Tennessee’s first trip through the Players Era Tournament now has a tipoff time, and it comes with a familiar face on the other side.
The Vols will open against Maryland and former Tennessee guard Bishop Boswell on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 3:00 p.m. ET, according to RTI’s Ryan Schumpert.
That game will serve as the opening round for both teams in Las Vegas. Tennessee’s next game will land on Thanksgiving Day, with the time depending on the result against Maryland: 1:30 p.m.
ET with a win, or 9:00 p.m. ET with a loss.
Boswell joined Maryland out of the transfer portal in April after spending two seasons at Tennessee. His role grew significantly in his second year with the Vols.
After playing just 3.8 minutes per game as a freshman, the 6-foot-4 guard appeared in 34 games and made 33 starts this past season while averaging 26.4 minutes per contest. He finished the year at 6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.
His scoring peak came at 13 points, a mark he reached four times last season. One of those outings came in Tennessee’s second-round NCAA Tournament win over Virginia in Philadelphia. He also hit that total against Texas A&M, Georgia, and Missouri.
Tennessee’s roster will look very different by the time it meets Maryland. The Vols added eight players through the transfer portal this offseason and kept only forward DeWayne Brown and guard Troy Henderson. ESPN ranks Tennessee’s portal class first in the country, and 247 lists six of those additions among its Top 100 transfer portal players.
Boswell also won’t be reuniting with former Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey, who took the head coaching job at NC State after the NCAA Tournament.
He’s the first former Vol Tennessee is scheduled to see next season, but he won’t be the last. The Vols are set to play Jaylen Carey’s Missouri Tigers twice, with one game at home and one on the road.
They’ll also face Amari Evans’ Texas Longhorns in Austin and Cade Phillips’ Texas A&M Aggies in College Station. Those matchups don’t include any possible SEC Tournament or NCAA Tournament meetings.
There’s also a chance Tennessee could run into former Vol J.P. Estrella and Michigan. The Vols could meet the Wolverines in the Players Era Tournament final on Nov. 28, and another NCAA Tournament matchup next spring is still possible.
Tennessee basketball’s Players Era slate is starting to take shape, and the opener already brings a little extra edge.
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