KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Jordan Bone scored 18 points and Kyle Alexander added 16 as No. 6 Tennessee opened the season with an 86-41 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne on Tuesday night.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes lettered for three seasons at Lenoir-Rhyne. Barnes is a native of Hickory, North Carolina, where Lenoir-Rhyne is located.
The game against the Division II opponent counts on Tennessee's overall record, but Lenoir-Rhyne counted the game as an exhibition.
In front of a crowd of 16,156, the Volunteers (1-0) opened a season of heightened expectations. The defending Southeastern Conference co-champions return all five starters, and their No.