Men's Basketball

CHICAGO, Illinois - Dusty May did not mince words on the eve of the biggest game of his young Michigan tenure.  Appearing on ESPN’s College GameDay Saturday morning, the Wolverines head coach offered a preview that was equal parts scouting report and battle cry. “They want Armageddon,” May said. “It’s going to be a brawl. It’s literally going to be feudal warfare in the paint.”  Welcome to the Elite Eight.   No. 1 Michigan (34-3) and No. 6 Tennessee (25-11) tip off Sunday aft

CHICAGO — Tennessee basketball arrives at its fourth consecutive Sweet 16 with momentum, a budding star and a sobering reality: the road to the Elite Eight runs through one of the most defensively suffocating programs in the country. The sixth-seeded Volunteers (24-11) will meet No. 2 seed Iowa State in the Midwest Region semifinals Friday night in Chicago.  Tipoff is set for 10:10 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on TBS It is difficult to find another program, except perh

PHILADELPHIA - Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie put on one of the most complete performances in NCAA Tournament history Friday afternoon. Now the Volunteers must follow his lead and do it again. This time it will be against a Virginia program that may be the hottest team in the country. The No. 6 seed from the Midwest bracket is Tennessee (23-11) and the  No. 3 seed is Virginia (30-5). They tip off Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena at 6:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TN

Every March needs its feel-good story. In March of 2026, Miami (Ohio)  has volunteered.  Miami (Ohio), a midsized public school tucked in the southwest corner of the state, finished the regular season a perfect 31-0, jumped into the Top 25 rankings and became the talk of college basketball.  Then came the stumble. The RedHawks lost to UMass in the MAC Tournament, blowing their chance at a guaranteed spot in the NCAA Tournament and forcing them to watch Selection Sunday like

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Familiar foes meet again Friday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena, but this time the stakes extend far beyond in-state bragging rights. No. 5 seed Tennessee and No. 4 seed Vanderbilt will square off in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, renewing one of the conference’s most heated rivalries just days after the Commodores closed the regular season with a statement win over the Volunteers. The matchup is scheduled for approximate

NASHVILLE, TN - March basketball in the SEC rarely lacks intensity, and Thursday’s matchup between Tennessee and Auburn brings urgency, contrasting styles, and postseason implications into a single high-stakes setting. The No. 5 seed Tennessee Volunteers (21–10) open their SEC Tournament run against No. 12 seed Auburn (17–15) at Bridgestone Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on SEC Network. The winner moves one step closer to the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament

Knoxville, Tenn. - As extra eligibility continues to reshape college athletics, head coaches in revenue sports have openly questioned the growing age gap among student-athletes.  In Knoxville, Tennessee the buzz is a little different.  The University of Tennessee’s athletic programs are brimming with emerging new talent, as a new class of freshmen across multiple sports have carved out meaningful roles and begun shaping the future of Vols’ athletics. These young athletes are

Knoxville, TN A marquee early-season college basketball matchup is the  headline for ESPN viewing tonight. It is set to be a competitive test between two nationally ranked programs. Momentum is on the line tonight. The Cards have only lost one time on the road this season. They want to continue that effort. The Vols have lost three in a row. They want to turn the page from that course. The history of these programs gives the advantage to Louisville as well. Although under Bar

Knoxville, TN - The Tennessee Volunteers suffered a significant setback Monday as head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes announced that junior forward Cade Phillips will miss the remainder of the 2025–26 season. Phillips is scheduled to undergo surgery to address a recurring left-shoulder injury that has limited him throughout the early portion of the schedule. Barnes expressed both disappointment and support as he detailed the decision. “We will sincerely miss having Cade o

Nashville, TN - No. 13 Tennessee entered Saturday’s neutral-site matchup in Nashville looking to regain momentum after a challenging stretch. Instead, the Volunteers suffered a 75–62 defeat at the hands of No. 14 Illinois. The result was shaped by poor shooting, late-game lapses, and a poised, balanced Fighting Illini attack. In a physical battle, Tennessee (7–3) briefly held control in the first half and carried a 34–32 lead into the break after positive floor minutes from B

Las Vegas, Nevada - The 2025 Players Era event, held in Las Vegas, marked the second edition of what has swiftly become one of the most talked-about early-season events in college basketball. This year’s field expanded dramatically from 9 teams in 2024 to 18 men’s teams plus a 4-team women’s bracket.  A key part of the appeal: the tournament was backed by substantial name, image, and likeness (NIL) support. Organizers have stated that on average, participating schools will re

Big Stage In Las Vegas The Players Era Men’s Championship runs Nov. 24–27 in Las Vegas. It’s a loaded 18-team field. Tennessee Basketball will join other national powerhouses in a very competitive early-season event. The format is interesting. The Vols will play group-style, and the first two days’ results determine where they go on Nov. 26–27. There’s a big NIL angle here in partnership with the NCAA. The Players Era promises significant name-image-likeness opportunities ti

Knoxville, TN - The latest episode of the Vols Hoops Podcast is one that Tennessee Basketball fans do not want to miss.  Grant Hurst and Cade Phillips lead a conversation that goes well beyond highlight reels and box scores from 2 non-conference home games during the opening week of the college basketball season. The two Tennessee basketball freshmen open up about their origin stories, mindset, and what it truly means to be part of a program built on legacy, grit, and account

February 6, 2025 The Vols showed they can learn from mistakes in the second half of the rematch with the visiting Vanderbilt Commodores. This time it would be #5 Tennessee that would finish the game in the win column. No buzzer beater needed.  The first half was exactly as the Tennessee coaches had prepared for with this team. However, execution of the game plan was once again an issue. Coach Barnes says at half he challenged the locker room and more importantly, he turned

Aug 27, 2024 Tennessee basketball announces today that the men's basketball program has sold its complete allotment of 14,500 season tickets for the 2024-25 campaign at the Food City Center. Athletic Director, Danny White took to social media:  Tennessee is coming off arguably its best season ever. The Volunteers went 27-9 (14-4 SEC) in 2023-24, claimed the outright SEC regular season title and earned their second Elite Eight appearance. Head coach Rick Barnes led this team t

Jan 15, 2025 It was the tale of two halves. The first half was controlled by a UGA defense that slowed the roll on shot percentages for Tennessee. They did so by holding  Tennessee to just 27 percent shooting while claiming 11 defensive rebounds.  To start the second half Georgia was ahead by 1. However, fueled by a gritty performance that pushed Senior guard  Zakai Zeigler to hold the new program record for steals (213) followed up with a team-high 19 points from Jordan Gain

January, 7 2025 Tennessee was aggressively defeated by a #8 Florida team that was coming off a loss to Kentucky at home. They didn’t want to lose at home again and it showed.  From tip off to the final buzzer, Florida physically showed their strengths against the best defensive team in the SEC. Coach Rick Barnes said post game, “we lost our poise”. Shots were open to start the matchup. However, nothing was following through. At the half, the Gators doubled what the Vols were

Dec 10, 2024 While ‘the game’ may have changed–like the top college basketball recruit in the nation committing to BYU over several bluebloods–some things never do.  Two of those things are Tennessee’s men’s basketball coach, Rick Barnes, and the legacy of Jimmy Valvano. The two gentlemen were thrust into the spotlight this week during ESPN’s Jimmy V Classic. Since 1995 the Jimmy V Classic has served a purpose: bring in the best teams in the country to Madison Square Garden a

Ellie Williamson There is always a catchphrase. A slogan, if you will, involved in sports. Think through the marketing of any sports team that you follow. At some point, you associate a phrase with that team. An example can be seen from the National Champions of the NBA. The Boston Celtics finished the 2023-2024 season as the National Champions for the league. They are known for more than the 18 national titles they have won as franchises. They are known for the reflection of