Instant Reaction to Tennessee’s Non Conference Schedule

Credit: University of Tennessee Athletics

By Tucker Harlin

Tennessee unveiled its non conference basketball schedule ahead of the 2024-25 season.

This is an instant reaction to the Vols’ opening portion of their schedule.

Gardner-Webb is the opener for the 2024-25 season, a game the Vols should have no trouble handling.

Louisville on the road may be a little more challenging with the new energy around coach Pat Kelsey, but I don’t see a way Tennessee is in danger of losing this one.

Montana and Austin Peay should both be wins ahead of the Baha Mar tournament.

Tennessee is scheduled to play Virginia on the opening day of the tournament. I think this one is either a close coin flip in which the winner scores 55, or the Vols absolutely blow the Wahoos out of the water.

The second game will either be against St. John’s or Baylor. I’d imagine the Johnnies will be better and Scott Drew always has the Bears in good shape, so the second game should be more difficult than the first for Tennessee.

UT Martin should be a free space ahead of the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Syracuse comes to Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center for the challenge. The Vols ran past the Orange in Maui last season, and I don’t see that changing this year.

A week later, the Vols head to New York to take on Miami.

Jim Larrañaga’s bunch is always a little bit unpredictable, and they wound up with a pretty dreadful campaign last season. I’m not saying it’ll be a close game, but it wouldn’t shock me.

Four days later, Tennessee heads to Champaign to take on Illinois.

Brad Underwood has developed a consistent Big 10 power with the Illini, so I could envision this one being the Vols toughest test with it being on the road.

Western Carolina, Middle Tennessee, and Norfolk State are the final three games on Tennessee’s non conference slate this season.

None of these three should be close.

The 2024-25 non conference schedule is much easier for Tennessee on paper than the 2023-24 schedule that featured a gauntlet between Maui and the ACC/SEC Challenge with Purdue, Kansas, and North Carolina.

That said, part of me wonders whether or not the Vols will have encountered enough challenges ahead of the brutal stretch they have to begin SEC play.