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

Fans can watch Thursday’s game on SEC Network and stream on the ESPN App. Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Jimmy Dykes (color) and Alyssa Lang (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.
THE MATCHUP
• UT led wire-to-wire in the regular season meeting, a 77-69 home win on 1/31/26. Nate Ament had a game-high 22 points and was one of four Vols with eight rebounds.
• In last year’s SEC Tournament, the fourth-seeded Volunteers beat top-seeded Auburn, 70-65, in the semifinals on 3/15/25 behind 20 points from Zakai Zeigler.
• UT is 10-4 versus Auburn in the SEC Tournament, including 3-2 in Nashville (3-1 at Bridgestone).
• Tennessee is 5-2 in its last seven meetings—both setbacks were on the road—with the Tigers, after dropping six in a row before that.
• The last eight contests have been determined by nine or fewer (five within five), averaging 5.6 ppg.
• Auburn head coach Steven Pearl is a Tennessee alumnus. He played for his father, Bruce Pearl, on Rocky Top from 2007-11. The Vols went 99-42 in that four-year span.
• The Tigers, 3-8 since their 1/31/26 visit to Knoxville, tied for No. 11 in the SEC standings.
• Senior forward Keyshawn Hall, a Third Team All-SEC choice, 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 first season.

• Auburn assistant coach Ira Bowman played for Rick Barnes at Providence for two years (1991- 93), aiding the team 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, including 46-18 (.719) in openers, with five titles. It is 13-8 (.619), with one title, under head coach Rick Barnes.

• UT is 21-15 (.583) at Bridgestone Arena, including 13-12 (.520) in SEC Tournament action.

• The Volunteers finished top-four in the SEC for the eighth time in the last nine years (fifth in a row).

• UT has played just three games (2-1) that did not include a lead of 10-plus either way. Only one (1-0) did not have a nine-point margin.

• Rick Barnes‘ 857 wins rank second among active DI coaches and No. 10 all-time (min. 10 years in DI).

• UT has had an SEC All-Defensive Team pick seven seasons in a row.

• The Vols have had a First Team All-SEC nod in five straight years.

• Ja’Kobi Gillespie is the only Vol to start every game this year and his next such nod will be the 100th of his career. His next double-digit scoring total will also be his 100th.

• With a 45.3 offensive rebounding percentage, UT is on pace to post, per KenPom, the co-second-best mark this century. It trails only 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0), plus ties 2000-01 Georgetown.

• Tennessee is seeking 22-plus wins for the fifth straight year, a feat it has never accomplished before.

• Tennessee, Alabama and Houston are the only schools to make the last three Sweet 16s. Tennessee, Alabama and Duke are the only three in the last two Elite Eights.

• UT finished a program-best fifth in the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and KenPom in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

• The Volunteers’ 222 wins the last nine years (2017-26) place ninth in Division I. Only Houston (269), Gonzaga (268), Duke (249), Kansas (234), Purdue (229), Saint Mary’s (227), Liberty (224) and Arizona (223) possess more.

WINNING WAYS

• Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee (222-84; .725) paces all SEC programs in total victories, overall winning percentage and postseason victories (23). 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 210-plus wins and/or a winning percentage above .690, alongside Auburn (218-86; .717).

• 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 five seasons (2021-26), the Vols own a 130-46 (.739) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Alabama (.720; 126-49) in the former and Auburn (.721; 124-48) in the latter.

• In that time, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (64-26; .711).

SERIOUS STREAKS

• The Volunteers own 20 wins for the fifth season in a row. That ties the longest streak in program history, recorded both from 1980-81 to 194-85 and 2005- 06 to 2009-10. This is Tennessee’s seventh 20-win season in the last nine years and 32nd all-time.

• UT has eclipsed 20 victories (21-plus) in all five years of its active streak. Its only prior such five-year streak was from 2005-06 to 2009-10.

• Tennessee has double-figure SEC victories for the sixth straight year, good for the second-longest streak in program history. The Vols had 10-plus SEC wins 13 seasons in a row from 1964-65 to 1976-77.

• UT has notched 11-plus SEC wins in all six seasons of its active streak. That one shy of the top mark in program history, set from 1970-71 to 1976-77

BEASTS ON THE BOARDS

• Tennessee leads the nation, according to KenPom, with a 45.3 offensive rebounding percentage. That is 2.7 above second-ranked Florida (42.6) and 6.2 ahead of third-place Virginia (39.1).

• UT is on pace, per KenPom, to be the co-secondbest offensive rebounding team this century. The Vols trail only 2000-01 Michigan State (47.0), while tying 2000-01 Georgetown (45.3).

• The Vols have double-digit offensive rebounds in 30 of 31 games, with 13-plus in 25, 15-plus in 20, 20-plus in six and 23-plus in four. Their top tally is 26.

• UT is first in DI in offensive rebounds per game (16.0), second in rebounding margin (13.3) and fourth in total rebounds per game (42.58).

• The Vols have at least 35 total 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 (five times), J.P. Estrella (four), Felix Okpara (four), Bishop Boswell (two), DeWayne Brown II (two) and Nate Ament (one) have all amassed 10 total rebounds in a game this season.

• Per KenPom, Jaylen Carey is seventh in the country with his 17.9 offensive rebounding percentage. J.P. Estrella has a 17.6 mark, but does not qualify.

• In his second start, 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 the most by a UT freshman in the last 20 seasons (2006-26). He also tied the fifth-highest total by any Vol in the Rick Barnes era.

• The Volunteers pulled down 60 rebounds in the double-overtime victory against Texas A&M (1/13/26) and conceded just 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 only 10 (plus-14). Jaylen Carey (10p, 9r) was one rebound away from giving Tennessee three players with double-digit boards and double-doubles, as Bishop Boswell (13p, 11r) and Felix Okpara (10p, 12r) both hit that mark.

• In the overtime win at Georgia (1/28/26), Tennessee grabbed 52 rebounds and allowed only 27 (plus-25). It also pulled down an 26 offensive boards while giving up just seven (plus-19). Two Vols, J.P. Estrella and Felix Okpara, had as many offensive boards individually as the Bulldogs did as a team. Bishop Boswell (13p, 10r) tallied a double-double, while Estrella (17p, 9r) and Okpara (6p, 11r) nearly did so.

• In the victory over Auburn (1/31/26), UT had four players—Nate Ament, Bishop Boswell, Jaylen Carey and Amari Evans—grab eight rebounds. It marked the second such instance for the Volunteers in the last 20 seasons (2006-26), alongside a 12/23/13 game versus Morehead State. DeWayne Brown II gave UT five players with seven-plus boards, its first such occurrence in the last two decades and just the fourth by any SEC team 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 game the last 20 seasons (2006-26). The only others to hit that mark are Grant Williams (14 on 3/1/17 at LSU), Jarnell Stokes (14 on 3/3/12 against Vanderbilt), Tobias Harris (12 on 1/29/11 at Ole Miss) and Wayne Chism (12 on 2/10/07 against Vanderbilt).

• The Volunteers hauled in 25 offensive rebounds versus #17/18 Alabama (2/28/26), a program best in an SEC regulation contest.

• J.P. Estrella (20p, 10r) logged his first double-double in SEC play versus #24/22 Vanderbilt (3/7/26), while Felix Okpara (8p, 10r) nearly had one, as well.

CONFERENCE ACCLAIM

• Three Volunteers earned postseason honors from the league’s coaches. Ja’Kobi Gillespie garnered First Team All-SEC status. Nate Ament received Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team nods. Felix Okpara earned SEC All-Defensive Team distinction.

• Tennessee and Florida were the only teams with a first- and second-team selection. This marked the fifth year in a row the Volunteers had multiple firstand/or second-team designees, as well as the fifth year in a row they had a first-team selection.

• Okpara gave Tennessee an SEC All-Defensive Team choice for the seventh consecutive year. No other team in the league has even made the list the last two seasons.

• In the Associated Press honors released the next day, Gillespie won SEC Newcomer of the Year. It marked the third year in a row a Volunteer won the award from either the coaches or the AP.

• Additionally, Gillespie and Ament both collected AP Second Team All-SEC recognition.