Maui Invitational: Tennessee reportedly set to open with Syracuse

The opening round of the Maui Invitational is set, per Jon Rothstein. The loaded field will duke it out during Thanksgiving weekend, and the Volunteers are reportedly set to open with Syracuse.

Kansas draws the opening round layup of host school Chaminade. Marquette will face UCLA, while Purdue and Gonzaga will square off in a heavyweight fight.

UPDATE: The full bracket is out. The Tennessee-Syracuse winner will move on to face the Purdue-Gonzaga winner.

Tennessee will make its fourth appearance in the Maui Invitational, their first since 2016. The tournament will tip-off on Monday, November 20th. Regardless of result, every team will play three games.

The Volunteers last faced Syracuse back in 2002 and 2000. Tennessee swept that home-away series, evening up the series record at 3-3.

Maui serves at yet another week full of big-time matchups for Tennessee basketball. The Volunteers will make trips to Wisconsin and North Carolina while hosting Illinois. They’ll also face N.C. State in San Antonio. All of this, of course, ahead of an always loaded SEC slate.

Tennessee has been projected as high as a No. 2 seed in preseason bracketology. ESPN has the Volunteers ranked No. 6 in their way-too-early top 25, trailing No. 1 Kansas and No. 3 Purdue, who will join Tennessee in Maui.