Tennessee Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Volunteers

ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 10: Rick Barnes the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers gives instructions to his team against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the semifinals of the 2018 SEC Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 10, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images /

Non-conference schedule for 2018-19

Nov. 6 (H) – Lenoir-Rhyne

Nov. 9 (H) – Louisiana

Nov. 13 (H) – Georgia Tech

Nov. 21 (N) – Louisville (NIT Season Tip-Off)

Nov. 23 (N) – Kansas/Marquette (NIT Season Tip-Off)

Nov. 28 (H) – Eastern Kentucky

Dec. 2 (H) – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Dec. 9 (N) – Gonzaga (Jerry Colangelo Classic)

Dec. 15 (A) -Memphis

Dec. 19 (H) – Samford

Dec. 22 (H) – Wake Forest

Dec. 29 (H) – Tennessee Tech

Jan. 26 (H) – West Virginia (SEC/Big 12 Challenge)

The Volunteers have three home games to open their non-conference slate. They open the season on Nov. 6 against the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (Div. II), head coach Rick Barnes’ alma mater. Tennessee will face the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns on Nov. 9 then host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Nov. 13.

On Nov. 21, the Tennessee Volunteers will play in the NIT Season Tip-Off at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They will face the Louisville Cardinals in the opening round and will face either the Kansas Jayhawks or Marquette Golden Eagles, depending on the outcome.

After the Tip-Off, the Volunteers will play two more homes games against the Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 28) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Dec. 2). They have another tough foe in the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix. Tennessee and Gonzaga make up a lineup that also features the Nevada Wolfpack and Grand Canyon University.

A road game against the Memphis Tigers and first-year head coach Penny Hardaway should be interesting for Barnes. Memphis has won the last three meetings dating back to the 2012-13 season. Four home games close out the non-conference slate against Samford, Wake Forest, and Tennessee Tech, with a late game coming on Jan. 26 when the Volunteers will face the West Virginia Mountaineers in the 2019 SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

The Tennessee Volunteers will face three ACC teams on their non-conference schedule this year along with Gonzaga and a Penny Hardaway-led Memphis squad. Their schedule certainly doesn’t prepare them too much for the road environment with just one official road game on the slate. It has the makings of an impressive one if they finish on the positive end, though and that’s all that matters.

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