KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team (16-7, 6-4) is set to continue the 2025-26 slate Wednesday, as it travels to Starkville, Miss., to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-12, 3-7) at Humphrey Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. ET.
Fans can watch Wednesday’s game on ESPN2 and stream on the ESPN App. Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Richard Hendrix (color) 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
• The Volunteers’ 91 victories over Mississippi State are their third-most versus any foe, trailing only Vanderbilt (132) and Georgia (101).
• Last year’s top-15 showdown on 1/21/25 was the first ranked matchup in series history. UT led wire to wire in a 68-56 home win behind Chaz Lanier’s 23 points.
• UT is 16-5 in its last 21 outings versus Mississippi State (since 1/19/13), including 10-3 in its last 13 (since 2/27/18). That includes a five-game winning streak and two four-game winning streaks.
• Of the 21 games in that span, 12 (UT 10-2) were decided by 11- plus, including five (UT 4-1) of the past six. Just two of the 21 had a margin within four, both UT wins.
• Rick Barnes is 25-8 against the SEC’s Mississippi teams, including 22-8 at UT and 10-3 since 1/5/22.
• Following a 21-13 (8-10) campaign that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs placed No. 10 in the SEC preseason poll.
• Preseason First Team All-SEC pick Josh Hubbard, a junior guard, paces Mississippi State with 20.6 ppg and 3.6 apg.
NEWS & NOTES
• Nate Ament scored 17-plus points in each of UT’s last eight outings, with 22-plus in five of them and 28-plus in three. He is averaging a team-best 23.0 ppg in that span, while shooting 46.7% from the floor, 44.1% from deep and 80.3% at the stripe. He has 71 free-throw attempts over that stretch (8.9 per game), with nine-plus in five.
• With a co-career-high 29 points at Kentucky (2/7/26), Nate Ament posted the highest scoring total by a freshman on the road against the Wildcats in nearly 36 years, per Jared Berson, dating to a 30-point showing by Auburn’s Ronnie Battle on 2/24/90.
• DeWayne Brown II grabbed 12 rebounds at Kentucky (2/7/26) to become the fifth UT freshman in the last 20 years (2006-26) with at least that many in an SEC game. He joins Grant Williams (3/1/17), Jarnell Stokes (3/3/12), Tobias Harris (1/29/11) and Wayne Chism (2/10/07) on the list.
• Bishop Boswell, at 6-foot-4, has eight-plus boards in each of the last four games. He is ninth in the league in SEC play at 6.7 rpg.
• UT’s 45.2 offensive rebounding percentage is on pace to be, per KenPom, the third-best this century. It trails only the 2000- 01 marks by both Michigan State (47.0) and Georgetown (45.3)
• The Vols have played two games this year that did not include a lead of 10-plus either way, an overtime win at Georgia (1/28/26) and a loss at Syracuse (12/2/25). Of 23 contests, 17 have included a lead of 14-plus, with 12 at 23-plus.
• Rick Barnes‘ 852 wins co-lead all active DI coaches and rank co-ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
• 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 Vols’ 217 wins the last nine years (2017-26) rank co-eighth in Division I, alongside Arizona (217). Only Houston (264), Gonzaga (262), Duke (241), Kansas (230), Purdue (225), Saint Mary’s (221) and Liberty (219) possess more.
WINNING WAYS
• Over the last nine seasons (2017-26), Tennessee paces all SEC programs in total victories (217) and postseason victories (23), plus ranks second in overall winning percentage (.728; 217-81). In that period, UT has three SEC titles (2018 and 2024 regular seasons, 2022 tournament).
• In that same span, the Volunteers are one of two SEC teams with even 205-plus wins and/or a winning percentage above .695, alongside Auburn (216-80; .730).
• Over SEC play across the same period, Tennessee (104-49; .680) is second in the SEC in league winning percentage and league victories, trailing only Kentucky (105-49; .682). The only other schools at even 95-plus wins and/or a .600 clip are Auburn (101-53; .656) and Alabama (97-57; .630).
• In just the last five seasons (2021-26), the Vols own a 125-43 (.7440) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, narrowly ahead of Auburn (.7439; 122-42).
• In that time, Tennessee (57-25; .695) ties Alabama (57-25; .695) and Kentucky (57-26; .687) for second in league wins and equals the former in league winning percentage. Auburn (58-24; .707) is first.
POLL PRESENCE
• Tennessee has played 261 games as a ranked team in the AP Poll in Rick Barnes‘ tenure, posting a 194-67 (.743) record. In total, 71.7 percent of the Volunteers’ 364 games since Barnes arrived in 2015-16 have come with the team ranked in the AP Poll, all since 2017-18 (261 of 298, 87.6 percent).
• UT is 170-59 (.742) while in the AP top 20 under Barnes, 129-44 (.746) while top-15, 103-33 (.757) while top-10, 49-14 (.778) while top-five, 25-3 (.893) while top-three and 14-2 (.875) while No. 1.
• The Vols are 40-30 (.571) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 32-23 (.582) with both teams in the top 20, 20-16 (.556) with both in the top 15 and 11-10 (.524) with both in the top 10.
