All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee basketball: Rick Barnes gets chance at revenge in SEC/Big 12 Challenge

By Caleb Calhoun

Feb 24, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes yells from the bench during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 24, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes yells from the bench during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

It looks like Rick Barnes will finally get a chance to face the school that fired him. He’ll also be able to do so by taking Tennessee basketball into the place he coached for 17 years before his exit in 2015, upon which he promptly headed to Rocky Top.

Yes, the Vols will be facing the Texas Longhorns in the SEC/Big 12 challenge, announced by the league on Wednesday. The battle of UTs will take place in Austin, Texas, so Barnes will be returning to his old stomping grounds in the process.

This matchup occurs as Texas moves on from the coach it hired to replace Barnes, Shaka Smart, with a new head coach in Chris Beard. Tennessee basketball, ironically, still has Barnes, whom they hired less than a week after he was fired by Texas in the first place.

Obviously, it’s crazy that the Vols and Longhorns haven’t met already since Barnes joined Rocky Top. When Barnes was coaching Texas, the two faced off four years in a row from 2005 to 2008, and they split the series 2-2.

There are even more connections than just Barnes, the UT name and shades of orange. The Vols just reportedly set a date to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Beard was just hired by Texas due to his success at Texas Tech, a program he took to the Final Four back in 2019.

More from Vols Basketball

Another major story is just how much tougher the Vols’ schedule got. In addition to Texas and Texas Tech, they already had to face the Villanova Wildcats, the Memphis Tigers and either the North Carolina Tar Heels or Purdue Boilermakers.

Add in an SEC slate that includes the Alabama Crimson Tide, Kentucky Wildcats, Arkansas Razorbacks and Auburn Tigers, at least one of whom the Vols will play twice, and this schedule is insane. Texas’ preseason expectations have gone through the roof with the roster Beard is building, so they will undoubtedly be tough.

The main story, though, is Barnes going back to face Texas with another team. He hasn’t faced any of his former programs since taking over as Tennessee basketball’s head coach, so this will be a first for him unless the Vols schedule the Clemson Tigers, George Mason Patriots or Providence Friars before facing Texas next year.

Next. 10 greatest made shots in Vol basketball history. dark

All 10 games in the challenge are set to take place on Jan. 29, and this will likely be the final non-conference game for the Vols. They are 5-2 in the challenge and have taken part in each of the last seven, and they are 3-3 all-time against Texas with their last matchup coming in 2008.

Home/Vols Basketball