Tennessee guard Jordan McRae (52) drives the ball as Western Carolina guard Mike Brown (2) runs during the an NCAA game in Knoxville.KNOXVILLE – Three games against Memphis in his two-year Tennessee career make Jordan McRae a veteran of the cross-state series.
The junior guard knows what to expect for game No. 4 on Friday night.
“Memphis-Tennessee,” he said Tuesday before pausing for a moment, “it’s going to be fun. A lot of people, a lot of energy and a lot of passion’s going to be in that game.”
That game might be going away for a while.
Friday night’s tilt between the Volunteers and Tigers in Knoxville is the last on the program’s current contract, and a renewal of the series doesn’t appear imminent. Aside from a four-year hiatus from 2002 to 2005, Tennessee and Memphis have played each other in basketball during the regular season every year since 1988. The programs have split the last eight meetings since 2006.