Vols basketball takes aim at Radford

The Tennessee men's basketball team is set to continue the 2026-27 season Monday as it hosts the Radford Highlanders. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.Fans can watch Monday's game on SEC Network+ and stream the game on Watch ESPN.com and the ESPN app.

Tennessee is coming off a 90-59 season opening win in Food City Center, which featured an impressive 56-28 margin in second-half scoring. 

THE MATCHUP

• Tennessee has claimed each of the three prior series meetings. All of them were played in Knoxville from 1993 to 2001.

• This is the first time the sides are meeting in November. All three prior contests came between 12/17 and 1/13.

• Every matchup in the series has featured a different Tennessee head coach, while this is the first time Radford does not have Ron Bradley at the helm.

• The Vols are 30-0 alltime against the current Big South membership, while Rick Barnes is 25-0 in his career. For both UT and Barnes, it is the highest number without a loss against any league.

• The only other time Barnes faced Radford as a head coach was on 12/12/87, while at George Mason. It was his fourth game as a head coach and the 90-83 decision was the first road win of his career.

• After going 16-16 (9-7) last year, Radford placed sixth in the Big South preseason poll.• Frederik Erichsen, a sophomore forward, leads the Highlanders at both 14.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg.

NEWS & NOTES

• The Volunteers are the only team to play in the Sweet 16 in each of the last four years and in the Elite Eight in each of the past three.

• Last year, Tennessee logged, per CBS, the sixth instance of an SEC team reaching the Sweet 16 at least four years in a row, since the field grew to 32 in 1975.

• UT is, according to Stats Perform, one of three SEC schools—five instances—to make the Elite Eight at least three years in a row, since the tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1951. The others are Kentucky (2010-12, 1995-99, 1956- 58) and Florida (2011-14).

• The Volunteers' +12.6 rebounding margin in 2025-26 was the thirdbest of the last 30 years (1996- 2026), according to Stats Perform.

• UT had 10-plus offensive boards in 36 of 37 games last year, cofourth-most in a season the last 30 years (1996-2026), per Stats Perform. Its 44.6 offensive rebounding percentage ranked fourth this century, per KenPom.

• Barnes' 862 wins are second among active DI coaches and No. 10 all-time (min. 10 years in DI).

• DeWayne Brown II had career highs in points (17) and rebounds (17) in the season-opening win against Wofford. He became the first Vol with a 17-17 game since Jarnell Stokes on 3/23/14. Only one SEC player, Texas A&M's Rashaun Agee, did it in 2025-26.

• Tennessee's other scholarship returnee, Troy Henderson, scored a career-best 10 points in the win over the Terriers.• Barnes has led UT to seven of its 10 25-win seasons. The Vols are one of five teams with 25-plus wins in each of the last five years.

• Tennessee has won 45 consecutive non-conference home games. The streak spans seven seasons and dates to the 2020-21 opener, a 12/8/20 win over Colorado.

• The Vols' 227 wins the last 10 seasons (2017-26) rank eighth in DI. Only Houston (274), Gonzaga (271), Duke (257), Kansas (238), Purdue (236), Arizona (231) and Saint Mary's (229) possess more. Auburn (225) and Liberty (225) complete the top 10. In addition, UT is also eighth over the last six seasons (2021-27) with 135 wins.

WINNING WAYS

• Over the last 10 seasons (2017-27), Tennessee (227- 86; .725) paces all SEC schools in total victories, overall winning percentage and postseason victories (27). 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 215-plus wins and/or a winning percentage above .690, alongside Auburn (225-87; .721), which ranks second in both areas.

• 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 six seasons (2021-27), the Vols own a 135-48 (.738) overall record. That is good for the most total wins and the best winning percentage in the SEC, far ahead of Auburn (.728; 131-49).• In that time, Tennessee (62-28; .689) is second in league victories and league winning percentage, behind only Alabama (64-26; .711).

POLL VOLS

• Since 2020-21, UT has made 111 of 118 releases, with 57 top-10 spots and 24 in the top five. Since 2021-22, it has been in 97 of 101 polls, with 51 top-10 nods and 24 top-five positions.

• Dating to 11/28/22, UT has earned a top-15 ranking in 58 of the 79 AP Poll releases. It has claimed a top-10 spot in 38 of the 63 releases since the start of the 2023-24 season. UT has placed top-eight in 34 of the past 57, with 20 top-five nods, since 12/18/23.

• Tennessee was in every AP Poll from the 2021-22 preseason rankings through the 1/12/26 poll, a total of 90 releases in a row.

• Those 90 weeks shattered the prior program record of 37, set from 3/1/99 to 2/19/01. When the streak ended, it was the second-longest mark in the country, behind only Houston (116).

• The 90-week streak is the 24th-longest in Division I history. It is the third-longest ever by an SEC team, trailing only Kentucky's 164 from 12/3/90 to 12/6/99 and Florida's 94 from 2/8/99 to 2/9/04.

• Across that 90-week stretch, UT earned 83 spots in the top 20, 64 in the top 15, 50 in the top 10, 24 in the top five, seven in the top three and five at No. 1.