Rick Barnes and his Tennessee program plan to leave the country next season, thankfully, just for a brief period of time.
Tennessee announced on Tuesday that the basketvols will be heading to Toronto to compete against Washington in the Naismith Classic on Saturday, Nov. 16. The game will be played at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors. Tennessee and Washington have never met on the basketball court.
If you were unaware, Washington won the Pac-12 regular-season championship last season and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies finished with a 27-9 record.
“We’re appreciative of being included in the James Naismith Classic and are looking forward to competing against a really well coached Washington program that we have a lot of respect for,” Barnes said via an official release by Tennessee. “I know from experience that these events hosted by the Naismith Hall of Fame are great experiences for our players and fans. Having the opportunity to showcase Tennessee basketball in Canada is a big deal. Canadian basketball continues to showcase tremendous growth and outstanding coaching while producing world-class players.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
