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Tennessee announces home-and-home series with Butler

Tennessee Tyndall Basketball

Donnie Tyndall, right, is introduced as Tennessee men’s basketball coach by athletic director Dave Hart during a news conference Tuesday, April 22, 2014, in Knoxville, Tenn. The former Southern Mississippi coach succeeds Cuonzo Martin, who resigned last week to take the coaching job at California. (AP Photo/Knoxville News Sentinel, Amy Smotherman Burgess)

AP

Donnie Tyndall is making quick work of mixing up Tennessee’s non-conference schedule.

Just a week after getting the job, Tyndall and Tennessee announced that they would be playing a home-and-home series with the Butler Bulldogs, a deal that kicks off next December in Knoxville. The Vols will make a return trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse in December of 2015.

Butler is coming off of a 14-17 season in Brandon Miller’s first year with the Bulldogs. They won just four games in the Big East, but they bring back Kellen Dunham and also will have Roosevelt Jones healthy.

Tennessee made the Sweet 16 this past season, but they will lose Jordan McRae, Jarnell Stokes, Jeronne Maymon and Antonio Barton. It will be a bit of a rebuilding year in Knoxville.

Tennessee will also play at N.C. State, in the Old Spice Invitational and will get a Big 12 team in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

The last time these two teams played was in the 2008 NCAA tournament, a game Tennessee won 76-71 in overtime.

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