WHO: #23/rv Arkansas Razorbacks (11-2, 0-0 SEC) at #1/1Tennessee Volunteers (4-9, 1-2 Horizon)
What: Arkansas opens SEC play and will face the best team in the country for the 15th time in school history.
When: Saturday – January 4th – 1:00 p.m. (ET) / 12:00 p.m. (CT)
Where: Knoxville, Tenn. • Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center/The Summitt (21,678)
Like (follow):
– TV/Stream: Watch ESPN / ESPN (Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 391 / XM: 391 || SXM app channel 981
– Arkansas Gameday App
– Live statistics

– Arkansas game notes
– Tennessee game notes
– SEC Notes/Statistics

FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas Razorbacks open SEC play on Saturday (Jan. 4) at No. 1 Tennessee. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (ET) / 12:00 p.m. (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN.

Arkansas will return home for two games next week. First, the Razorbacks host Ole Miss on Wednesday (January 8). Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2. Second, Arkansas hosts Florida on Saturday (Jan. 11) at 3 p.m.

NOTES:

Against Tennessee

• This will be the 49th meeting between Arkansas and Tennessee. All but four have come since Arkansas joined the SEC in the 1991-92 season.
• Tennessee is one of three SEC teams tied for the all-time series lead with Arkansas (with Florida and Kentucky). Thanks to three straight wins in the series, the Vols have a 26-22 lead in the overall series.
• Since joining the SEC, Tennessee leads the series 25-19.
• Razorback head coach John Calipari is 22-16 all-time against Tennessee, including a 9-9 mark at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• DID YOU KNOW: Including this game, 8 of the last 13 meetings… and 6 of the last 9… between the programs have been played in Knoxville. The teams met four times in Fayetteville over the years and met once in the 2018 SEC Tournament in St. Louis.

Arkansas in the SEC openers

• Arkansas opens SEC play on Saturday with a trip to Tennessee.
• The Razorbacks are 18-15 all-time in SEC openers and 6-10 in SEC home openers.
• DID YOU KNOW: Including this game, 5 of the last 7 SEC openers have been on the road for Arkansas.
• Arkansas is 2-0 in its SEC openers against Tennessee, with the previous two meetings taking place in Fayetteville.

Arkansas vs. #1 and Top 25 matchups

• Arkansas has only beaten the AP #1 team three times and is 3-11 all-time in such games.
• However, Arkansas has a two-game winning streak against #1, both in 2022.
  ^ 02/08/22 – ARK defeated #1 Auburn 80-76 (OT) in Fayetteville
  – JD Notae had 28 points; Jaylin Williams and Au’Diese Toney had double-doubles
  ^ 03/24/22 – #17 ARK defeated #1 Gonzaga 76-68 in San Francisco (NCAA Sweet 16)
  – JD Notae had 21 points and Trey Wade had 15 points; Jaylin Williams had 15 and 12
• Arkansas’ other win against #1 came on February 12, 1984 in Pine Bluff. The Razorbacks defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 19-0, 65-64, on a last-second basket by Charles Balentine. Arkansas also got 20 points from Joe Kleine and 10 assists from Alvin Robertson.
• Arkansas is 48-52 all-time in the rankings playing a ranked opponent. The Razorbacks are 4-16 in such games. The Hogs’ last road win in such games was February 15, 1995, when #10 Arkansas defeated #18 Alabama 86-80.

Cal vs. #1 and in the top 25 matches

• Razorback head coach John Calipari has a 6-5 all-time record against the AP #1 team, including an 0-1 record in road games. He is 1-0 when playing No. 1 at home and 5-4 when playing No. 1 at neutral courts.
  ^ at UMass: 3-0. ^ at MEM: 0-2. ^ in Great Britain: 3-3
• Cal is 1-0 against Tennessee and the Vols are No. 1. Then No. 5 Kentucky beat No. 1 Tennessee 86-69 on Feb. 16, 2019 in Rupp.
• Cal’s teams were ranked in 10 of the 11 games in which he played at No. 1, including against then-No. 2 UK, which defeated then-No. 1 Michigan State by 69 on November 5, 2019 at Madison Square Garden -62 defeated.
• Coach Cal is 92-69 in his team rankings, playing a top 25 team. However, he is just 14-23 in such games.

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