NEW YORK — Tennessee’s season ended inside Madison Square Garden less than two years ago.
The Vols return on Tuesday at the No. 1 team in college basketball, and arguably its most dominated after an 8-0 start.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Tennessee plays Miami (3-6) in the Jimmy V Classic in midtown Manhattan in the middle of a three-game stretch against power conference teams.
The Vols won the first emphatically a week ago, thumping Syracuse, 96-70 in Knoxville and will play Illinois in their second true road game on Saturday.
Tennessee’s convincing start has been headlined by transfer guard Chaz Lanier, who is averaging more than 19 points per game.
Both forward Igor Milicic Jr. and Zakai Zeigler are scoring 12-plus through eight games, while Rick Barnes’ patented defense has looked the part and ranked second nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
Much of what has carried the Vols to this point is expected again vs. a struggling Hurricanes team that has lost six straight since starting the season 3-0.
Here is everything you need to know about the match up between Tennessee and Miami.
Who: No. 1 Tennessee (8-0) vs. Miami (3-6)
When: Tuesday, Dec. 10 | 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden | New York City
TV: ESPN (Dan Shulman, play-by-play; Jay Bilas, analyst; Jess Sims, reporter)
Series: Fifth meeting all-time (Tennessee leads, 3-1)
KenPom projection: Tennessee 81, Miami 65
POINTS PER GAME
Tennessee 83.4
Miami 79.3
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Tennessee 52.5%
Miami 48.9%
THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE
Tennessee 37.4%
Miami 33.5%
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Revisiting Vols’ first trip to Madison Square Garden, 1969 NIT run
REBOUNDS
Tennessee 38.8
Miami 34.1
ASSISTS
Tennessee 17.6
Miami 13.3
BLOCKS
Tennessee 5.6
Miami 2.8
— Tennessee and Miami are meeting for the fifth time and the third at a neutral site. The two teams previously played in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Montgomery, Alabama.
— Tennessee will play inside Madison Square Garden for the 16th time and the second time in three years. The Vols played Florida Atlantic there in the Sweet 16 in 2023 and are 7-12 in games played at the Garden.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee takes top spot in AP Top 25
— Tennessee has dominated through its first eight games of the 2024 season. The Vols have led for nearly 304 minutes of game time in that span and have only trialed for six minutes, three seconds.
— Miami was picked to finish sixth in the ACC preseason media poll. The Hurricanes, who finished 15-17 last season, are led in scoring by guard Nijel Pack, who is averaging 14.1 points per game.
