Live Blog: No. 19 Vanderbilt Basketball vs. Tennessee

The first matchup of the season in this heated rivalry tips off Saturday in Nashville.

Feb 14, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Devin McGlockton (99) and forward Tyler Nickel (5) reacts after a made three point basket against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

It may be earlier in the day, but fans in Nashville have been getting warmed up and ready for today’s game between Vanderbilt and Tennessee all week long. It is the first meetup between the Commodores and the Volunteers this season in a rivalry that has gained more attention over the past couple of seasons.

Vanderbilt comes in off a heartbreak loss to Missouri, where it fell just short of a 21-point comeback. Vanderbilt fell to 8-5 in SEC play and made the stakes of today’s game arguably higher in terms of postseason seeding for the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

Meanwhile Tennessee rolls into Nashville winners of seven of its last eight games. The Volunteers have seemed to hit their stride and play some of their best basketball of the season right now. Tennessee sits a game ahead of Vanderbilt in the SEC, but the Commodores are hoping to change that.

One note heading into this game that helps Vanderbilt is the return of shooting guard Duke Miles. Miles has missed the last six games with a knee injury and Vanderbilt’s backcourt showed vulnerabilities in his absence. With Miles’ return, Vanderbilt is getting a guy that has scored over 16 points a game and has the ability to steal the ball away.

Vanderbilt has a difficult stretch to finish the season, including traveling to Tennessee March 7. A win today would help get Vanderbilt back into the double-bye conversation for the SEC Tournament. A loss would make the path to a top four spot in the conference much more difficult.

It will be a game of a fast Vanderbilt offense against a Tennessee team that can rebound the basketball and takes its time when on offense. Two very different play styles collide in Memorial Gymnasium.

Tipoff between Vanderbilt and Tennessee is set for 1 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Follow the live blog here for live updates from today’s Vanderbilt-Tennessee game.

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Pregame

• Memorial Gymansium did leave an open seat for Tennessee beat writer Wes Rucker, who was tragically passed away in an accident earlier this week. It is certainly a beautiful gesture by the staff here in Memorial as we all keep his family and those who knew Wes Rucker in our prayers.

• Vanderbilt did make the cut in the top 16 for today's NCAA Tournament bracket preview. Vanderbilt is a 4 seed in the East Region.

• Seats have begun to fill up in Memorial. There is a good chunk of orange in the crowd right now as we hit 35 minutes until tipoff.

• Players for both teams are on the floor warming up. The crowd today should be very interesting to see. What will the crowd split be between Vanderbilt and Tennessee fans? Commodore fans cannot allow today’s game to turn into a Tennessee home game.

• Vanderbilt Commodores On SI is back in-house for Vanderbilt’s game as the Commodores take on Tennessee in what should be a very heated, intense game. There are plenty of stakes here as the two teams get ready to play. The fact this game is on primetime ESPN and is being called by the great Dick Vitale should be enough to explain how big this game is.