MBB Preview: #23 Arkansas at #1 Tennessee

January 3, 2025

Who: #23/rv Arkansas Razorbacks (11-2, 0-0 SEC) at #1/1Tennessee Volunteers (4-9, 1-2 Horizon)
What: Arkansas opens SEC play and, for the 15th time in school history, will play the nation’s #1 team.
When: Saturday – Jan. 4 – 1:00 pm (ET) / Noon (CT)
Where: Knoxville, Tenn. • Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center/The Summitt (21,678)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: ESPN / Watch ESPN (Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 391 / XM: 391 || SXM App Channel 981
– Arkansas Gameday App
– Live Stats

– Arkansas Game Notes
– Tennessee Game Notes
– SEC Notes/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – The 23rd-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks open SEC play on Saturday (Jan. 4) at #1 Tennessee. Tipoff is set for 1 pm (ET) / Noon (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN.

Arkansas will return home for a pair of games next week. First, the Razorbacks will host Ole Miss on Wednesday (Jan. 8). Tipoff is set for 6 pm and the game will be televised on ESPN2. Second, Arkansas hosts Florida on Saturday (Jan. 11) at 3 pm.

NOTES:

Versus Tennessee

This will be the 49th meeting between Arkansas and Tennessee. All but four have come since Arkansas joined the SEC for the 1991-92 season.
Tennessee is 1 of 3 SEC teams to lead the all-time series with Arkansas (with Florida and Kentucky). Thanks to three-straight wins in the series, the Vols own a 26-22 advantage in the overall series.
Since joining the SEC, Tennessee leads the series, 25-19.
Razorback head coach John Calipari is 22-16 all-time versus Tennessee, including a 9-9 mark in Thompson-Boling Arena.
DID YOU KNOW: Including this game, 8 of the last 13 meetings … and 6 of the last 9 … between the programs have been played in Knoxville. The teams have meet in Fayetteville four times over the span and they met once in St. Louis in the 2018 SEC Tournament.

Arkansas in SEC Openers

Arkansas opens SEC play on Saturday by traveling to Tennessee.
The Razorbacks are 18-15 all-time in SEC openers and 6-10 when opening SEC play at home.
DID YOU KNOW: Including this game, 5 of the last 7 SEC openers for Arkansas have been on the road.
Arkansas is 2-0 versus Tennessee in SEC openers with the previous two meetings coming in Fayetteville.

Arkansas vs #1 and Top 25 Matchups

Arkansas has only beaten the AP #1 team three times and are 3-11 all time in such games.
However, Arkansas is riding a two-game win streak vs #1, both in 2022.
^ 2/8/22 – ARK beat #1 Auburn 80-76 (OT) in Fayetteville
– JD Notae had 28 pts; Jaylin Williams & Au’Diese Toney had double-doubles
^ 3/24/22 – #17 ARK beat #1 Gonzaga 76-68in San Francisco (NCAA Sweet 16)
– JD Notae had 21 pts & Trey Wade had 15 pts; Jaylin Williams had 15 & 12
Arkansas’ other win versus #1 came on Feb. 12, 1984 in Pine Bluff. The Razorbacks beat the 19-0 North Carolina Tar Heels, 65-64, on a last-second basket from Charles Balentine. Arkansas also got 20 points from Joe Kleine and 10 assists from Alvin Robertson.
Arkansas is 48-52 all-time when ranked and playing a ranked opponent. The Razorbacks are 4-16 in such games on the road. The Hogs’ last road win in such games was Feb. 15, 1995, when #10 Arkansas beat #18 Alabama, 86-80.

Cal vs #1 and in Top 25 Match-ups

Razorback head coach John Calipari is 6-5 all-time when playing the AP #1 team, including a 0-1 record in road games. He is 1-0 when playing #1 at home and 5-4 when playing #1 on neutral courts.
^ at UMass: 3-0. ^ at MEM: 0-2. ^ at UK: 3-3
Cal is 1-0 when facing when facing Tennessee and the Vols are #1. Then #5 Kentucky beat then #1 Tennessee, 86-69, on Feb. 16, 2019, in Rupp.
Cal’s teams have been ranked in 10 of the 11 times he has played #1 including then #2 UK beating then #1 Michigan State, 69-62, on Nov. 5, 2019, in Madison Square Garden.
Coach Cal is 92-69 when his teams are ranked and playing a top 25 team. However, he is just 14-23 in such games on the road.

For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X.