Fans can catch Monday’s game on ESPN2. Dan Shulman, (play-by-play) and Jay Bilas (analyst) will have the call.
This week marks Tennessee’s fourth all-time appearance in the Maui Invitational. Due to the devastating wildfires that impacted the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui, the 2023 Maui Invitational—often considered the preeminent early season college basketball tournament—relocated to Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu.
In its most recent action, UT registered an 82-61 victory Tuesday against Wofford. The Vols, behind a team-high 18 points from fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht, led wire to wire at Food City Center.
THE MATCHUP
• Tennessee won its first meeting against Syracuse, dropped the next three and then won each of the next two, but the sides have not met in over 20 years (1/19/02).
• The lone prior neutral-site contest between Tennessee and Syracuse came in the first round of the 1977 NCAA Tournament, with the Orange winning, 93-88, in overtime in Baton Rouge, La., on 3/13/77. Syracuse was then led by first-year head coach Jim Boeheim, while it isnow under first-year leadership of his successor, Adrian Autry.
• Syracuse, coming off a 17-15 (10-10) showing in 2022-23, was picked No. 10 in the ACC presesaon poll.
• The Orange return five of their top seven scorers from 2022-23, including sophomore guard Judah Mintz, a Preseason Second Team All-ACC pick who is averaging team highs in points (23.0) and assists (5.0) per game this year.
• Syracuse is 9-0 all-time in the Maui Invitational—the only school with an undefeated record—and won it in 1990, 1998 and 2013.
NEWS & NOTES
• The Allstate Maui Invitational features five of the top 12 teams in the country, along with another team ranked in one poll. The list includes No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Purdue, No. 4/5 Marquette, No. 7/8 Tennessee, No. 11/12 Gonzaga and RV/No. 25 UCLA.
• The preseason picks to win the Big 12 (Kansas), Big East (Marquette), Big Ten (Purdue) and SEC (Tennessee) are all in the Allstate Maui Invitational.
• The Volunteers are 3-6 all-time in the Maui Invitational, going 1-2 in 2016 (seventh place), 1-2 in 2011 (seventh) and 1-2 in 2004 (fourth).
• Tennessee has two New Yorkers on its roster in Tobe Awaka (Hyde Park) and Zakai Zeigler (Wyandanch, Long Island), both of whom are from within 300 miles southeast of Syracuse.
• The Volunteers are 114-100 all- time against current ACC schools and Rick Barnes is 75-75 versus such foes, most recently toppling No. 12/16 Duke (3/18/23) in the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.
• Tennessee won its multi-team event last season, claiming the title at Battle 4 Atlantis after victories over Butler, USC and third-ranked Kansas in Paraside Island, Bahamas.
• Overall, UT went 9-8 across seven multi-team events in Rick Barnes‘ first eight seasons, including 6-3 in three tournaments outside the continental United States.
• With a win against Syracuse, Rick Barnes would own victories over 13 national-title winning programs in his nine years at UT. A full list of the 34 such triumphs over 12 different schools, with Wisconsin the most recent addition on 11/10/23, can be found on Page 4.
• Through two exhibition games and three regular season affairs, the Volunteers have led for 194:20 of a possible 200 minutes without trailing for even a single second.
• Dalton Knecht, the Nov. 13 SEC Player of the Week, has paced UT in scoring with 17-plus points in all three of its outings and leads the SEC in scoring (19.7 ppg), while placing top-10 in field-goal (54.1) and free-throw percentage (83.3).
Tennessee won its multi-team event last season, claiming the title at Battle 4 Atlantis after victories over Butler, USC and third-ranked Kansas in Paraside Island, Bahamas.
• Overall, UT went 9-8 across seven multi-team events in Rick Barnes‘ first eight seasons, including 6-3 in three tournaments outside the continental United States.
• With a win against Syracuse, Rick Barnes would own victories over 13 national-title winning programs in his nine years at UT. A full list of the 34 such triumphs over 12 different schools, with Wisconsin the most recent addition on 11/10/23, can be found on Page 4.
• Through two exhibition games and three regular season affairs, the Volunteers have led for 194:20 of a possible 200 minutes without trailing for even a single second.
• Dalton Knecht, the Nov. 13 SEC Player of the Week, has paced UT in scoring with 17-plus points in all three of its outings and leads the SEC in scoring (19.7 ppg), while placing top-10 in field-goal (54.1) and free-throw percentage (83.3).
BEATING THE BEST
• Under Rick Barnes‘ tutelage, Tennessee has defeated many of the most successful programs in college basketball history. The list includes 34 total victories over 12 (of only a possible 37) national champions: Arizona, Arkansas (6x), Cincinnati, Duke, Florida (8x), Kansas (2x), Kentucky (10x), Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State and Wisconsin, as well as two-tiume runner-up Gonzaga.
• The Voluteers also own additional non-conference victories during Barnes’ tenure over schools such as Colorado, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Memphis, Purdue, Wake Forest, Washington, West Virginia and VCU.
POLL PRESENCE
• Tennessee has played 170 games as a ranked team in the AP Poll under Rick Barnes, posting a stellar 127-43 (.747) record. Nearly 63 percent of the Volunteers’ games since Barnes arrived in 2015-16 have come with the team ranked in the AP Poll.
• Furthermore, UT owns a 106-38 (.736) record while ranked in the top 20 during Barnes’ tenure, a 76-26 (.745) mark while in the top 15, a 59-16 (.787) ledger while in the top 10, a 25-7 (.781) tally while in the top five and a 17-2 (.895) record while in the top three.
• The Vols are 21-17 (.553) in top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 16-10 (.615) with both teams in the top 20, 9-5 (.643) with both in the top 15 and 6-3 (.667) with both in the top 10.
THE PRESEASON PICK
• Tennessee placed first in the SEC preseason poll, as voted on by a select panel of both SEC and national media members.
• This is the fifth time the Volunteers have been picked to win the league since polling began in 1989-90, with each nod coming since the turn of the century in advance of the 2000-01 season. UT’s five first- place selections during that time are more than the combined total of every other program in the league except for Kentucky, as Florida (twice) and Alabama (once) are the only schools that have taken the pole position besides the Vols and Wildcats.
• The Volunteers have now been picked first in two of the last four seasons, as their prior such recognitions came in 2020-21, 2008-09, 2007-08 and 2000-01.
• The complete SEC preseason poll can be found below:
1. Tennessee
2. Texas A&M
3. Arkansas
4. Kentucky
5. Alabama
6. Auburn
7. Mississippi State
8. Florida
9. Missouri
10. Ole Miss
11. Vanderbilt
12. Georgia
13. LSU
14. South Carolina
SEC PRESEASON PLAUDITS
• Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler were both Preseason First Team All-SEC picks by the league’s head coaches, the lone such teammate duo in the conference. Josiah-Jordan James collected Preseason Second Team All-SEC plaudits, making Tenneessee the lone school with three honorees.
• The complete Preseason All-SEC teams, as selected by the coaches, can be found below:
• FIRST TEAM: Trevon Brazile (AR), Johni Broome (AU), Riley Kugel (UF), Antonio Reeves (UK), Tolu Smith (MS), Santiago Vescovi (UT), Zakai Zeigler (UT), Wade Taylor IV (A&M)
• SECOND TEAM: Grant Nelson (AL), Mark Sears (AL), Davonte Davis (AR), Justin Edwards (UK), Matthew Murrell (OM), Josiah-Jordan James (UT), Tyrece Radford (A&M), Tyrin Lawrence (VU)
TALENTED TRIO
• Three Volunteers were tabbed to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame “Starting Five” Preseason Watch Lists.
• Zakai Zeigler is one of 20 players on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List.
• Santiago Vescovi is among 20 individuals on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List.
• Dalton Knecht is one of the 20 selections for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List.
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