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Tennessee basketball: Remembering Vols five previous SEC/Big 12 Challenge games

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 26: Wesley Harris #21 of the West Virginia Mountaineers, Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers, Derek Culver #1 of the West Virginia Mountaineers, and Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers work for position before a play during the second half of their game at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 26, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 83-66.(Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 26: Wesley Harris #21 of the West Virginia Mountaineers, Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers, Derek Culver #1 of the West Virginia Mountaineers, and Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers work for position before a play during the second half of their game at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 26, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 83-66.(Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images /

When Tennessee basketball faces the Kansas Jayhawkas Saturday, it will be the sixth time the Volunteers have competed in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Saturday will mark the most intriguing matchup of the SEC/Big 12 challenge yet for Tennessee basketball. The Vols will get set to visit the No. 3 ranked Kansas Jayhawks, the first time since they have taken part in the challenge that they are actually facing a ranked team.

This challenge began in 2013-2014, but UT did not compete that year. They have, however, competed every year after that. And if you look at the history, it’s been one of success for everybody on Rocky Top.

Through five games, Tennessee basketball is 4-1 in the challenge. To be fair, they have twice played as a ranked team facing an unranked team. And only once did they beat a team that finished the season with a winning record or made the NCAA Tournament. That game was won at home as well.

Simply put, the Vols have not played an NCAA Tournament caliber team on the road yet in the challenge, and they haven’t played a ranked team. So Saturday marks their toughest test yet in this yearly event.

But how have things gone in the past for them? In this post, we’re going to break that down. The Vols are certainly no stranger to playing teams from Kansas in this challenge, and Rick Barnes in general is no stranger to facing Bill Self.

Could their previous successes against teams from this conference play to their benefit? Will it give them some confidence in this matchup? Maybe it won’t, especially since UT’s success in this challenge goes the opposite way when facing the Kansas Jayhawks, a program they are 1-3 agains and a coach in Self who used to own Barnes.

Let’s do a quick look back in history for this challenge before the two face off Saturday anyway. This is our analysis of all five games Tennessee basketball has played in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge dating back to 2014.

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