The Official Tennessee vs. UNC Asheville Game Thread, 7:00 PM ET, SEC Network+

[YankeeVol]

Tennessee Volunteers: 0-0 (0-0 SEC)

vs.

UNC Asheville Bulldogs: 0-0 (0-0 Big South)

GAME 1 | TENNESSEE vs. UNC ASHEVILLE - Nov. 5, 2019 | 7:01 p.m. ET | Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678)


Line: UT: -28.5
O/U: —-

TV: SEC Network+
Radio: Vol Network
Satellite Radio: Sirius: --, XM: --
Online: ESPN App

 

[YankeeVol]

LAYUP LINES

• Tennessee, ranked No. 25 in the coaches poll, enters Tuesday's matchup with a 29-3 all-time record in season-openers played in Thompson-Boling Arena.
• The 2019-20 campaign stands as Tennessee's 33rd season in Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Four Tennessee home games have already sold out: Memphis, Kentucky, Florida and Auburn
• With sales of 15,465 to date, UT's season-ticket sales this season are the third-most in program history and the most since 2008-09.
• Transfer forward Uroš Plavšic will sit out this season after his NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility was denied.
• Freshman forward Drew Pember suffered a right ankle injury during Wednesday's exhibition, and his status is day-to-day.
• Tuesday is VFL Jordan Bone's 22nd birthday. He was the 57th pick in June's NBA Draft.

 

[YankeeVol]

THE SERIES

• UT leads the all-time series with UNC Asheville 10-0, dating to 1997.
• Nine of the 10 previous meetings took place at Thompson-Boling Arena. In November of 2012, the teams met at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in Bayamon.
• The only triple-double in UT hoops history came against UNC Asheville.
• UNCA head coach Mike Morrell has some East Tennessee ties, including a connection to Jason Witten.
• Bulldogs guards Tajion Jones (Oak Ridge HS), and Trent Stephney (Bearden HS) are local products. Stephney was a high school teammate of Vols freshmen Drew Pember.

 

[YankeeVol]

A WIN WOULD...

• Give the Volunteers a 30-3 record in home openers at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Mark Rick Barnes' 17th win in his last 18 season-openers.
• Mark Tennessee's 27th consecutive home win.

 

[YankeeVol]

ABOUT UNC ASHEVILLE

•The Vols and Bulldogs are set to meet Tuesday for the 11th time in the history of the programs and for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Tennessee hopes to maintain its unblemished record against Asheville, while starting 1-0 for the third consecutive season.
•The 2018-19 Bulldogs were nicknamed "The Baby Bulldogs," as they were the NCAA's youngest team, with 76 percent of their minutes coming from freshmen.
•Second-year head coach Mike Morrell hopes to bounce back from a difficult 2018-19 campaign that saw Asheville finish with a 4-27 overall record and a 2-14 mark in Big South play, placing them 10th in the 11-team conference.
•The Bulldogs return Big South All-Freshman selection DeVon Baker. The 6-2 guard, was arguably Asheville's biggest contributor last season, starting all 31 games while averaging 16.1 ppg to lead all Big South Conference freshmen in scoring, including 26 double-digit point performances.
•NC State transfer Lavar Batts Jr. was rated as the top-ranked player in the state of North Carolina by 247Sports and Rivals coming out of high school.
•UNCA faculty, staff, students and members of the surrounding community, assisted world-renowned artist Mel Chin, in creating and installing the largest sculpture to ever be placed in Times Square in New York City.
•UNCA is the only designated liberal arts institution in the 16-campus University of North Carolina system.

 

[YankeeVol]

TENNESSEE'S LONE TRIPLE-DOUBLE CAME AGAINST UNC ASHEVILLE

• There has been only one triple-double in the history of Tennessee basketball, and it came against UNC Asheville on Dec. 3, 2008.
• Junior wing Tyler Smith finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Vols defeated the Bulldogs, 87-69, in Knoxville.
• Smith had one steal and no turnovers in his 26 minutes of action. He was 4-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line.

 

[YankeeVol]

UNC Asheville Game Notes

 

[sport3500]

Kasey Funderburg is doing football and basketball reporting for UT.

 

[Vols All Day]

 

[berryvol]

Let’s goooooooo

 

[Tennesseefan2019]

Tennessee will win 88-67

 

[goldvol]

Man, i am ready for some Tennessee basketball! If I remember correctly, this was a close game last year. I hope to put them away early, but I expect we'll still be fighting with under 10 to go. Go Vols and go Coach Barnes!

 

[RollerVol]

thanks YV...looks like it's time for another triple double...

GO BIG ORANGE!

 

[YankeeVol]

Man, i am ready for some Tennessee basketball! If I remember correctly, this was a close game last year. I hope to put them away early, but I expect we'll still be fighting with under 10 to go. Go Vols and go Coach Barnes!

73-46...not that close

 

[Knox-a-rue]

Looking forward to the game. Thanks for the thread and posting game notes.

GBO!!! Can't wait to see Lamonte rock it.

 

[chuckb1448]

Go Big Orange Basketball!

 

[UTK]

What is SEC Network+?

 

[VEKZY]

What is SEC Network+?

basically ESPN3 (stream only)

 

[UTK]

basically ESPN3 (stream only)

So what is the actual point of the SEC alternate channel? Oh well lol

 

[Kosmalski]

What is SEC Network+?

Online streaming. I had to search for it on ESPN Plus.

Will try to link later tonight

 

[VEKZY]

So what is the actual point of the SEC alternate channel? Oh well lol

Good question. I have yet to figure that one out lmao

 

[PEPPERJAX]

What is SEC Network+?

I get this channel on sling. If you have access to SEC network, then you should have the SEC + too.

 

[TennesseeFan07]

Thank God for basketball.

 

[UTK]

Online streaming. I had to search for it on ESPN Plus.

Will try to link later tonight

Thanks. I have to work so my plan was to DVR it but I'm sure Freak will upload it on YT or I'll just catch the replay online.

 

[LittleCat]

Vols by forty