KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee men's basketball has a big-time matchup on Saturday against Texas.
A UT vs. UT showdown sees both squads in the top 10 of the Associated Press Poll. The Vols (17-3) are ranked fourth and the Longhorns (17-3) are ranked tenth.
Tennessee comes into this game fresh off a 70-41 thumping of Georgia and has won three games in a row. Texas has won two in a row following a win against Oklahoma State.
Much like the Vols, Texas has a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging double-digit points per game. Marcus Carr leads his team with 17.6 points per contest.
The Vols also have four players doing the same and they are led by Santiago Vescovi, who is averaging 12.2 points per game.
The Longhorns come into this game with a top-25 scoring offense, ranked 22nd in the country (80.5 PPG). The Vols have the top-scoring defense (53.7 OPP PPG) and top field goal percentage defense in the country (33.9%).
The Vols will wear alternate jerseys for the game.
This is the second season in a row that both of these teams have met in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Longhorns won 42-51 after Tennessee's comeback fell short. That game was the return of Rick Barnes to his old coaching stomping grounds in Texas.
This will be just the second men's top-10 matchup in the 36-year history of Thompson-Boling Arena. The last was on Mar. 2, 2019, when No. 7 Tennessee beat No. 4 Kentucky, 71-52. The Vols have won four games in a row against AP Top 10 teams at home.
The game is a sellout and ESPN's College Gameday will do a show from Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. inside Thompson-Boling Arena and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
