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Start time, TV info set for Tennessee-UCLA in second round of NCAA Tournament

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey03/21/25GrantRamey
UCLA Basketball | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
(Jordan Prather-Imagn Images) Mar 20, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA guard Kobe Johnson (0) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Utah State Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena.

LEXINGTON — No. 2 Tennessee will face No. 7 UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The game will start at 9:40 p.m. Eastern Time on either TBS/TruTV.

Tennessee (28-7) advanced with a 77-62 win over No. 15 Wofford (19-16), getting 29 points on six 3-point field goals from Chaz Lanier, while Zakai Zeigler added 12 points and 12 assists. 

No. 7 UCLA (23-10) won 72-47 against No. 10 Utah State in the late game Thursday in the Midwest Region. Eric Dailey and Skyy Clark scored 14 points each to lead the Bruins against Utah State. Aday Mara, UCLA’s 7-foot-3, 240-pound center, had 10 points, six rebounds and five blocks in 20 minutes.

Tennessee has played UCLA just once, losing 103-89 on January 30, 1977 in Atlanta.

UCLA ranked No. 26 overall by KenPom.com

UCLA entered Thursday’s game ranked No. 26 overall by KenPom.com. The Bruins were ranked No. 17 in adjusted defensive efficiency, giving up 95.1 points per 100 possessions, and No. 36 in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 117.0 points per 100 possessions.

Tennessee is No. 5 in the KenPom ratings, ranked No. 3 on defense (89.5) and No. 18 on offense (120.4).

Lanier tied a Tennessee NCAA Tournament single-game record with his six made 3-pointers. Only Dalton Knecht (37 points) and Ernie Grunfeld (36) have scored more than Lanier in an NCAA Tournament game. 

Knecht made six threes and scored 37 points in Tennessee’s loss to Purdue in the Elite Eight last season at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. 

Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for sixth time under Rick Barnes

Tennessee with the win over Wofford improved to 6-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament under Rick Barnes, winning by an average of 19.5 points per game. 

The Vols beat No. 15 Saint Peter’s 83-49 in the first round last season, beat No. 13 Louisiana 58-55 in 2023 and beat No. 14 Longwood 88-56 in 2022. No. 12 Oregon State beat No. 5 Tennessee 70-56 in 2021, the Vols beat No. 15 Colgate 77-70 in 2019 and bat No. 14 Wright State 73-47 in 2018.

Tennessee is 3-2 in the second round under Barnes, with wins over No. 7 Texas last season, No. 5 Duke in 2023 and No. 10 Iowa in 2019. The Vols lost to No. 11 Loyola Chicago in 2018 and No. 11 Michigan in 2022.

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