2025–26 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team
American collegiate basketball team
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The 2025–26 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represented the University of Tennessee during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by eleventh-year head coach Rick Barnes and played their home games at Thompson–Boling Arena located in Knoxville, Tennessee, as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
| 2025–26 Tennessee Volunteers basketball | |
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NCAA tournament, Elite Eight | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 12 |
| AP | No. 12 |
| Record | 25–12 (11–7 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Associate head coach | Justin Gainey |
| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Thompson–Boling Arena |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Florida | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 27 | – | 8 | .771 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Alabama | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 25 | – | 10 | .714 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Arkansas † | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 28 | – | 9 | .757 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Vanderbilt | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 27 | – | 9 | .750 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Tennessee | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 25 | – | 12 | .676 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 22 | – | 12 | .647 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 22 | – | 11 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 20 | – | 13 | .606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 22 | – | 14 | .611 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 22 Texas | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 21 | – | 15 | .583 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 21 | – | 16 | .568 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 22 | – | 16 | .579 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 13 | – | 19 | .406 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 13 | – | 19 | .406 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 15 | – | 20 | .429 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 15 | – | 17 | .469 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the third consecutive season that Tennessee has made it to the Elite Eight. Prior to the 2024 season, they had only made it one other time.
Previous season
The Volunteers finished the 2024–25 season 30–8, 12–6 in SEC play to finish in fourth place. As the No. 4 seed in the SEC men's basketball tournament, held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, they received a double bye to the quarterfinals. There, they defeated Texas, 83–72, to advance to the semifinals, where they secured a 70–65 win over eventual Final Four semifinalist Auburn. In the championship game, they lost to the eventual NCAA champion Florida, 86–77.
Tennessee received a bid to the 2025 NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region. There, they defeated Wofford, 77–62, in the first round, UCLA, 67–58, in the second round, and SEC rival Kentucky, 78–65, in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year. Just like in 2024, Tennessee's season once again ended in the Elite Eight with a loss to the eventual runner-up — this time to Houston, 69–50, denying them their first-ever Final Four appearance.[1]
Offseason
Departures
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaz Lanier | 2 | G | 6'5" | 207 | Graduate Student | Nashville, TN | Graduated/2025 NBA draft; selected 56th overall by Detroit Pistons |
| Zakai Zeigler | 5 | G | 5'9" | 172 | Senior | Long Island, NY | Graduated, signed with Nanterre 92 |
| Igor Miličić Jr. | 7 | F | 6'10" | 225 | Senior | Rovinj, Croatia | Graduated/undrafted in 2025 NBA draft; signed with the Philadelphia 76ers |
| Darlinstone Dubar | 8 | G | 6'6" | 220 | Graduate Student | Charlotte, NC | Transferred |
| Jordan Gainey | 11 | G | 6'4" | 190 | Senior | Tucson, AZ | Graduated |
| Jahmai Mashack | 15 | G | 6'4" | 202 | Senior | Fontana, CA | Graduated/2025 NBA draft; selected 59th overall by Memphis Grizzlies |
| Ben Linnemeyer | 35 | G | 6'6" | 205 | Freshman | Columbia, MO | Walk-on; transferred to Harding |
| Cameron Carr | 43 | G | 6'6" | 189 | Sophomore | Eden Prairie, MN | Transferred to Baylor |
Zakai Zeigler initially pursued a federal judiciary appeal for an exemption to the NCAA's new eligibility rules in an attempt to play a fifth season of Division I basketball in a five-year span, but withdrew the appeal on July 1, 2025.[2]
Incoming transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Kobi Gillespie | 0 | G | 6'1" | 188 | Senior | Greeneville, TN | Maryland |
| Jaylen Carey | 23 | F | 6'8" | 267 | Junior | Southwest Ranches, FL | Vanderbilt |
| Amaree Abram | 77 | G | 6'3" | 200 | Senior | Port Arthur, TX | Louisiana Tech |
Recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Ament #2 SF |
Manassas, VA | Highland School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Apr 20, 2025 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (97) | ||||||
| DeWayne Brown #25 C |
Birmingham, AL | Hoover High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Apr 20, 2024 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (83) | ||||||
| Amari Evans #26 SF |
Atlanta, GA | Overtime Elite | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Nov 1, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (83) | ||||||
| Clarence Massamba CG |
Monaco | AS Monaco Basket Club | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Apr 30, 2025 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (NR) | ||||||
| Troy Henderson PG |
Richmond, VA | John Marshall High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Mar 25, 2025 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (NR) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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Roster
| 2025–26 Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 26, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 18 | No. 6 Duke | L 76–83 | 19 – Gillespie | 10 – Ament | 8 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678) Knoxville, TN | ||||
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 3, 2025* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ |
No. 18 | Mercer | W 76–61 | 1–0 |
18 – Ament | 10 – Carey | 6 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (18,559) Knoxville, TN | |||
| November 8, 2025* 3:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ |
No. 18 | Northern Kentucky | W 95–56 | 2–0 |
23 – Ament | 11 – Tied | 5 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (18,661) Knoxville, TN | |||
| November 12, 2025* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ |
No. 20 | North Florida | W 99–66 | 3−0 |
23 – Estrella | 10 – Estrella | 7 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (17,614) Knoxville, TN | |||
| November 17, 2025* 8:30 p.m., SECN |
No. 20 | Rice | W 91–66 | 4–0 |
20 – Okpara | 10 – Ament | 8 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (17,283) Knoxville, TN | |||
| November 20, 2025* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ |
No. 20 | Tennessee State | W 89–60 | 5–0 |
17 – Gillespie | 8 – Okpara | 5 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (17,313) Knoxville, TN | |||
| November 24, 2025* 1:00 p.m., TNT |
No. 17 | vs. Rutgers Players Era Festival Game 1 |
W 85–60 | 6–0 |
32 – Gillespie | 7 – Tied | 4 – Gillespie | MGM Grand Garden Arena (4,628) Paradise, NV | |||
| November 25, 2025* 6:00 p.m., TNT |
No. 17 | vs. No. 3 Houston Players Era Festival Game 2 |
W 76–73 | 7–0 |
22 – Gillespie | 7 – Carey | 4 – Tied | MGM Grand Garden Arena Paradise, NV | |||
| November 26, 2025* 7:00 p.m., TNT |
No. 17 | vs. Kansas Players Era Festival 3rd place game |
L 76–81 | 7–1 |
20 – Ament | 10 – Carey | 4 – Tied | MGM Grand Garden Arena Paradise, NV | |||
| December 2, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 13 | at Syracuse ACC–SEC Challenge |
L 60–62 | 7–2 |
22 – Carey | 9 – Carey | 7 – Gillespie | JMA Wireless Dome (19,657) Syracuse, NY | |||
| December 6, 2025* 8:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 13 | vs. No. 14 Illinois Music City Madness |
L 62–75 | 7–3 |
15 – Gillespie | 7 – Tied | 5 – Gillespie | Bridgestone Arena (16,157) Nashville, TN | |||
| December 16, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 20 | No. 11 Louisville | W 83–62 | 8–3 |
23 – Gillespie | 10 – Carey | 5 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678) Knoxville, TN | |||
| December 21, 2025* 3:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ |
No. 20 | Gardner–Webb | W 94–52 | 9–3 |
15 – Tied | 14 – Brown II | 9 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (19,059) Knoxville, TN | |||
| December 30, 2025* 8:00 p.m., SECN |
No. 19 | South Carolina State | W 105–54 | 10–3 |
21 – Gillespie | 10 – Tied | 8 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (18,279) Knoxville, TN | |||
| SEC regular season | |||||||||||
| January 3, 2026 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 19 | at No. 18 Arkansas | L 75–86 | 10–4 (0–1) |
16 – Evans | 7 – Okpara | 4 – Gillespie | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR | |||
| January 6, 2026 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 21 | Texas | W 85–71 | 11–4 (1–1) |
34 – Gillespie | 6 – Estrella | 5 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (17,402) Knoxville, TN | |||
| January 10, 2026 12:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 21 | at Florida | L 67–91 | 11–5 (1–2) |
17 – Ament | 5 – Tied | 3 – Gillespie | O'Connell Center (10,182) Gainesville, FL | |||
| January 13, 2026 7:00 p.m., SECN |
No. 24 | Texas A&M | W 87–82 2OT | 12–5 (2–2) |
23 – Ament | 12 – Okpara | 5 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (17,808) Knoxville, TN | |||
| January 17, 2026 12:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 24 | Kentucky Rivalry |
L 78–80 | 12–6 (2–3) |
24 – Gillespie | 7 – Carey | 8 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678) Knoxville, TN | |||
| January 24, 2026 8:30 p.m., ESPN |
at No. 17 Alabama | W 79–73 | 13–6 (3–3) |
29 – Ament | 8 – Okpara | 4 – Gillespie | Coleman Coliseum (13,474) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
| January 27, 2026 7:00 p.m., SECN |
at Georgia | W 86–85 OT | 14–6 (4–3) |
21 – Gillespie | 11 – Okpara | 6 – Gillespie | Stegeman Coliseum (9,854) Athens, GA | ||||
| January 31, 2026 8:30 p.m., ESPN |
Auburn | W 77–69 | 15–6 (5–3) |
22 – Ament | 8 – Tied | 5 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678) Knoxville, TN | ||||
| February 3, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 25 | Ole Miss | W 84–66 | 16–6 (6–3) |
28 – Ament | 9 – Estrella | 5 – Boswell | Thompson–Boling Arena (18,882) Knoxville, TN | |||
| February 7, 2026 8:30 p.m., ESPN |
No. 25 | at Kentucky Rivalry |
L 71–74 | 16–7 (6–4) |
29 – Ament | 12 – Brown II | 4 – Gillespie | Rupp Arena (20,123) Lexington, KY | |||
| February 11, 2026 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at Mississippi State | W 73–64 | 17–7 (7–4) |
18 – Gillespie | 8 – Brown II | 8 – Boswell | Humphrey Coliseum (7,986) Starkville, MS | ||||
| February 14, 2026 6:00 p.m., SECN |
LSU | W 73–63 | 18–7 (8–4) |
22 – Ament | 9 – Tied | 6 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678) Knoxville, TN | ||||
| February 18, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
Oklahoma | W 89–66 | 19–7 (9–4) |
29 – Ament | 7 – Tied | 8 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (18,361) Knoxville, TN | ||||
| February 21, 2026 2:00 p.m., ESPN |
at No. 19 Vanderbilt Rivalry |
W 69–65 | 20–7 (10–4) |
17 – Gillespie | 9 – Ament | 4 – Boswell | Memorial Gymnasium (14,316) Nashville, TN | ||||
| February 24, 2026 9:00 p.m., SECN |
No. 22 | at Missouri | L 69–73 | 20–8 (10–5) |
19 – Gillespie | 10 – Carey | 6 – Gillespie | Mizzou Arena (11,094) Columbia, MO | |||
| February 28, 2026 6:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 22 | No. 17 Alabama | L 69–71 | 20–9 (10–6) |
26 – Gillespie | 9 – Tied | 7 – Gillespie | Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678) Knoxville, TN | |||
| March 3, 2026 6:00 p.m., SECN |
No. 23 | at South Carolina | W 78–59 | 21–9 (11–6) |
22 – Estrella | 8 – Okpara | 12 – Gillespie | Colonial Life Arena (10,517) Columbia, SC | |||
| March 7, 2026 2:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 23 | No. 24 Vanderbilt Rivalry |
L 82–86 | 21–10 (11–7) |
24 – Evans | 10 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (19,654) Knoxville, TN | |||
| SEC Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 12, 2026 3:00 p.m., SECN |
(5) No. 25 | vs. (12) Auburn Second round |
W 72–62 | 22–10 |
27 – Ament | 8 – Ament | 4 – Ament | Bridgestone Arena (15,719) Nashville, TN | |||
| March 13, 2026 3:30 p.m., ESPN |
(5) No. 25 | vs. (4) No. 22 Vanderbilt Quarterfinal/Rivalry |
L 68–75 | 22–11 |
21 – Gillespie | 11 – Ament | 4 – Gillespie | Bridgestone Arena (17,864) Nashville, TN | |||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 20, 2026* 4:25 p.m., TBS |
(6 MW) No. 23 | vs. (11 MW) Miami (OH) First round |
W 78–56 | 23–11 |
29 – Gillespie | 10 – Estrella | 9 – Gillespie | Xfinity Mobile Arena (19,686) Philadelphia, PA | |||
| March 22, 2026* 5:10 p.m., TNT |
(6 MW) No. 23 | vs. (3 MW) No. 9 Virginia Second round |
W 79–72 | 24–11 |
21 – Gillespie | 8 – Okpara | 9 – Boswell | Xfinity Mobile Arena (19,279) Philadelphia, PA | |||
| March 27, 2026* 10:10 p.m., TBS/TruTV |
(6 MW) No. 23 | vs. (2 MW) No. 6 Iowa State Sweet Sixteen |
W 76–62 | 25–11 |
18 – Ament | 10 – Tied | 8 – Boswell | United Center (21,508) Chicago, IL | |||
| March 29, 2026* 2:15 p.m., CBS |
(6 MW) No. 23 | vs. (1 MW) No. 3 Michigan Elite Eight |
L 62–95 | 25–12 |
21 – Gillespie | 7 – Tied | 4 – Gillespie | United Center (20,410) Chicago, IL | |||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. MW=Midwest. All times are in Eastern Time. | |||||||||||
For the third straight season, the team sold out all 14,500 season tickets.[3]