Miami-SMU basketball game has ties to Tennessee's program

No. 6 seed Tennessee (22-11) will open play in the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday.

The Vols are in the Midwest Regional and will play their first game at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. EDT.

Tennessee will play the winner of Wednesday's First Four game between Miami University (31-1) and SMU (20-13). Tipoff between the RedHawls and Mustangs is slated for 9:10 p.m. EDT at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

Both SMU and Miami have ties to the Vols' basketball program. Ray Mears served as head coach for Tennessee and played for Miami, while guard B.J. Edwards transferred to SMU from the Vols.

Mears played for Miami from 1946-48. He coached the Vols from 1962-77 after a stint at Wittenberg (1956-62).

He compiled an overall college coaching record of 399-135 and guided the Vols to three SEC regular-season championships (1967, 1972, 1977) and was a two-time SEC Coach of the Year (1967, 1977).

Edwards played for the Vols during the 2022-23 season, appearing in 14 games. He averaged 1.2 points, 0.4 assists, 0.1 steals and 0.1 blocks per game.

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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Miami-SMU NCAA Tournament basketball game has ties to Tennessee