TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS NEWS

Collins Jr. scores 23, Utah State wins 110-54 against Westminster (UT)

Led by Michael Collins Jr.'s 23 points, the Utah State Aggies defeated the Westminster (UT) Griffins 110-54 on Monday

NOVEMBER 4 • Associated Press

2025-26 College Basketball Season: Notable Games To Watch on FOX, FS1, More

The college basketball season tips off Monday. Here are the best matchups to watch from FOX Sports' 274-game slate this season!

NOVEMBER 4 • FOX SPORTS

Ament has 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead No. 18 Tennessee past Mercer 76-61

Nate Ament scored 18 points and had nine rebounds to lead No. 18 Tennessee to a 76-61 victory over Mercer in the season opener for both teams

NOVEMBER 4 • Associated Press

Clarence Massamba - Brief appearance in opener Massamba (hamstring) went 0-for-1 from the field in just one minute on the court in Monday's 76-61 victory over Mercer.

Impact Massamba is a European prospect coming in from Italy's AC Monaco, but a hamstring injury held him out of exhibition play. The 6-5 freshman will look to carve out a role eventually, though it's unclear if his low usage in Monday's opener was due to his health or status in the rotation. In any case, it doesn't appear as if it's his hamstring that will hold him off the court moving forward.

NOVEMBER 3 • ROTOWIRE

Amari Evans - Low usage Monday Evans (undisclosed) recorded a rebound and an assist across three minutes in Monday's 76-61 victory over Mercer.

Impact Evans was reportedly a bit banged up when Tennessee opened preseason practices, and while it's a good sign the freshman saw the floor, he wasn't a major rotation factor in the opener.

NOVEMBER 3 • ROTOWIRE

Nate Ament - Goes for 18 in debut Ament ended with 18 points (6-11 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-7 FT), nine rebounds and one assist over 29 minutes during Monday's 76-61 victory over Mercer.

Impact Ament is an advanced offensive player. The 6-10 freshman did a nice job on the defensive glass (eight defensive rebounds) and played with assurance in the relatively easy win over the Bears. Ament should lead the Vols in scoring and will get his fair share of double-doubles.

NOVEMBER 3 • ROTOWIRE

As college basketball continues to change, how long will the game's old guard of coaches press on?

The landscape of college basketball is changing rapidly with name, image and likeness deals and the transfer portal reshaping teams yearly

OCTOBER 30 • Associated Press

Clarence Massamba - DNP for exhibition game Massamba (hamstring) did not play during Tennessee's exhibition game Sunday against Duke.

Impact According to Ryan Schumpert of RockyTopInsider.com, before the Tennessee-Duke exhibition, Massamba had been limited with an injury concerning his right hamstring. It looks like a continued problem, considering he did not play the 2025-26 Volunteers' one and only exhibition preseason game before their regular season begins. Massamba is questionable going into Nov. 3's game against Mercer.

OCTOBER 28 • ROTOWIRE

Nate Ament - Double-double against Duke Ament had 14 points (5-19 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT) and 10 rebounds across 33 minutes in Sunday's 83-76 exhibition loss to Duke.

Impact While it wasn't the best shooting day for the five-star freshman, prospective fantasy managers were able to get a glimpse of the volume the power forward will be allotted, as he played the second-most minutes and attempted the second-most shots out of any Tennessee player. The early-season matchups will get much easy for Ament, as he and the Vols will open the year against Mercer (Nov. 3) and Northern Kentucky (Nov. 8).

OCTOBER 28 • ROTOWIRE

Rick Barnes and No. 18 Tennessee reload with 5-star Nate Ament and portal additions

The 18th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers have coach Rick Barnes back with an extension after 10 seasons and a 232-109 record

OCTOBER 27 • Associated Press

Cameron Boozer shines, Nate Ament's double-double highlights of Duke's win over Vols This past weekend featured several college basketball exhibition games. One of the most notable outings included Duke going on the road to t...

OCTOBER 27 • BUSTINGBRACKETS.COM

Ja'Kobi Gillespie - Scores team-high 19 Gillespie led the Volunteers with 19 points (5-21 FG, 3-13 3Pt, 6-6 FT) and eight assists in the exhibition loss to Duke on Sunday.

Impact The 6-1 senior transferred from Maryland where he averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 assists in 2024-25. Perhaps we can credit the Duke defense for making things difficult on Gillespie as his efficiency in the exhibition left something to be desired. He hit 40.7 percent of his 3-pointers last season, so he is unlikely to continue to shoot poorly from the perimeter.

OCTOBER 27 • ROTOWIRE

J.P. Estrella - Exhibition participant Sunday Estrella (ankle) logged five points (2-2 FG, 1-1 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist across eight minutes during Tennessee's 83-76 loss Sunday against Duke.

Impact Tennessee's latest exhibition indicates that Estrella is healthy and available. However, the game suggests his team-related role will remain limited. In 28 regular-season games with Tennessee, Estrella averaged 5.5 minutes, not far different from his eight Sunday.

OCTOBER 26 • ROTOWIRE

Purdue's Matt Painter regrets not talking about an NCAA title last year. This season, it's different

Purdue is the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, and coach Matt Painter isn't shying away from expectations

OCTOBER 26 • Associated Press

Official Visit Primer: Houston, Tennessee with huge weekends, Maximo Adams heads to UNC Intel and notes as the Cougars and Volunteers get set for big official visit weekends, while UNC and St. John's each host significant 2026 p...

OCTOBER 24 • 247SPORTS.COM

Tennessee Basketball Riding Historic Momentum Toward Eighth Straight NCAA Tournament Tennessee basketball aims for its eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance as Rick Barnes continues to lead the Volunteers through a golde...

OCTOBER 19 • BUSTINGBRACKETS.COM

Bruce Pearl joining TNT and CBS Sports as a college basketball analyst

Bruce Pearl is joining TNT and CBS Sports as an analyst for college basketball this season

OCTOBER 16 • Associated Press

March Madness in October? Top programs using exhibitions to cash in and check team chemistry

The last weekend of October now looks like the second week of March Madness even though the games don't count

OCTOBER 15 • Associated Press

AP Top 25: Purdue Tops Preseason Poll For 1st Time Ahead of Houston, Florida

Purdue is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 college basketball poll for the first time in school history, ahead of Houston and Florida.

OCTOBER 13 • FOX SPORTS

Sports Illustrated's Men's College Basketball Preseason Top 25: No. 16 Tennessee Through Oct. 31, Sports Illustrated will count down its preseason college basketball Top 25 with overviews of each team. Here are the full r...

OCTOBER 10 • SI.COM

Tennessee Basketball Set for Open Scrimmage The Tennessee Volunteers are set for some action ahead of more action later this month and their basketball season starting next month. The...

OCTOBER 9 • SI.COM

50 years of the women's basketball poll: From scrappy beginnings to a force in the sport

Women’s college basketball wasn’t always the behemoth with storied programs like UConn, Tennessee and South Carolina dominating the headlines and the Final Four

OCTOBER 9 • Associated Press

Texas men's basketball reveals 2025-2026 schedule The full slate for Sean Miller's first year as Longhorns head basketball coach is now clear. The UT men's basketball releases 2025-2026 sche...

OCTOBER 9 • USATODAY.COM

Amari Evans - Not 100 percent Evans reportedly isn't 100 percent as the Volunteers open their preseason practices Tuesday, per Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Impact Evans, a 6-foot-5 freshman guard from Pittsburgh, won't be at full capacity as the Volunteers open their preseason camp. This will certainly impede his quest to vie for minutes early in his career, but without knowing the type of injury or the severity, it's impossible to project what kind of lasting impact this could have on Tennessee's rotations.

SEPTEMBER 23 • ROTOWIRE

J.P. Estrella - Still dealing with ankle injury Estrella is still dealing with an injury going into Tennessee's preseason, according to Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Impact It has been nearly 10 months since Estrella was ruled out for Tennessee's 2024-25 season, yet his health remains not at 100 percent going into the Volunteers' upcoming preseason. They will log an exhibition game before going into their regular season, and the hope is that Estrella can be finally good to go to test his injured ankle.

SEPTEMBER 23 • ROTOWIRE