Tennessee basketball officially announced its Jimmy V Classic matchup against Miami on Wednesday afternoon. The game was first reported back in late May with the announcement just now being official.
The Vols will face Miami in the first game of a doubleheader at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Tipoff between Tennessee and Miami is the first game of the doubleheader at 6:30 p.m. ET followed by Arkansas-Michigan at 9 p.m. ET.
“The Jimmy V Classic is a special event, not just because of the high quality of basketball it displays annually, but because of the name and the cause behind it,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said in a statement. “We are honored to be participating in this year’s edition. It will be a thrill for our players to compete at Madison Square Garden, while facing a veteran and well-coached Miami team will help prepare us for the rigors of SEC play.”
This season marks the 30th year of the Jimmy V Classic on the men’s side. The event is named after legendary North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993. Before he passed away, Valvano founded the V Foundation for cancer research and the annual Jimmy V Classic raises money for the foundation.
Tennessee played in the Jimmy V Classic during the 2021-22 season losing an ugly, low scoring affair against Texas Tech inside Madison Square Garden. The Vols are 2-5 in games in New York City under Rick Barnes.
The Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Fame puts on the event every year and Barnes’ strong relationship with the Hall-of-Fame has led to Tennessee playing in a multitude of neutral site games put on by the group.
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Last season, Tennessee played North Carolina State in San Antonio as part of a double-header the Naismith Hall-of-Fame put on. The Hall-of-Fame’s event use the infamous Spalding Legacy basketball that’s been prone to poor shooting performances.
There’s plenty of reason for excitement about Tennessee basketball entering Barnes’ 10th season as the Vols’ head coach. Coming off a season where they won the SEC Championship and made it to the Elite Eight, Tennessee is paring strong veteran returnees including Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack and Jordan Gainey with a strong incoming transfer class.
Tennessee landed four transfers this offseason: North Florida guard Chaz Lanier, Hofstra wing Darlinstone Dubar, Charlotte forward Igor Milicic Jr. and Ohio State center Felix Okpara.
