Ole Miss Basketball vs. Tennessee Volunteers Start Time and TV Channel in SEC Matchup

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Playing in their third consecutive game away from home, the Ole Miss men's basketball team will take on No. 25 Tennessee on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT in the Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center and broadcast on ESPN2.

TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 11-10, 3-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (55-34) • 292-132 career record (14th Season)

No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers (Record: 15-6, 5-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Rick Barnes • 11th Season at Tennessee (247-115) • 851-429 career record (39th Season)

ON THE AIR
Television: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Karl Ravech
Analyst: Jimmy Dykes
Reporter: Alyssa Lang

OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway

SERIES HISTORY VS. TENNESSEE
This will be the 126th game between Ole Miss and Tennessee, a series that dates back to 1924 when Ole Miss won a pair of games on back-to-back days. Overall, the Volunteers lead the series 79-46 and hold the advantage in Knoxville as well, 45-12. Tennessee has won eight of the last 10, with the Rebels claiming the most recent meeting in a 78-76 win on senior day at the SJB Pavilion last year.

LAST MEETING: March 5, 2025 (W, 78-76, Oxford, Miss.)
• Trailing by five at halftime, Ole Miss rallied behind an electric atmosphere in the SJB Pavilion and stormed back for a win over No. 4 Tennessee.
• Jaemyn Brakefield (Ole Miss): 19 points, 8-9 FG, two rebounds, two assists, 24 minutes.
• Jordan Gainey (Tennessee): 17 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal.

SCOUTING THE VOLUNTEERS
Sitting in sixth place in the SEC standings, Tennessee holds a record of 15-6 on the season and 5-3 in conference play. During their non-con slate, the Vols earned notable wins over Rutgers, No. 2 Houston, and No. 11 Louisville.

They've won three-straight entering this game with Ole Miss, at No. 17 Alabama, at Georgia, and most recently against Auburn. They currently rank No. 25 in the AP Poll and are receiving votes in the Coaches Poll, and hold the 21st spot in the NET Rankings and 18th in KenPom.

Ja'kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament pace the Volunteers offensively, averaging 18.6 and 16.6 points per game, respectively. One of the top recruits in the recent class and best freshmen in the nation, Ament leads the team in rebounds as well, averaging 6.4 per game.

Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:
- Offensive rebounds per game, 15.7, 2nd
- Rebounds per game, 43.1, 4th
- Rebound margin, +12.8, 4th
- Three-point percentage defense, 29.4, 19th
- Field goal percentage defense, 39.9, 25th
- Assists per game, 17.5, 26th
- Free throw attempts per game, 24.9, 36th
- Defensive rebounds per game, 27.4, 36th
- Scoring margin, +12.4, 39th

Tied with John Calipari for the most wins among all active NCAA head coaches at 851, Rick Barnes is in his 39th season as a college coach and his 11th season with Tennessee. He's guided the Vols to seven NCAA Tournaments during his tenure in Knoxville, including four Sweet 16 appearances and runs to the Elite Eight the past two years.

Prior to joining Tennessee, Barnes spent 17 years at Texas, where he helped guide the Longhorns to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a Final Four run in 2003. He spent four seasons from 1994 to 1998 as the head coach at Clemson, after six years at Providence from 1988 to 1994. Barnes got his first head coaching job for the 1987-88 season at George Mason.

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