Indiana Schedules Charity Exhibition Game At Tennessee

Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers will unofficially begin their 2024-25 season with an exhibition game against an Elite Eight team from last season.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Malik Reneau (5) huddles with his teammates against Morehead State Eagles at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana basketball announced Tuesday it will play a charity exhibition game against the Tennessee Volunteers ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The game is scheduled for Oct. 27 at the Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn. Tip time and television information will be announced at a later date. Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Sept. 16 at allvols.com.

“We are excited to be able to play such a good, well-coached team in Tennessee to get us ready for the season,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said in a news release. “We wanted to test ourselves away from our home floor early in the season and this will be a great experience to learn where we are as a ball club.

"We are thrilled to host one of the best programs in the nation and support a worthy cause at the same time. I have a great deal of respect for Coach Woodson and I look forward to sharing a sideline with him for the first time," Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said in a news release. "Indiana's first visit to Knoxville provides an excellent test for our guys before the season officially begins. Most of all, though, it is a great way to raise money for an impactful organization whose mission I fully support."

Hoosiers lock in charity exhibition game with Tennessee on Oct. 27.

All proceeds will go to supporting the John McLendon Foundation. pic.twitter.com/DUeBOmUi5I

— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) August 27, 2024

According to an Indiana Athletics news release, NCAA rules mandate that for an exhibition game between two Division I teams, the host school must sell tickets and donate the proceeds to a designated charity. Tennessee and Indiana have jointly agreed to support theJohn McLendon Foundation.

Named for the esteemed Naismith Memorial Basketball of Fame member, the John McLendon Foundation offers scholarships for minority students who intend to pursue a postgraduate degree in athletics administration.

It is also home to the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative, a new coach-driven program to create access to and opportunity for meaningful employment experience for minority candidates known as Future Leaders.

“We are also honored to play for such a wonderful cause in the McLendon Foundation," Woodson said. "The work that they do is truly special, and it is a credit to John McLendon and his legacy.”

"On behalf of the McLendon Foundation, we are humbled by the continued support of Coach Barnes and Coach Woodson,” McLendon Foundation director Adrien Harraway said. “This game between the University of Tennessee and Indiana University demonstrates how sports can bring us together to inspire the next generation of sports leaders.”

Following Hoosier Hysteria on Oct. 18, this matchup against Tennessee on Oct. 27 is set to be Indiana's first of two exhibition games. The Hoosiers will also host Marian University, an NAIA program in Indianapolis coached by Pat Knight, on Nov. 1 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Indiana's first regular season game of the 2024-25 season is scheduled for Nov. 6 against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at Assembly Hall. For the Hoosiers' full schedule, CLICK HERE.

The exhibition game against Tennessee should be a significant test for the Hoosiers. Ranked in the top 10 and as high as No. 4 nationally in the final 15 AP Top 25 polls last season, the Volunteers won the SEC regular season title and reached the Elite Eight, where it lost to national champion runner-up Purdue.

Tennessee lost leading scorer Dalton Knecht to the NBA, as well as key contributors Josiah-Jordan James, Santiago Vescovi, Tobe Awaka and Jonas Aidoo. But the Volunteers are still expected to be a formidable opponent.

Tennessee is ranked No. 22 in Jon Rothstein's preseason top-45 rankings, and ESPN's Joe Lunardi predicts the Volunteers to earn a No. 4 seed in his latest Bracketology, which coincidentally puts Tennessee and No. 5 seed Indiana in line for a potential matchup in the Round of 32.

Zakai Zeigler returns for his senior season as one of the nation's top point guards. As a junior, he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-SEC. He averaged11.8 points, 6.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 34.4% from 3-point range.

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes speaks with guard Zakai Zeigler (5) against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Thompson-Boling Arena. / Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee also returns senior guards Jordan Gainey and Jahmai Mashack, who started eight games and played 17.9 minutes per game last season. Mashack averaged 4.5 points and shot 35.9% from 3-point range. Gainey played 18.4 minutes per game off the bench and averaged 6.8 points.

Aside from the three veteran guards returning, Tennessee will rely on its 14th-ranked transfer portal class to sustain its success from last season. The Volunteers added guard Chaz Lanier (19.7 ppg at North Florida), guard Darlinstone Dubar (17.8 ppg at Hofstra), forward Igor Milicic Jr. (12.8 ppg at Charlotte) and forward Felix Okpara (6.6 ppg at Ohio State), along with four-star freshman guard Bishop Boswell.

Tennessee enters its ninth season under Barnes, who has led the Volunteers to two SEC regular season titles and an SEC Tournament title. Last year's Elite Eight run is Tennessee's best finish under Barnes, but his tenure also includes two Sweet 16 runs, two trips to the Round of 32 and six total NCAA Tournament appearances. Barnes holds a 202-101 overall record at Tennessee, a 100-60 SEC record and a six top-five finishes in regular season conference play.

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