2026 Tournament PreviewDefense is once again the trademark of Rick Barnes and the Volunteers, who are looking for their third consecutive Elite Eight appearance. The Vols rank 15th in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric, holding opponents to 30.8 percent shooting from distance (34th nationally). There's plenty of offensive firepower, however, led by senior point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie (17.9 ppg, 5.5 apg), who has scored in double figures in all but two games. Likely NBA lottery pick and 6-10 freshman Nate Ament (17.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg) provides a secondary option. Four players see steady frontcount minutes, including two 6-11 towers in J.P. Estrella (10.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Felix Okpara (7.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg), as Tennessee gets plenty of second-chance opportunities with the nation's top offensive rebounding rate. If there's a question, it's at the foul line where the Vols rank 286th in free-throw percentage. There's also the fact that of Tennessee's 11 losses, 10 came in Quad 1, meaning struggles beyond the first weekend are possible.
Scouting Report Offense Defense
Efficiency 1.21 43 0.94 15
Pace 67.1 (292)
Effective FG% 51.92 (154) 47.74 (36)
Turnover % 14.13 (150) 14.47 (186)
Off Reb % 44.78 (1) 27.65 (57)
FTA/FGA 38.66 (89) 35.93 (207)
3P% 33.71 (189) 30.71 (30)
2P% 52.56 (152) 49.07 (67)
FT% 69.67 (277) 69.70 (45)
3PA/FGA 31.90 (330) 44.31 (326)
Totals
Per Game
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Tennessee
Southeastern
Rankings
AP Poll: #25 Coaches Poll: #27 NET: #19 RPI: #30 RW: #14
Record
Overall: (22-11) Conference: (11-7) Quad 1: (6-10) Quad 2: (7-1) Quad 3: (2-0) Quad 4: (5-0)
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Tennessee Depth Chart
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Tennessee Starting Lineup - Last 5 Games
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