Tennessee (16-7 | 6-4 SEC) at Mississippi State (11-12 | 2-7 SEC)
Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 | 8:00pm CT / 9:00pm ET
Starkville, MS | Humphrey Coliseum | TV: ESPN2
Knoxville, TN – The Tennessee men’s basketball team (16-7, 6-4) is set to continue the 2025-26 slate Wednesday, as it travels to Starkville, MS, to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-12, 3-7) at Humphrey Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 8:00pm CT (9:00pm 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 and 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.
