NASHVILLE − Tennessee basketball and Auburn are meeting again.
The No. 4 seed Vols (26-6) and No. 1 seed Auburn (28-4) are playing Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) for a spot the SEC Tournament finals at Bridgestone Arena.
“I like to play against the best teams in the country,” Vols guard Zakai Zeigler said. “Especially being in the SEC, we play against the best teams night in and night out. It is a pretty good opportunity especially with them being a one seed and the No. 1 team in the country.”
Here is what to know about the matchup:
How Tennessee, Auburn reached SEC tournament semifinals
Auburn was the first team to reach the SEC tournament semifinals Friday with a 62-57 win against No. 8 seed Ole Miss.
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Johni Broome had 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Tigers, who broke the game open late with an 8-0 run. Denver Jones added 13 points.
Tennessee advanced with a 83-72 win against Texas. Chaz Lanier scored 23 points with 19 in the first half. Zakai Zeigler scored 19 second-half points and Jahmai Mashack had 13 points and seven rebounds.
Tennessee basketball lost its lone matchup with Auburn this season
The Vols lost 53-51 at Auburn on Jan. 25.
“I love playing a team we lost to,” Vols guard Jordan Gainey said. “Even though we lost and I hate it. Playing a team lost to puts a chip on our shoulder. It makes us really hungry for what we need to do.”
Auburn’s Miles Kelly hit a corner 3-pointer with 30 seconds to play and Zakai Zeigler missed a game-winning attempt from the corner. Tennessee was the only team this season to hold Auburn to less than 66 points. UT limited Auburn to 2-for-19 3-point shooting before Kelly’s game-changing shot.
Broome, the SEC player of the year, played for the first time in two weeks against the Vols due to an injured left ankle. He led the Tigers with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
How Tennessee basketball has fared in SEC Tournament semifinals
Tennessee has typically made it to the SEC tournament finals when it reaches the semifinals under Barnes.
The Vols are 3-1 in the semifinals in the SEC tournament. They won in 2018. 2019 and 2022. Their lone loss was a 73-68 defeat against Alabama in the 2021 conference tournament.
Tennessee won the title in 2022 with a win against Texas A&M in Tampa, Florida. It lost in the title game against Auburn in 2019.
Tennessee-Auburn odds in 2025 SEC Tournament
Tennessee is a 3.5-point underdog, according to FanDuel. The Vols were a 7.5-point underdog when they played at Auburn earlier this season.
Tennessee vs Auburn in SEC Tournament prediction
Tennessee 66, Auburn 64: The Vols flip the outcome on the Tigers, winning by two after losing by two in the regular season.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
