No. 11 Tennessee men’s basketball (2-0) will welcome Tennessee State (2-1) to Food City Center. The Volunteers and Tigers have met just seven times in history, with Tennessee winning all meetings. The last meeting came on Nov. 20, 2025, when the Volunteers won 89-60, led by Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s 17 points.

TSU is led by head coach Nolan Smith, who led his program to the OVC regular-season and tournament titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2025-26 season. Senior forward Aaron Bradshaw leads the Tigers with 14.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 3.0 bpg on the year.

Tennessee is coming off a 70-47 win over Radford. Terrence Hill Jr. finished with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting. DeWayne Brown II didn’t score much, but added another big night on the boards with 12 rebounds. 

The defense was solid with nine blocks and 11 steals, but the offense wasn’t, especially on the perimeter. The Vols shot 23.5% from beyond the arc. I asked sixth-year guard Tyler Lundblade about it at Thursday's availability.

"I think that's just going to take time. With 13 new guys, it's going to take a lot of time to mesh and learn each other, and we're all in a new offense for us, not new to coach obviously, but that takes time.

"I'm not worried about missing shots early. We're going to make shots. So as long as we're getting good ones and not turning the ball over, I think that's going to sort itself out."

TSU’s opponents have shot 32% from beyond the arc, averaging eight made threes a game.

How to watch & listen

• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Place: Food City Center
• TV/Streaming: SECN+
• On the call: Charlie Collier (play-by-play) and Steve Hamer (analyst)
• Radio: Vol Network Stations with John Wilkerson (play-by-play) and Chris Lofton (analyst)

Miles Rubin has improved tremendously since Tennessee first hit the floor in exhibition play. The 6-foot-11 center from Chicago, Illinois, averages 8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Rubin is effective in protecting the rim as well. 

I asked assistant coach Earl Grant how Rubin has improved and what he brings on Thursday.

“Miles has always been a great rim protector,” Grant said. “I mean, he is 6-foot-11. He's got a great wingspan. He's a good athlete. He is agile. You know, he moves well. He rebounds at 12 feet. So he's an above-the-rim athlete. And so he's always been a great rim protector. But now he's getting better in the ball screen coverages, being a little bit more aggressive there. 

“And he's communicating well. I mean, obviously, anytime [you're] the big man, you may guard three ball screens in one possession. So he's got to talk to the guards. The guards gotta trust his voice. And he's starting to get to where he's being vocal. But he's always been a great rim protector. And so he's a big anchor to our defense.” 

Rubin’s 241 career blocked shots are the most of any active NCAA player, regardless of level.

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