Tennessee basketball to face Gonzaga in New York this December
It looks like Tennessee basketball will travel to New York City in December of 2020. The Volunteers will face the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Madison Square Garden.
Two years after they upset the No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, Tennessee basketball will face its foe from the Northwest in a rematch. Once again, it is almost certain to be a battle of top 20 teams based on preseason rankings.
Rick Barnes’ and Mark Few’s teams are scheduled to face off at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic this December. So this time, the two are set to take on Manhattan as they face off.
In addition to Tennessee basketball and Gonzaga, the Baylor Bears and Rutgers Scarlet Knights will also face off in the event. Analyst Jeff Goodman tweeted out the news of the matchups Thursday afternoon.
Sources: The Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden expected to feature the following matchups this December:
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 7, 2020
- No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 15 Rutgers
- No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 20 Tennessee
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The last time these two met, they faced off in Phoenix on Dec. 9, 2018. In that game, Gonzaga was No. 1 while the Vols were No. 7, but the Vols pulled off a 76-73 upset win in what was basically a road game.
That propelled Rocky Top to eventually its own No. 1 ranking, which would occur in January. They would hold that spot for three weeks. Well, there’s a chance that it could happen again and as much could be on the line this year.
Gonzaga is in the top five of most preseason polls, and UT ranges anywhere from the top 10 to No. 20 given the fact that they have a top five recruiting class coming in and are likely to only lose Jordan Bowden. Yves Pons’ decision on the NBA is a big deal, though, to be fair.
Either way, this should be an exciting matchup. It may not be the most intriguing, though. Rutgers competing in this, as now a top 20 team on its own, could be playing what is effectively a home game. Normally, that wouldn’t matter, but with the Scarlet Knights’ emergence as a home game, their proximity to Manhattan could allow them to fill MSG against Baylor.
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On the other side, Tennessee basketball should be able to fill the stadium better than Gonzaga. That’s a chance for them to turn the tables after the way Gonzaga filled the stadium in Phoenix. NYC is much easier to get to from Knoxville.