How to watch Texas basketball vs. Tennessee: TV/stream, game time
The only remaining non-conference game of the regular season lies ahead on Jan. 28 for acting head coach Rodney Terry and No. 10 Texas basketball. Texas is set to take on former head coach Rick Barnes and the No. 4 ranked Tennessee Volunteers on the road at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville this weekend as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Both Tennessee and Texas have a good amount of momentum heading into the SEC/Big 12 Challenge this weekend. Texas has won two straight games and five of its last six. Meanwhile, Tennessee is red-hot having won three games in a row and eight of its last nine.
Texas’ last game saw it triumph by a comfortable double-digit margin over the Oklahoma State Cowboys at home at the Moody Center in Austin on Jan. 24. The win over Oklahoma State earlier this week gives the Longhorns a record of 17-3 (5-2 Big 12) heading into this matchup against Tennessee.
Meanwhile, the Vols come into the weekend with a record of 17-3 (7-1 SEC) following a dominant 70-41 win over the Georgia Bulldogs at home at Thompson-Boling Arena on Jan. 25. Tennessee’s only slip-up of 2023 thus far came in an upset loss at home to the Kentucky Wildcats on Jan. 14.
Here’s a look at the TV/streaming information and game time as Texas travels to face Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28.
How to watch Texas basketball vs. Tennessee
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN App
Radio/Audio Stream: Longhorn Radio Network, Sirius XM 83
Game time: 5 p.m. CT
In the final non-conference game of the regular season, the Longhorns will face the Vols as part of a live broadcast in front of a national television audience on the flagship ESPN network.
According to Texassports.com, Dave O’Brien, Dick Vitale, and Kris Budden will have the call for this matchup between Texas and Tennessee on ESPN on Jan. 28.
Texas vs. Tennessee preview
This is the second season in a row that Texas and Tennessee will meet in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Last season, the Longhorns got the best of the Vols by a slim one-point margin at the Erwin Center in Austin.
Texas also has two straight wins over the Vols dating back to the 2007-08 season and owns the all-time series over Tennessee with a record of 4-3.
But this one is going to be a lot more difficult of a matchup for the Longhorns than each of the last two. Texas has never faced a Tennessee team ranked in the top five, let alone on the road. This Tennessee team is about as good as it gets on defense, ranking No. 1 in the country in defensive rating (79.0) and points allowed per game (53.7).
It will also be difficult for Texas to get its three-point game going against Tennessee, as the Vols have the nation’s best three-point shooting defense. Tennessee tops the country, holding its opponents to a measly 21.6 percent shooting from deep.
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If Texas wants a shot at pulling off the upset of the Vols this weekend, it will need to grind it out with a strong performance on the boards and on the defensive end. According to Sports Reference, Tennessee is 0-3 this season when losing the battle on the boards and allowing at least 20 free-throw attempts to the opposition.
Get to the charity stripe early and often while getting the edge on the glass on both ends, and Texas has the ability to be the fourth team to top the Vols this season.