LAS VEGAS – The undefeated No. 20/17 Tennessee men’s basketball team (5-0) will face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Monday in their opening contest of the Players Era Tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT and streamed on HBO Max. The broadcast team includes Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Nabil Karim (reporter), and Tennessee legend Candace Parker, who will make her debut as a color analyst for a Volunteers men’s game. Parker, a two-time national champion at Tennessee, was the top pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft and went on to win two MVP awards and three titles. Fans can also listen to the Vol Network radio broadcast with John Wilkerson and Steve Hamer.
This matchup is the first between Tennessee and Rutgers in 33 years. The Volunteers are 2-0 in the series, with the last meeting occurring in 1992. Against current Big Ten conference schools, Tennessee holds a 36-44 all-time record, including two road victories last season. Head coach Rick Barnes has a career record of 42-40 against the Big Ten, with a 9-8 record during his tenure at Tennessee.
Rutgers enters the tournament after a 15-17 season and is led by sophomore forward Dylan Grant, who averages 16.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
The Volunteers have demonstrated impressive form early in the season, leading the nation in both rebounding margin (+19.2) and offensive rebounding percentage (49.7). The team’s depth is evident, with ten players averaging over 5.0 points per game and three averaging at least 14.0.
Tennessee has established itself as a consistent national power, joining Alabama and Houston as the only programs to reach the last three Sweet 16s. The team’s 206 wins over the last nine seasons are tied for sixth-most in Division I. During that same span, the Volunteers lead all SEC programs in postseason victories (23) and are tied for first in total wins.
Freshman Nate Ament has been a standout performer, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors in the first two weeks of the season—a first for a Volunteer. He is one of only three Division I freshmen to record at least 15 points and six rebounds in each of the first five games this season. His notable performances include a 23-point, eight-rebound, five-assist game against Northern Kentucky and his first career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds against Rice.
The team’s offense has been characterized by balanced scoring and excellent ball movement. In three consecutive games, three different players scored 17 or more points. The Volunteers have also recorded 19 or more assists in five straight contests, including three games with 23 or more, highlighting their efficient and unselfish play.
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