History of Kansas basketball vs. Tennessee Vols ahead of Big 12/SEC Challenge game
Kansas and Tennessee will meet in men’s basketball for the third consecutive season on Saturday, yet just the sixth time in the history of the two programs.
The Jayhawks — who nudged the Volunteers, 74-68, in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, on Jan. 25, 2020 at Allen Fieldhouse after also prevailing, 87-81 in overtime in the finals of the Preseason NIT on Nov. 23, 2019, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York — will take a 4-1 overall record against UT into a 5 p.m. challenge rematch at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. It will be shown on ESPN.
Yes, KU on Saturday returns to UT’s campus arena, where it suffered a 76-68 loss to the Vols on Jan. 10, 2010. KU entered that game 14-0 and the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Playing shorthanded because of the loss of four players to suspension, the No. 16-ranked Vols that day avenged a 92-85 loss to KU in the first-ever meeting between the teams on Jan. 3, 2009 at Allen Fieldhouse.
The two teams also met in the semifinals of the 2014 Orlando Classic. The Jayhawks rolled, 82-67, at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.
Bill Self, who is in his 18th season as KU coach, has coached all five meetings between the schools, while sixth-year Tennessee coach Rick Barnes is 0-2 covering the last two contests. Overall Self in 18 years at KU is 17-6 in head-to-head matchups against Barnes. Self’s Jayhawks were 15-6 against Barnes’ Texas Longhorns from 2003-04 to 2014-15.
The Jayhawks are 5-2 in the SEC/Big Challenge while Tennessee is 4-2. KU is 1-0 versus Tennessee, 2-1 against Kentucky, 1-1 versus Florida and 1-0 against Texas A&M. Tennessee is 2-0 vs. Kansas State, 0-1 vs. KU, 1-0 vs. West Virginia, 1-0 against Iowa State and 0-1 vs. TCU.
The Big 12 is 4-1-2 in seven seasons of competition against the SEC with 40 overall victories against 30 defeats. The league teams played to a 5-5 tie in 2019-20.
Here’s the schedule of games for Saturday in the one-day Challenge: KU at Tennessee, TCU at Missouri, Texas A&M at Kansas State, Alabama at Oklahoma, Arkansas at Oklahoma State, Auburn at Baylor, Florida at West Virginia, Texas at Kentucky, Texas Tech at LSU and Iowa State at Mississippi State.
And here’s a quick look at the five games played between KU and UT throughout history:
Kansas 92, Tennessee 85, Jan. 3, 2009, Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence: Sherron Collins scored 26 points off 7-of-14 shooting with nine assists and five rebounds, while Cole Aldrich scored 22 points with 10 rebounds and six blocked shots as unranked KU beat No. 14 Tennessee in the first-ever meeting between the schools.
Collins converted 10 of 14 free throw attempts, including two with 3:52 left to give KU a 79-70 lead. The Jayhawks led by as many as 17 points (72-55) with 7:22 left, the lead dropping to seven points at 4:33.
“I just wanted this game so bad. Coach Self called it a ‘man’s game.’ He said, ‘If you are not a man, you shouldn’t be out there,’’’ Collins said.
Brady Morningstar scored 12 points, while Tyshawn Taylor had 12 points and three assists for the Jayhawks, who led 25-9 early and 40-31 at halftime.
Tyler Smith scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Wayne Chism scored 17 points, Bobby Maze 14 points and Scotty Hopson 11 points for Tennessee.
UT 76, KU 68, Jan. 10, 2010, Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville:
Walk-on guard Skylar McBee scored six points in 23 minutes, while walk-ons Josh Bone and Steven Pearl, son of coach Bruce Pearl combined for three points, two assists and three boards in 22 minutes as Tennessee handed KU its first loss of the season.
McBee’s three-point basket with 35 seconds remaining stretched a three-point lead to 74-68.
Collins scored 22 points, while Aldrich grabbed 18 rebounds to go with seven points for the No.. 1- ranked Jayhawks, who finished the 2009-10 season 33-3 overall and 15-1 in the Big 12. KU’s only losses were to Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Northern Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Vols went 28-9, losing to Michigan State in the Elite Eight.
Hopson scored 17 points and wing Renaldo Woolridge hit four three-pointers and added 14 points with eight rebounds.
KU 82, Tennessee 67, Orlando Classic semifinal, Nov. 28, 2014, Orlando, Florida:
Forward Perry Ellis scored 24 points, center Cliff Alexander scored 16 and guard Frank Mason had 11 points and seven assists for No. 11-ranked KU.
Unranked Tennessee was led by guards Josh Richardson and Kevin Punter who had 16 and 14 points respectively. Guard Detrick Mostella contributed 13 points.
Alexander’s basket and foul shot gave KU a 69-62 lead with five minutes left. Ellis’ basket and foul shot made it 74-64 with two minutes to go.
KU, which led by just one point with 12 minutes left, overwhelmed the Vols on the boards 44-22. The Jayhawks had 18 offensive rebounds.
Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall was impressed with the Jayhawks.
”They’re obviously a top-10 team for a reason. They’re tough and talented and well coached and they have great depth,” Tyndall said.
KU 87, Tennessee 81 (OT), NIT Season Tipoff final, Nov. 23, 2018, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York:
KU forward Dedric Lawson, who missed a possible game-winning shot from the corner to end regulation, scored eight of No. 2-ranked KU’s 18 points in overtime.
Lawson scored seven points and his brother, K.J. Lawson (eight points, six boards), three in a 13-6 run that gave KU an 82-75 advantage with 1:23 left in OT.
Fpr KU, Lagerald Vick scored 15 points and dished four assists, while Devon Dotson scored 17 points with four rebounds and dished two assists. Udoka Azubuike scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds. He was unavailable in overtime after fouling out with 4:26 left in regulation. Grant Williams scored 18 points with eight rebounds, six assists and five turnovers for the No. 5 Vols. He fouled out with 1:24 left in regulation. Admiral Schofield had 21 points and Jordan Bone 16 for Tennessee.
Dedric Lawson, who had 24 points, 13 boards and five assists versus Tennessee in 41 minutes, was named tourney MVP. Vick also made the all-tournament team.
KU 74, Tennessee 68, SEC/Big 12 Challenge, Jan. 25, 2020, Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence: Azubuike scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked four shots for No. 3-ranked KU. KU was without Silvio De Sousa, who was suspended indefinitely and David McCormack, who was suspended one game for their roles in a fight against Kansas State the previous contest.
Dotson scored 22 points and dished seven assists. Ochai Agbaji hit three three-pointers and scored 16-points.
Yves Pons scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Jordan Bowden had 19 points and three assists and John Fulkerson 15 points and 12 boards for unranked UT.
The Jayhawks, who trailed by seven in the first half, led 69-66 with under two minutes to play. Azubuike hit a free throw at 1:51 before nabbing a steal and rejecting a pair of shots on Tennessee’s next two offensive possessions. The Volunteers managed just one field goal after pulling within three points. Dotson and Agbaji hit three free throws to assure victory.
