Tennessee (30-7 | 12-5 SEC) vs. Houston (33-4 |19-1 B12)
Sunday, March 30th | 1:20pm CT / 2:20pm ET
Indianapolis, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium | TV: CBS
Indianapolis, IN – Dancing to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight for the third time ever and the second year in a row, the sixth-ranked, second-seeded Tennessee men’s basketball team is set to face second ranked, No. 1 seed Houston Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Tipoff is slated for 1:30pm CT (2:20pm ET).
Fans can catch Sunday’s game between the Volunteers (30-7) and Cougars (33-4) on CBS. 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 controlled play from start to finish Friday night in a convincing 78-65 victory over third-seeded Kentucky.
Taking on a conference foe in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever, UT trailed for just 32 seconds and led by as many as 19 points in front of 28,968 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler led all players in points (18) and assists (10).
The Matchup
Tennessee and Houston met twice in 1970-71, as well as once each in 1971-72, 1994-95 and 1995-96.
Both teams’ head coaches are from North Carolina. Rick Barnes (Hickory) and Kelvin Sampson (Pembroke) grew up 165 miles apart, plus are separated by just 15-plus months in age.
Barnes (Texas) and Sampson (Oklahoma) squared off 20 times while both were in the Big 12 from 1998-99 to 2005-06. The Longhorns went 8-12, but were 6-3 in the last nine meetings.
Tennessee is 32-31 against the current Big 12 members. Barnes is 168-99 versus such foes, including 10-8 with the Volunteers.
UT beat #13/14 Baylor, 77-62, at Baha Mar on 11/22/24 in its lone games versus a Big 12 foe this year.
Houston, which swept the Big 12 titles this year, is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2022.
Graduate guard L.J. Cryer, a Third Team All-American, paces the Cougars with 15.3 ppg.
News and Notes
This game features three of the four Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalists in Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler of UT and Joseph Tugler of Houston.
Tennessee is one of just three schools in the Sweet 16 for at least the third straight year, alongside Alabama and Houston. It is also one of three in a second consecutive Elite Eight, joining Alabama and Duke.
Before reaching the Elite Eight in 2024 and 2025, Tennessee had one such berth all-time (2010). The Volunteers are seeking their first Final Four appearance.
The Vols are 31-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. That includes a 12-6 record under Rick Barnes, who has the most such wins in program history and more Elite Eight bids at UT than all other coaches combined.
The Volunteers are among four SEC teams in the Elite Eight. Seven reached the Sweet 16 and 14 made the NCAA Tournament.
This will be the first time the Vols play 38 games in a single season.
With 836 wins, Rick Barnes leads all active coaches and ranks ninth all-time (min. 10 years in DI).
Zakai Zeigler’s 270 assists are an SEC single-season best, breaking the mark of 260 set in 1979-80 by Ole Miss’ Sean Tuohy. His 742 career assists place third in SEC history, just seven shy of second- place Kareem Reid, who had 749 from 1995-99 for Arkansas.
Zeigler is averaging 15.0 ppg and 9.3 apg in the NCAA Tournament, while fellow All-American guard Chaz Lanier is averaging 22.0 ppg.
During its active 79-week streak in the AP Poll, UT has played just 17 of 144 games as a lower-ranked team. It is 10-7 in those contests, including 9-5 since 1/22/22.
This is the first time UT has won 30-plus games and reached the Elite Eight in the same season.
Tennessee’s 201 wins over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co- sixth in DI, alongside Auburn. Only Houston (241), Gonzaga (239), Duke (219), Kansas (212) and Purdue (206) own more. Saint Mary’s (200), Liberty (199) and Drake (198) round out the top 10.
Seven In A Row
Tennessee has reached every NCAA Tournament since 2018. The seven straight bids pass 2006-11 for the longest streak in program history.
UT is tied with Houston for the fourth-longest active NCAA Tournament streak in DI, trailing Michigan State (27), Gonzaga (26) and Purdue (10). Baylor and Kansas (due to a vacated bid) are next with six.
The Vols’ current streak includes four—2018, 2023, 2024, 2025—of their 10 all-time Sweet 16 bids and two of their three Elite Eight trips (2024, 2025).
The Vols’ No. 2 seed in 2025 matches 2024, 2019, 2008 and 2006 for their best position ever.
Tennessee has three No. 2 seeds in Barnes’ tenure, eclipsing its full total (two) before his arrival. The seven top-five seeds in the Barnes are also eclipse UT’s complete tally (five) prior to his hiring.
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.
Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack both made the cut for the coaches’ SEC All-Defensive Team. This is just the ninth season—10th instance—with multiple players from the same team receiving SEC All-Defensive Team honors, including the second in a row for UT.
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 30 AP top-25 wins lead DI. Only Alabama (closest SEC team with 28), Connecticut (26), Kansas (26), Iowa State (25) and Purdue (23) are within eight.
TOP 20: Tennessee is first in the nation with 26 AP top-20 triumphs over that span. Only Connecticut (24), Alabama (closest SEC team with 23) and Kansas (22) are even within six.
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.
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 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 10 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.
Tennessee has 25-plus wins in a season for the ninth time, including the sixth under Rick Barnes (all in the last eight years) and the fourth in a row. It reached 25 victories in the regular season for the third time, joining 2018-19 (27-4) and 2007-08 (28-3).
The Volunteers own 30-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 44-42 (.512) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 28-15 (.651) in its past 43 such games (since 1/22/22).
The Volunteers are 38-34 (.528) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes’ tenure, including 24-11 (.686) in their last 35 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, even entered 2024-25 with a three-year streak.
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.
