Tennessee basketball will face two incredibly tough tasks before it plays its first official game next season.
Tennessee will host Duke at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Oct. 26. The Vols are also working to finalize an exhibitoon game at Michigan earlier in October before the Duke game, Volquest’s Grant Ramey first reported and a source confirmed to RTI Wednesday.
Rick Barnes and the Vols have played challenging exhibition games in past years including matchups with Gonzaga, Michigan State and Indiana. But this is the first year that they’ll play two premier opponents in exhibition games. The NCAA relaxed its rules about exhibition games back in January, now allowing teams to play two each season.
Both should be strong tests for a new look Tennessee team. Michigan made the Sweet 16 in Dusty May’s first season as head coach a year ago and he’s built a strong team that projects to compete for the Big 10 Championship this season. Michigan currently ranks No. 3 in Bart Torvik‘s preseason ratings.
Duke comes in at No. 2 in Bart Torvik’s preseason ratings just a year after its season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion against Houston in the Final Four. The Blue Devils are loaded again this season and they’ll get a preseason look at Nate Ament, who they finished runner-up for a season ago.
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Tennessee has not released its complete non conference schedule for next season but the main matchups are set. The Vols will face Rutgers, Houston and one more power five opponent in the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas. They’ll travel to Syracuse to face the Orange in the ACC-SEC Challenge, will host Louisville in Knoxville and will face Illinois in a neutral site game in Nashville.
The Vols underwent a major roster overhaul this offseason, losing four of its starters from last season and five of its top six rotational players. The Vols do return key front court pieces Felix Okpara and Cade Phillips as well as JP Estrella who missed last season due to injury. Rick Barnes and his staff also went out and landed Vanderbilt power forward Jaylen Carey out of the transfer portal.
In the backcourt, Tennessee returns reserve guard Bishop Boswell but made major additions to its roster through the transfer portal and recruiting ranks. The Vols landed Maryland point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Louisiana Tech shooting guard Amaree Abram.
Out of the prep ranks, Tennessee added five-star wing Nate Ament, four-star wing Amari Evans, four-star center DeWayne Brown, French wing Clarence Massamba and three-star point guard Troy Henderson to its roster.
Tennessee projects as a top 25 team again next season and has the potential of a top 10 team if things come together well.
