How To Watch: Tennessee Basketball vs. Rice

Tennessee Basketball’s five-game homestand to start the new season continues against a familiar face on Monday, with the Vols facing Rice and former associate head coach Rob Lanier. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time at Food City Center, with the game televised by SEC Network.

Lanier was Tennessee’s associate head coach for the first four seasons under Rick Barnes, from 2015-19. Lanier also spent three years with Barnes at Texas from 1999-2001 and played against a Barnes-coached George Mason team when he was a sophomore guard at St. Bonaventure in 1987.

Lanier left Tennessee to become Georgia State’s head coach in 2019. He spent three seasons with the Panthers before taking over at SMU, and landed at Rice after two seasons with the Mustangs. 

He’s 156-156 as a head coach, including 15-21 at Rice, 30-35 at SMU and 53-30 in three seasons at Georgia State. He was 58-70 in four seasons as head coach at Sienna from 2001-05.

How to Watch: Tennessee vs. Rice

When: Monday, 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time | Where: Food City Center

Streaming: SEC Network (Mike Morgan, Dane Bradshaw)

Radio: WNML 99.1 FM in Knoxville (Mike Keith, Chris Lofton, John Wilkerson). The Vol Network radio broadcast can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee.

SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM App

KenPom Prediction: Tennessee 82, Rice 60

Rice lost 67-63 at Oregon on November 7

Rice is ranked No. 186 overall in the KenPom.com ratings, coming in at No. 178 in adjusted offensive efficiency (106.1) and No. 213 in adjusted defensive efficiency (109.1).

The Owls lost 67-63 at Oregon on November 7 and lost 81-69 at Stephen F. Austin last Tuesday, before a 71-64 win over East Texas A&M on Friday. 

Tennessee is ranked No. 13 overall in the KenPom ratings. The Vols are No. 5 on defense (92.4) and No. 40 on offense (116.8). 

Tennessee hosts Tennessee State on Thursday

The season started with a 76-61 win over Mercer on November 3 in Knoxville and continued with a 95-56 win over Northern Kentucky on November 8 and a 99-66 win over North Florida last Wednesday. 

Tennessee will host Tennessee State on Thursday, finishing the run of five straight home games to start the season, then will go to Las Vegas for three games in the Players Era Men’s Championship. 

The Vols will start the 18-team tournament against Rutgers on Monday, November 24, and will play No. 2 Houston on Tuesday, November 25. The third game will be against an opponent to be determined on either November 26 or 27.