ESPN announced the start times of the Jimmy V Classic doubleheader Wednesday. Tennessee and Texas Tech will lead off the event and Villanova versus Syracuse will be the nightcap.
The Vols’ matchup with Texas Tech is set for a 7 p.m. ET start from Madison Square Garden.
The Tuesday, Dec.7 matchup between Tennessee and Texas Tech will be the second between the two schools. The Vols won the lone matchup in Knoxville in 1951.
While Tennessee hasn’t faced the Red Raiders often, the Vols’ seventh year head coach has plenty of experience with Texas Tech. In Rick Barnes’ 17-seasons at Texas, the coach posted an impressive 33-4 record.
The Red Raiders were a six-seed in the NCAA Tournament a season ago, losing in the round of 32 to Arkansas.
Texas Tech’s most successful coach ever, Chris Beard, left this offseason to become the head coach at Texas. The Red Raiders and head coach Mark Adams will look to continue Beard’s success with a pair of double digit scorers returning.
The neutral site matchup is one of seven premium non conference matchups for Tennessee this season. The loaded schedule should help prepare the Vols for the rigor of the conference schedule.
The Red Raiders are projected as a 6-seed in ESPN Joe Lunardi’s most recent bracketology.
