Ad Disclosure
Tennessee Volunteers Basketball
Tennessee Volunteers Basketball
Tennessee lands commitment from Vanderbilt transfer big man Jaylen Carey
Tennessee Volunteers Basketball
Chaz Lanier becomes first Tennessee player to capture national honor
Recent Articles
About Tennessee Basketball
Tennessee basketball has a rich history. Kentucky was the unchallenged king of SEC basketball until Ray Mears arrived at Tennessee in 1963. Just 4 seasons later, Mears had the Volunteers atop the SEC while earning their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1967.
They won another conference title in 1972, then gained national prominence with the recruitment of New York transplants Bernard King and Ernie Grunfield. Tennessee went 61-20 overall and 5-1 against Kentucky with an SEC title and 2 NCAA Tournament bids during the 3 seasons of the “Ernie and Bernie Show.”
After struggling through a succession of coaches through the 1980s and ’90s upon Mears’ departure, they regained their place among college basketball’s elite under Bruce Pearl, who led the Vols to 6 straight NCAA Tournaments from 2006-11.
Current coach Rick Barnes has maintained that level of excellence by leading Tennessee to 25-plus wins numerous times while reaching the Elite Eight in 2024.