Tennessee Routs Radford 90-59 in Opener

DeWayne Brown II posts a double-double in No. 8 Tennessee's season-opening win over Radford.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Basketball

No. 8 Tennessee defeated Radford 90-59 in its season opener in Knoxville. DeWayne Brown II scored 17 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, the first double-double of his career.

Why it matters

The win gives Tennessee an early statement result in its opening game under head coach Rick Barnes, now in his 40th season as a college head coach. Radford's loss at Cal the previous Wednesday, 84-70, adds context to how the Highlanders begin their season.

Brown's 17 points and 17 rebounds were career highs and his first double-double, while Tyler Lundblade hit 4-of-9 from long range for 12 points. The extraction does not report Tennessee's overall shooting percentage for the game.

The players

Rick Barnes

Rick Barnes is a veteran college basketball coach now in his 40th season as a head coach, leading Tennessee's program.

DeWayne Brown II

DeWayne Brown II is a Tennessee forward whose 17-point, 17-rebound performance marked his first career double-double.

The details

Tennessee improved as the game went on, getting stops, rebounding and playing with more force in the second half. Juke Harris added seven points, four rebounds and two assists off the bench, and Terrence Hill Jr. scored 17 points.

Wednesday: Radford lost at Cal 84-70.
Monday night: Tennessee hosts Radford in Knoxville.

Season Trajectory

The opener extends Rick Barnes's 40-season run as a college head coach into another year of Tennessee basketball. Early performances like Brown's double-double set the tone for how the Volunteers' frontcourt is expected to function this season.

Brown's double-double and Harris's bench production give fantasy and roster watchers early data on Tennessee's rotation. Fans tracking the Volunteers can watch how the frontcourt minutes shake out in the next home game against Radford on Monday night.

The takeaway

Early-season box scores like Tennessee's can show which bench players and frontcourt options are ready for larger roles. Watching how those minutes develop over the next few games will reveal more about the rotation than the opening result alone.