The Official #8 Tennessee vs. #4 Florida Game Thread, 1:00 PM ET, ESPN

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YankeeVol

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SEC TOURNAMENT - FINAL

#8 [4] Tennessee Volunteers: 27-6 (12-6 SEC)

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vs.

#4 [2] Florida Gators: 29-4 (14-4 SEC)

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GAME 34 | TENNESSEE vs. FLORIDA - Sunday, March 16, 2025 | 1 p.m. ET | Nashville, Tenn. | Bridgestone Arena (18,500)

Line: UT +5.5
O/U: 143.5

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Florida Game Notes

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#2
#2
THE MATCHUP

• This is the first SEC Tournament title game between the two sides.
• Tennessee's 82 wins over Florida are tied for its fourth-most versus any foe. It has 132 victories against Vanderbilt, 100 versus Georgia, 91 versus Mississippi State and an equal 82 against Auburn.
• UT is 9-3 in its last 12 matchups with Florida, dating to 2/21/18, after going 1-5 in the prior six.
• The Volunteers are 4-3 in AP top-25 clashes versus Florida. This is the sides' third AP top-10 matchup of the season after they had zero previously.
• The two regular season matchups in the series were decided by 50 total points. Florida won by 30 on its home floor and UT, without both Zakai Zeigler (injury) and Igor Miličić Jr. (illness), won by 20 on its home court.
• The Gators, making their second straight SEC finals trip, placed second in the SEC and are 11-1 since losing at UT on 2/1/25.
• Florida is paced by senior guard Walter Clayton Jr., a First Team All-SEC choice, who is averaging 17.4 ppg and 4.4 apg.
 
#3
#3
NEWS & NOTES

• The Volunteers are 76-58 (.567) in SEC Tournament play, with five titles. They are 13-7 (.650), with one crown, in Rick Barnes' tenure.
• Tennessee owns a 5-8 record in SEC championship contests, including 1-2 under Rick Barnes. This is its fourth finals berth in the last seven tournaments.
• Tennessee is 1-4 all-time in its home state in SEC title games. It is 0-2 in Nashville and 1-2 in Knoxville. UT is looking to win an SEC Tournament crown in the Volunteer State for the first time since 1936 when it beat Alabama, 29-25, in Knoxville on 3/2/36.
• During its active 78-week streak in the AP Poll, dating to the 2021- 22 preseason release, Tennessee has played just 16 of its 140 games as a lower-ranked team, posting a 10-6 record. That includes a 9-4 mark since 1/22/22 and a 7-2 tally versus SEC foes.
• This is UT's seventh AP top-eight clash versus an SEC foe this year; it went 4-2 in the first six. The Volunteers played seven such prior games in program history before 2024-25, going 3-4.
• With 833 wins, Rick Barnes is tied with John Calipari for ninth all- time (min. 10 years in DI) and for the most among active coaches.
• Zakai Zeigler owns Tennessee's single-season assist record with 234, six away from the SEC top 10. His 706 career assists are seven shy of the UT record, while his his UT-best 242 steals are four away from a top-10 spot on the SEC's all-time list. More on Page 11.
• Chaz Lanier is 10 points away from the 25th 600-point season in UT history. He would be the 16th different Vol to hit that mark.
• UT now has 27 wins for the sixth time. Four are under Rick Barnes. • Tennessee's 198 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co-eighth nationally, alongside Auburn and San Diego State. Only Gonzaga (238), Houston (238), Duke (216), Kansas (212), Purdue (204), Saint Mary's (199) and Liberty (199) own more.
• Over the last four years, UT leads or co-leads DI in wins over teams in the AP top 25 (29), top 20 (25), top 15 (22), top 10 (12), top five (seven) and top three (four).
 
#4
#4
RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES

TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee's 29 AP top-25 wins lead DI. Only Alabama (closest SEC team with 26), Connecticut (26), Kansas (26), Iowa State (25) and Purdue (23) are within seven.
TOP 20: Tennessee is first in the nation with 25 AP top-20 triumphs over that span. Only Connecticut (24), Kansas (22) and Alabama (closest SEC team with 21) are even within five.
TOP 15: The Volunteers lead DI with 22 AP top-15 decisions over those four years. Kansas (20) and Alabama (closest SEC team with 18) are the only schools even within five.
TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns 12 AP top-10 wins, co-first nationally, alongside Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12) and Kansas (12). The only school within one is Kentucky (closest SEC team with 11). The 12 wins in that time are against #1 Alabama (2/15/23), vs. #3 Kansas (11/25/22), #3 Auburn (2/26/22), #4 Kentucky (2/15/22), vs. #5 Kentucky (3/12/22), #6 Arizona (12/22/21), #10 Texas (1/28/23), at #10 Kentucky (2/3/24), #5 Florida (2/1/25), at #7 Texas A&M (2/22/25), #6 Alabama (3/1/25) and vs. #3 Auburn (3/15/25).
TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has seven AP top-five victories, the most in the country. Only four other schools have even five: Alabama (six), Arizona (six), Florida (five) and Iowa State (five).
 
#5
#5
QUITE THE CAMPAIGN

• Tennessee's nine AP top-25 wins this season are its most ever, eclipsing the seven it had in both 2023- 24 and 2021-22. It has tallied at least seven in three of the last four years after never before doing so.
• UT has seven AP top-15 wins this year, passing 2021- 22 (six) for the most in school history. The Vols had five in 2022-23, giving them five-plus in three of the last four years after never before hitting that mark.
• This is the third time in program history, including the second in Rick Barnes' tenure, the Vols have logged four AP top-seven (or even AP top-10) victories in a single season, joining 2021-22 and 1976-77.
• Tennessee has 25-plus wins in a season for the ninth time, including the sixth under Rick Barnes (all in the last eight years) and the fourth in a row. It reached 25 victories in the regular season for the third time, joining 2018-19 (27-4) and 2007-08 (28-3).
• UT has 27-plus wins for the sixth time (fourth under Barnes). It went 27-9 in 2023-24, 27-8 in 2021-22, 31-6 in 2018-19, 28-9 in 2009-10 and 31-5 in 2007-08.
 
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#6
STRONG IN THE STANDINGS

• Tennessee finished fourth in the SEC this season. It marked the program's seventh top-four finish in the last eight years, including its fifth in a row.
• The Volunteers are the only team in the league to place top-four each of the past five seasons. Only three others have done it multiple times: Alabama (four), Auburn (three) and Kentucky (three).
• UT is also the only school to place top-four in seven of the last eight campaigns. Just three others have done it even four times: Auburn (six), Kentucky (six) and Alabama (four).
 
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#7
SENSATIONAL SIX

• Tennessee, Drake, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston and Saint Mary's are the only schools with 25-plus wins each of the past four seasons (2021-22 to 2024-25).
• Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024- 25 with a three-year streak and can still join that list.
 
#10
#10
When was last time Vols were under dogs by 4. To 5 points back to back games ….?

Same spread as dogs vs Auburn. Hope that works out exactly the same way. But, Florida is playing as well as anyone in the Country, and has a decided edge in depth over UT. Going to be a tough game. I actually expected flarduh to be a 7-10 point favorite; based on their dominating 22 point win yesterday; with bama & Auburn being basically the same team.
 
#13
#13
Same spread as dogs vs Auburn. Hope that works out exactly the same way. But, Florida is playing as well as anyone in the Country, and has a decided edge in depth over UT. Going to be a tough game. I actually expected flarduh to be a 7-10 point favorite; based on their dominating 22 point win yesterday; with bama & Auburn being basically the same team.
Auburn opened at 3.5, FL at 4.5, both ended up 5.5
 
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#15
#15
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#19
#19
This game will not impact the NCCAA seeding; those are already set in stone. I am thankful to see this group play an additional game in any case. Igor needs to put on his big boy pants in the last 10 minutes, but everyone else is hitting on all cylinders. Where have those Dubar drives been all season? Two of them! If they can stay out of foul trouble, they win.
 
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#20
#20
That's a great thought. When he passed the other day, I think we lost America's best then-living sportwriter.
How about our Own VFL 90 year old Marvin West? Read his column on today's UT fla I game posted on VN.

Down goes Auburn, Vols face Florida​

Posted by Marvin West | Mar 15, 2025 | westwords |
 
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#21
#21
This game will not impact the NCCAA seeding; those are already set in stone. I am thankful to see this group play an additional game in any case. Igor needs to put on his big boy pants in the last 10 minutes, but everyone else is hitting on all cylinders. Where have those Dubar drives been all season? Two of them! If they can stay out of foul trouble, they win.

So what if UAB beats Memphis - some team on the bubble would be out. Correct? That impacts NCAA Seeding. And are both Wisconsin and Michigan in or wouldn't that impact the seeding?

if the conference championships mean nothing - then just cancel them ALL of them and move selection and March Madness up a week.

Otherwise, the games played ARE and SHOULD be part of what is considered for seeding and placement. I mean they are used to "knock" out teams that would have made the tourney otherwise.
 
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#22
#22
Some on here obviously don't remember the time when a team HAD to WIN the conference championship to even get in - back when there were just 16 or 32 teams.

Winning the regular season didn't matter as much then.
 
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#24
#24
Here

Bracketologists are praying for a Florida win today. Things get messy if UT wins. Curious is officiating plays out that way
It wouldn't be messy. Two teams, same conference, winner gets a 1 loser gets a 2. Same region and opening round locations either way.
 

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