The Vols and Tar Heels haven’t played on-campus since the 1940’s. Tennessee and North Carolina met in the 2000 Sweet 16, a bitter end to an SEC Championship season as the 4-seed Vols blew a late lead to fall 74-69 to the Tar Heels. UNC also beat the Vols in Maui in 2004 and in the Preseason NIT in 2006.
Rick Barnes is no stranger to games like this, and neither is Tennessee’s program in the last ten years. But most of the guys wearing Tennessee’s uniforms haven’t played in a non-conference game like this, and since most of the guys wearing Tennessee’s uniforms are freshmen they haven’t been to Rupp Arena and haven’t played a in game like this period.