No. 1 Tennessee Seeks Redemption Against Texas in Austin

No. 1 Tennessee (14-1, 1-1 SEC) looks to rebound from its first loss of the season as it faces Texas (11-4, 0-2 SEC) in a highly anticipated matchup at the Moody Center in Austin on Saturday. The Vols suffered a shocking 30-point defeat to Florida earlier this week, shooting a dismal 21.4% from the field. Meanwhile, Texas is still searching for its first SEC win after dropping games to Texas A&M and Auburn.

The game, set to tip off at 6 p.m. ET, will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, with Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw providing commentary. Streaming options include ESPN+, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, who previously coached at Texas for 17 seasons, emphasized the importance of learning from the loss. “Defeat can work to our advantage if we allow it to,” Barnes told his team after the Florida game. “Nothing will come easy from here on out.”

The Vols hold a 5-4 edge in the all-time series against Texas, including a 62-58 victory in the NCAA Tournament last March. Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier, averaging 11.6 and 19.6 points per game, respectively, will be key players to watch. Texas, led by freshman guard Tre Johnson (18.4 PPG), will aim to capitalize on its home-court advantage.

According to KenPom, Tennessee is favored to win 69-64. The Vols are also favored by 6.5 points, per FanDuel odds as of Friday, Jan. 10. Both teams are looking to make a statement early in SEC play, with Tennessee aiming to regain its dominant form and Texas seeking its first conference win.