Tennessee basketball will face Syracuse in the opening game of the Maui Invitational as the tournament released its full bracket Tuesday morning.
While the Vols haven’t played since 2002, Rick Barnes and Tennessee are very familiar with the two other teams on its side of the bracket— Gonzaga and Purdue.
Tennessee has played Gonzaga three times during Barnes tenure and faced the Zags in an exhibition game last season. The teams were poised to face off during the 2020-21 season before a COVID-19 outbreak cancelled the game.
Tennessee has faced Purdue twice during Barnes tenure including a thrilling loss to the Boilermakers in the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Marquette-UCLA and Kansas-Chaminade make up the two other first round matchups in the event that could have six preseason top 25 teams in it.
The 2023 Maui Invitational starts on Monday, Nov. 20 and runs through Wednesday Nov. 22.
It’s a season of transition for the Syracuse basketball program. The Orange parted ways with legendary head coach Jim Boeheim following the 2022-23 season with long time Syracuse assistant Adrian Autry succeeding his former boss.
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While Boeheim was one of the most decorated coaches in college basketball, Syracuse slipped in his final years at the helm. The Orange combined to go 33-32 the last two seasons, failing to make the NCAA Tournament both years.
Tennessee basketball is entering Barnes’ ninth season as head coach with plenty of momentum. The Vols returned to the Sweet 16 for the second time in Barnes’ tenure last season and return super seniors Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi as well as promising young players Jonas Aidoo, Jahmai Mashack, and Tobe Awaka.
The Vols added talent to their roster through the transfer portal and the prep ranks with transfers Jordan Gainey and Dalton Knecht as well as a recruiting class including four-star center JP Estrella and four-star combo guard Freddie Dilione (Dilione early enrolled in January and redshirted last season).
The 2023 Maui Invitational adds to a strong out of conference schedule for Tennessee basketball. The Vols travel to North Carolina and Wisconsin, host Illinois at Thompson-Boling Arena and face North Carolina State in San Antonio.
