Tennessee will square off against 7-seed Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tennessee, the two-seed in the Midwest Region, earned a huge victory over 15-seed Saint Peter’s in the first round. Texas achieved a second-round spot by defeating 10-seed Colorado State on Thursday.
With several years of history between the coaches for both the Vols and the Longhorns, plus the addition of two recent meetings over the last two years, Saturday night’s game between the U.T. programs is sure to be one to remember. The Longhorns beat the Vols in Austin in 2022 before Tennessee returned the favor with a win over Texas in Knoxville in 2023, setting up a rubber match in the Spectrum Center for a ticket into the Sweet 16.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with the media in Charlotte on Friday afternoon to discuss his thoughts on the upcoming game against his former team. Barnes spoke about his reaction to seeing Texas as a potential matchup, his relationship with Texas head coach Rodney Terry, Tennessee’s needed aggression in the first four minutes of the game, and much more.
The Vols also had seniors Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi speak with the media on Thursday as well. Both players spoke about the familiarity they have with Texas from the recent meetings and what it will take to find a win on Saturday.
Check out both interviews from Charlotte on Friday below. Additionally, check out the Texas Basketball preview press conference by clicking here.
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes
Tennessee G Santiago Vescovi, F Josiah-Jordan James
