The Tennessee men’s basketball team matched the best start in program history, improving to 14–0 with a 76–52 win over No. 23 Arkansas on Saturday.
With the victory to open its SEC schedule, the No. 1 Volunteers will also maintain the top spot in the Associated Press men’s basketball poll. That puts Tennessee at No. 1 for five consecutive weeks, the best streak in program history. (The 2018-19 Vols previously topped the poll for four straight weeks.)
Tennessee’s 1922-23 men’s basketball team also started 14–0.
Chaz Lanier scored a season-high 27 points to lead the Vols, tallying 20 or more points for the third consecutive game and seventh time this season. He shot 10-for-20 from the floor, including 5-for-9 on 3-pointers. The senior guard is now averaging 20 points per game.
Igor Milicic Jr. grabbed 18 rebounds with his 13 points and five assists. Zakai Zeigler followed with 12 points.
Arkansas was led by D.J. Wagner‘s 17 points. Boogie Fland was the only other Razorbacks player to score in double figures, adding 12 points. Jonas Aidoo, who transferred from Tennessee to Arkansas, scored four points with five rebounds after getting booed loudly during pregame introductions.
Aidoo played three seasons in Knoxville before transferring to the Razorbacks for his senior season. The forward was Tennessee’s third-leading scorer last season, averaging 11.7 points and 7.3 per game while earning All-SEC and All-SEC Defensive Team honors. Slowed by a lower body injury, Aidoo is averaging 6.3 points and four rebounds in 10 games.
Arkansas drops to 11–3 with the defeat and 0–1 in conference play. John Calipari’s team previously lost on the road to No. 8 Baylor and Illinois this season. Up next for them is hosting No. 24 Ole Miss on Wednesday.
Tennessee will pursue a 15–0 start, the best in program history, on Tuesday at No. 6 Florida. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET.