Tennessee’s men’s basketball team has only played 21 games so far this season, but they’ve already set a number of school records and are on pace to set a few more by season’s end.
Right now, No. 1 Tennessee (20-1, 8-0 SEC) is currently on pace to set three team records and has a player on pace to set an individual record this season. And so far, UT has already set three team records and has a player who’s broken two records and tied another himself.
Let’s take a look at all the records Tennessee has already broken and is on pace to break this season.
Longest Winning Streak
With Tennessee’s 93-76 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday night, the Vols set a new school record for most consecutive wins. The previous record came back in the early 1900s when Tennessee won 15-straight games starting in 1915 and ending in 1917. This year, Tennessee has won 16-straight games dating back to a 95-67 win over Eastern Kentucky on November 28th. Their last (and so far only) loss came on November 23rd against then-No. 2 Kansas in overtime.
Fastest to 20 Wins
Tennessee’s 20-1 record is the best start to a season since the Vols joined the SEC prior to the 1932-33 season, and it’s the quickest the Vols have ever reached 20 wins in a season. The 2007-08 Tennessee team got their 20th victory on February 5th and did so in 22 games. This team notched their 20th win on February 2nd and did so in 21 games.
Most Weeks Ranked No. 1
Coming into this season, Tennessee had only ever been ranked No. 1 in men’s basketball for one week. This year, they made school history by being ranked atop the college basketball world for multiple weeks.
The Vols got voted the No. 1 team in college basketball on January 21st of this year. After surviving an upset bid by Vanderbilt in overtime and taking out West Virginia the following game, they stayed atop the polls that next week, marking the first time in program history they had been ranked No. 1 in consecutive weeks. Tennessee will likely stay at No. 1 this week as well after two road SEC victories this past week.
Grant Williams’ Free Throws
Junior forward Grant Williams set two records and tied another during his 43-point performance against Vanderbilt on January 23rd. He attempted and made 23 free throws in that game, setting the school record for most free throws made in a game and shattering the record for most consecutive free throws made. Bill Justus held the previous records for both of those, with 22 makes in a game and 18 consecutive shots made, respectively. Williams’ 23 free throws attempted tied Justus’ mark of 23 as well.
Vols are on Pace to Set More Records
Tennessee as a team is on pace to set a few more school records by the time this season comes to an end.
Right now, Tennessee has 420 total assists as a team, giving them an average of exactly 20 assists per game as a team. The school record for most assists in a season came in the 2007-08 campaign when that team totaled 637 assists in 36 games, which is an average of 17.7 assists per contest.
Tennessee’s team is also on pace to set the record for most points averaged in a season at their current rate. The Vols are currently averaging 86.7 points per game in their 21 games played this season. The record for most points per game in UT’s history came back in the 1974-75 season when that team averaged 86.6 points in 26 games.
The Vols as a team are also on pace to set the school record for most blocks in a season. In 21 games this year, Tennessee has blocked 121 shots as a team. The 1999-2000 team finished the year with 193 blocks in 33 games.
But it’s not just the team that can still set some records.
Junior point guard Jordan Bone is well on his way to smashing UT’s school record for the best assist-to-turnover ratio in a single season. He currently has an assist/turnover ratio of 3.56 on the season. Tennessee’s school record in a single season is currently held by Jon Higgins in the 2002-03 campaign. That season, Higgins had an assist/turnover ratio of 2.821.
