NC State men’s hoops expected to play Tennessee at neutral site, reports say
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- N.C. State is expected to play Tennessee on a neutral court in Nashville next season.
- Justin Gainey will face his former boss Rick Barnes in his first season as head coach.
- This will be the first meeting since Dec. 16, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas.
First-year N.C. State head coach Justin Gainey is deep into roster construction, but scheduling agreements are also in the works.
The Wolfpack basketball team is expected to play Tennessee on a neutral court in Nashville next season, according to CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein. The game would pit Gainey against his former school and boss, Vols coach Rick Barnes, in the Gainey’s first season as the man in charge.
Gainey worked at Tennessee under Barnes for five seasons, first as an assistant and then as the associate head coach.
No date or official location has been announced for the matchup. N.C. State has not played Tennessee since Dec. 16, 2023, when the Wolfpack fell to the Vols 79-70 in San Antonio, Texas. Since 2013, the series is split 2-2. N.C. State’s last win came on Dec. 17, 2024, when Ralston Turner and Trevor Lacey led the team to an 83-72 victory in Raleigh.
Praise for Justin Gainey
Barnes praised Gainey during the NCAA Tournament, during which he was interviewed for the N.C. State position, saying he hoped his right-hand man got the job.
“If N.C. State knew what I knew, they would be begging him to be their next head coach,” Barnes said. “Because he’s ready, not just for N.C. State. He’s ready to be the head coach of the University of Tennessee or any school in the country. He’s that good.”
Gainey has 20 years of experience as an assistant, starting his career in team operations and administration at N.C. State under former coach Sidney Lowe. He also worked at Marquette, Elon, Appalachian State and Arizona.
Arguably his best work, however, came during his time with the Volunteers.
With Gainey on staff, the Tennessee defense has consistency been in the top 15 for defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. This season, the Volunteers held a 94 defensive rating, which is its worst since Gainey joined the staff. It still ranks No. 12 in the country. Every year prior, the team ranked in the top 5, including a No. 1 rating during the 2022-23 season, when the team finished with an 87.5, the best defense since KenPom was established in 1999.
Tennessee has been one of the nation’s best programs in 3-point defense and effective field goal percentage defense.
The Vols never finished with fewer than 25 wins with Gainey on staff, except during the shortened COVID season in 2020-21.
N.C. State is also expected to play the second half of a home-and-home agreement at VCU, which was arranged by former head coach Will Wade. The Rams came to Raleigh in November and are scheduled to host the Wolfpack in Richmond at an undetermined date during the 2026-27 season.
