Vols, Lady Vols hoops draw big crowd for 'Market Square Madness'
Ahead of a weekend where football is the headliner in Knoxville, basketball took center stage for a few hours in the city's Market Square on Thursday.
Both Tennessee's men's and women's basketball teams drew an impressive crowd for the first-ever "Market Square Madness" to unofficially tipoff the season. The preseason event is normally held inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
Fans began huddling around a makeshift court two hours before the event began at 8 p.m.
As the crowd grew, spectators crowded nearby rooftop restaurants and balconies. Some even hung out of windows.
The hour-long spectacle, which featured 3-point shooting contests, former Tennessee quarterback Sterling Henton's DJ persona "Sterl the Pearl" and fireworks, was a small sample size for hoops-starved fans.
There's good reason for the hype surrounding both programs as their respective seasons begin in less than a month.
The Vols are defending SEC Tournament Champions and coming off their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Rick Barnes' team is set to return seven contributors from that team, including Zakai Zeigler, Santiago Vescovi, Josiah-Jordan James and Uros Plavsic.
Tennessee added McDonald's All-American Julian Phillips, Tobe Awaka, B.J. Edwards and D.J. Jefferson through its 2022 signing class — as well as former Indiana State guard Tyreke Key out of the transfer portal.
"First and foremost, on behalf of my teammates and coaches, I just want to thank you guys for being the best fans in the world," James told the crowd at the event's conclusion. "You guys are second to none."
The Lady Vols took a big step forward in head coach Kellie Harper's third season, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Women's Tournament for the first time since 2016.
Tennessee's 2022-23 team will boast a ton of talent, too. Tamari Key, Jordan Horston, Tess Darby, Sara Puckett and Jordan Walker are back while transfer portal pickups round out a roster with high expectations.
"I hope you guys come support us again this season," Key said. "We're super excited and we had a lot of fun with y'all tonight. … We hope to see y'all (this season)."
The Vols play Gonzaga in a high-profile exhibition game at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas on Oct. 28 before officially opening their season against Tennessee Tech at Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 7.
The Lady Vols host Carson-Newman for an exhibition matchup on Oct. 30, then open the season on the road against Ohio State at The Schottenstein Center on Nov. 8 at 8:30 p.m.
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