With strength of schedule as important as ever, it’s clear that Tennessee is making an effort to load up plenty of challenges for its 2018-19 schedule.
It was announced earlier in the week that the Vols would renew their series with Memphis starting next season, but as Knoxville radio host Jimmy Hyams noted on Twitter, that won’t be the only potentially tough matchup for Tennessee.
Rick Barnes’ team will also participate in the 2018 NIT Season Tipoff and host games against familiar ACC competition in Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.
Tennessee Vols basketball team will play in the NIT Season Tipoff in New York City with a field that includes Kansas, Louisville and Marquette. Vols will also play at Memphis and host Georgia Tech and Wake Forest in non-SEC games.
— Jimmy Hyams (@JimmyHyams) March 28, 2018
The Vols scored road wins over both the Yellow Jackets and Demon Deacons this season.
The trip to New York for the NIT event could certainly present some intriguing games, as Kansas is still playing in this year’s NCAA Tournament, Louisville has a new head coach in Chris Mack, and Marquette continues to make strides under fourth-year coach Steve Wojciechowski.
Tennessee faced difficult non-conference competition during the 2017-18 campaign, as the Vols took on nationally-ranked teams like Purdue, Villanova, and North Carolina.
The Vols earned a share of the SEC regular season championship and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this season before losing to eventual Final Four participant Loyola Chicago.
[smbtoolbar]