Although the days of the furniture moving, glass all over the floor, smashmouth-style rivalry seen from two of the sport’s premier programs have passed, both No. 5 Connecticut (21-2) and No. 19 Tennessee (16-5) share some of college basketball’s richest history and historic grudge matches.
From high-stakes matchups that decided seeding in March, to bitter, heavyweight fights played more for pride than standing, both programs have displayed a mutual sense of respect for one another over the last decade. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was one of the first to donate to Pat Summit’s foundation when it was founded.
Connecticut leads the all-time series 17-9 and has won four in a row dating back to 2020 (when the rivalry was renewed). Summitt tallied nine wins over UConn before retiring in 2012.
The Huskies rolled through the month of January, winning all 10 contests by an average of 34.3 points. UConn is carrying an 11-game win streak into Knoxville for its first non-conference game since Dec. 21 vs. USC (72-70 L).
Guards Azzi Fudd and KK Arnold have developed into integral lineup pieces through the 11-game stretch. Even in the absence of Paige Bueckers, the Husky offense has remained atop of the college basketball landscape in efficiency numbers (129.7 adjusted offensive efficiency since Jan. 5).
Sarah Strong patrolling the high post also helps. The freshman forward was nominated for the 2025 Cheryl Miller Award on Wednesday, adding to her already impressive first year resumé.
The Lady Volunteers have lost five of eight after starting the season 13-0. Losses to Oklahoma, LSU and Vanderbilt have all come by one possession, with Texas (four points) and South Carolina (seven points) claiming multi-possession victories.
To profile both teams, a dissection of both backcourts is necessary.
The Vol’s top three scorers are all feature pieces of an explosive backcourt that leads an offense averaging over 90 ppg.
Scoring leader Talaysia Cooper has finished with double-digits in all but three contests (Tennessee-Martin, Winthrop and Texas), scoring over 20 points in 10 games and reaching double-double status three times. The six-foot sophomore has evolved into one of the best guards in the SEC, leading the conference in steals and ranking eighth in scoring.
Ruby Whitehorn (13), Jewel Spear (12.1), Zee Spearman (11) and Samara Spencer (10.8) all contribute double-figures per night on average to round out one of the nation’s highest-octane offenses.
The Vols possess an outstanding 115.6 offensive rating on the season, shooting efficiently from the floor (51.2 eFG%) and grabbing offensive rebounds at a higher clip than most teams in the nation (42.7%—99th percentile).
Tennessee’s whole-sale substitution scheme has been a handful for opposing defenses to deal with. The Vols maintain such high offensive ratings by subbing in multiple scorers at a given time, with two, sometimes even three, substitutions taking place at once.
The strength versus strength battle will be taking place in the backcourt, making the war in the frontcourt even more important. Both teams make excellent use of their relative inexperience down low by engineering easy looks in the paint. Whoever wins the battle on the boards will pave an easy lane to a victory on Thursday.
Keys to victory for No. 5 Connecticut
Drawing fouls and getting to the rim early will be paramount. The Lady Vols average 20.6 personal fouls per game and have shown holes down low.
Force the Lady Vols to pass the ball. Tennessee ranks in the 15th percentile nationally in assist percentage (48.2)—take away Option A.
The Volunteer defense ranks in the 21st percentile nationally. Hitting on open looks will decide this crucial February non-conference game.