith and analyst Chris Lofton depict the action.
Tennessee is coming off a 90-59 season opening win in Food City Center, which featured an impressive 56-28 margin in second-half scoring.
THE MATCHUP
• Tennessee has claimed each of the three prior series meetings. All of them were played in Knoxville from 1993 to 2001.
• This is the first time the sides are meeting in November. All three prior contests came between 12/17 and 1/13.
• Every matchup in the series has featured a different Tennessee head coach, while this is the first time Radford does not have Ron Bradley at the helm.
• The Vols are a perfect 30-0 alltime against the current Big South membership, while Rick Barnes is 25-0 in his career. For both UT and Barnes, it is the highest number without a loss against any league.
• The only other time Barnes faced Radford as a head coach was on 12/12/87, while at George Mason. It was his fourth game as a head coach and the 90-83 decision was the first road win of his career.
• After going 16-16 (9-7) last year, Radford placed sixth in the Big South preseason poll.
• Frederik Erichsen, a sophomore forward, leads the Highlanders at both 14.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg.
NEWS & NOTES
• The Volunteers are the only team to play in the Sweet 16 in each of the last four years and in the Elite Eight in each of the past three.
• Last year, Tennessee logged, per CBS, the sixth instance of an SEC team reaching the Sweet 16 at least four years in a row, since the field grew to 32 in 1975.
• UT is, according to Stats Perform, one of three SEC schools—five instances—to make the Elite Eight at least three years in a row, since the tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1951. The others are Kentucky (2010-12, 1995-99, 1956- 58) and Florida (2011-14).
• The Volunteers’ +12.6 rebounding margin in 2025-26 was the thirdbest of the last 30 years (1996- 2026), according to Stats Perform.
• UT had 10-plus offensive boards in 36 of 37 games last year, cofourth-most in a season the last 30 years (1996-2026), per Stats Perform. Its 44.6 offensive rebounding percentage ranked fourth this century, per KenPom.
• Rick Barnes‘ 862 wins are second among active DI coaches and No. 10 all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• DeWayne Brown II had career highs in points (17) and rebounds (17) in the season-opening win against Wofford. He became the first Vol with a 17-17 game since Jarnell Stokes on 3/23/14. Only one SEC player, Texas A&M’s Rashaun Agee, did it in 2025-26.
• Tennessee’s other scholarship returnee, Troy Henderson, scored a career-best 10 points in the win over the Terriers.
• Rick Barnes has led UT to seven of its 10 25-win seasons. The Vols are one of five teams with 25-plus wins in each of the last five years.
• Tennessee has won 45 consecutive non-conference home games. The streak spans seven seasons and dates to the 2020-21 opener, a 12/8/20 win over Colorado.
• The Vols’ 227 wins the last 10 seasons (2017-26) rank eighth in DI. Only Houston (274), Gonzaga (271), Duke (257), Kansas (238), Purdue (236), Arizona (231) and Saint Mary’s (229) possess more. Auburn (225) and Liberty (225) complete the top 10. In addition, UT is also eighth over the last six seasons (2021-27) with 135 wins.
WINNING WAYS
• Over the last 10 seasons (2017-27), Tennessee (227- 86; .725) paces all SEC schools in total victories, overall winning percentage and postseason victories (27). In that span, UT has three SEC titles (2018 and 2024 regular seasons, 2022 tournament).
• In that same period, the Volunteers are one of two SEC teams with even 215-plus wins and/or a winning percentage above .690, alongside Auburn (225-87; .721), which ranks second in both areas.
• Over SEC play across the same span, Tennessee (109-52; .677) is first in both league victories and league winning percentage. The only other schools 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 just the last six seasons (2021-27), the Vols own a 135-48 (.738) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Auburn (.728; 131-49).
• In that time, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (64-26; .711).
POLL VOLS PART I…
• Since 2020-21, UT has made 111 of 118 releases, with 57 top-10 spots and 24 in the top five. Since 2021-22, it has been in 97 of 101 polls, with 51 top-10 nods and 24 top-five positions.
• Dating to 11/28/22, UT has earned a top-15 ranking in 58 of the 79 AP Poll releases. It has claimed a top-10 spot in 38 of the 63 releases since the start of the 2023-24 season. UT has placed top-eight in 34 of the past 57, with 20 top-five nods, since 12/18/23.
• Tennessee was in every AP Poll from the 2021-22 preseason rankings through the 1/12/26 poll, a total of 90 releases in a row.
• Those 90 weeks shattered the prior program record of 37, set from 3/1/99 to 2/19/01. When the streak ended, it was the second-longest mark in the country, behind only Houston (116).
• The 90-week streak is the 24th-longest in Division I history. It is the third-longest ever by an SEC team, trailing only Kentucky’s 164 from 12/3/90 to 12/6/99 and Florida’s 94 from 2/8/99 to 2/9/04.
• Across that 90-week stretch, UT earned 83 spots in the top 20, 64 in the top 15, 50 in the top 10, 24 in the top five, seven in the top three and five at No. 1.
…POLL VOLS PART II
• Tennessee has reached the AP top 17 in each of the past 10 years. It peaked at No. 12 in 2025-26, first in 2024-25, fourth in 2023-24, second in 2022-23, fifth in 2021-22, sixth in 2020-21, No. 17 in 2019-20, first in 2018-19 and No. 13 in 2017-18.
• The 10-year AP top-20 streak is the longest in program history. The prior high was seven straight seasons, from 1966-67 to 1972-73.
• Tennessee has reached the AP top 12 in each of the last seven years (2020-27). The previous program best was four in a row, from 2007-08 to 2010-11.
• The Vols have been in the AP top six in six of the past nine seasons (2018-27). They hit that mark an equal six times in program history before Rick Barnes‘ tenure (2007-08, 2000-01, 1999-2000, 1969-70, 1967-68 and 1958-59).
• Tennessee has been in the AP top five in five of the last nine seasons (2018-25). It achieved that feat an equal five times before Barnes’ arrival (2007-08, 2000-01, 1999-2000, 1967-68 and 1958-59).
• The Vols’ season-ending 18-week AP top-10 streak in 2024-25 was their second-longest tally ever, passing a season-closing mark of 15 in 2023-24. Four of UT’s six all-time double-digit streaks, including all three of 15-plus, have come since 2018-19 under Barnes.
PRESEASON PLAUDITS
• Juke Harris was tabbed a Preseason Third Team All-American by Blue Ribbon Yearbook. The outlet’s only other first-year transfers on the list were Louisville’s Flory Bidunga (second team) and St. John’s’ Tounde Yessoufou (fourth team).
• Harris was one of 20 on the NABC Player of the Year Preseason Watch List. Louisville’s Flory Bidunga, Duke’s John Blackwell and Kentucky’s Milan Momcilovic were the only other first-year transfers.
• The Naismith Trophy Watch List also included Harris as one of 50 selections for the elite group.
• Harris earned Preseason First Team All-SEC status from the media. The lone first-year transfer on the five-man team, he was joined by Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh, Josh Hubbard and Tyler Tanner.
• The coaches voted Harris a Preseason Second Team All-SEC pick. He was listed with Alex Condon, Milan Momcilovic, Jordan Smith Jr., and Matas Vokietaitis.
• Harris was tabbed to the Julius Erving Award Top 20 Preseason Watch List. He was one of four SEC small forwards who made the cut, alongside Amari Allen, Thomas Haugh and Milan Momcilovic.
HAPPY AT HOME
• Over the last six seasons (2021-27), the Vols’ .904 (75-8) home winning percentage (min. 10 GP) is co-eighth in DI, alongside Connecticut (.904; 75-8). UT trails Houston (.942, 81-5), Gonzaga (.935; 72-5), Akron (.934; 71-5), Duke (.930; 80-6), Saint Mary’s (.920; 81-7), Arizona (.917; 77-7) and Kansas (.905; 76-8).
• The tally includes a 38-0 (1.000) ledger in nonconference home affairs and a 37-8 (.822) figure in SEC home contests. It also features an 18-4 (.818) home record versus AP top-25 foes, including a 13-2 (.867) count against AP top-15 teams and a perfect 7-0 (1.000) mark versus AP top-10 opponents.
• In total, UT is 153-28 (.845) at Food City Center in Rick Barnes‘ 12 years and has twice gone undefeated at home (18-0 in 2018-19 and 16-0 in 2021-22).
HOLDING SERVE, HISTORICALLY
• The Volunteers have won 45 non-conference home games in a row, dating to the to the 2020-21 season opener (12/8/20). They finished each of the past six years undefeated at home in non-conference play.
• Per Elias Sports Bureau, that 45-game streak is the longest in program history. The prior top tally of 43 came from 12/7/40 to 12/10/49.
• The Vols’ 45-game regular season non-conference home winning streak is fourth-best in DI. That trails only Auburn (67), Baylor (54) and Texas Tech (48). The lone others above even three-dozen are Iowa State (43), Akron (42) and Providence (40).
• The only other schools with 45-plus such wins and no losses over the past seven years (2020-27) are Texas Tech (48-0) and Baylor (45-0). Just four additional programs are above 20: Auburn (38-0), Providence (38-0), Akron (32-0) and Purdue Fort Wayne (24-0).
• During its streak, Tennessee owns victories over teams such as Arizona, Cincinnati, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisville, Syracuse and Texas.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
