Live Updates: No. 3 Tennessee Basketball vs. Syracuse in the SEC-ACC Challenge
It’s Tennessee Basketball game day, with the third-ranked Vols back home to host Syracuse Tuesday night in the SEC-ACC Challenge. The Vols (7-0) and Orange (4-2) are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN.
Syracuse lost back-to-back games against Texas and Texas Tech in the Legends Classic in New York on November 21 and 22. The Orange are ranked No. 101 in the KenPom.com ratings. They’re No. 73 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 145 in defensive efficiency.
Tennessee, which will debut its new ‘Dark Mode’ alternate uniform against Syracuse, stayed undefeated with a 78-35 win over UT Martin in Knoxville last week. The Vols have won their seven games by an average of 26.8 points per game.
No. 3 Tennessee vs. Syracuse: How To Watch
Start Time: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
TV: ESPN (Dave Pasch, play-by-play, Sean Farnham, analyst)
Radio: WNML-FM 99.1 in Knoxville. The Vol Network radio broadcast can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee.
KenPom Prediction: Tennessee 83, Syracuse 62 (97% Vols win)
The Line: Tennessee -20.5 | Total: 145.5
Where the Vols are ranked
Tennessee moved up to No. 3 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Coaches Poll on Monday, moving up four spots in the AP Top 25 and three spots in the Coaches Poll.
The Vols also debuted as the No. 1 team in the first NET rankings of the new season, with a 2-0 record in Quad 1 games, with a neutral-site win over No. 22 Baylor and a road win at No. 30 Louisville, a 3-0 record in Quad 3 and a 2-0 record in Quad 4. Auburn was ranked No. 2 in the NET.
Top 10
- 1Hot
12-Team CFP bracket
The updated field is set
- 2
Miami AD shot at Alabama
Dan Radakovich has CFP issues
- 3
Bama over Miami
CFP Chair addresses controversy
- 4New
CFP Top 25 revealed
Controversy is here
- 5Breaking
Kobe Prentice
Alabama WR to transfer
KenPom.com has Tennessee ranked No. 2 overall. The Vols are No. 2 in adjusted defensive efficiency, giving up 88.7 points per 100 possessions, and are No. 11 in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 119.6 points per possession.
KenPom currently projects Tennessee to go 26-5 overall with a 14-4 record in SEC play.
The Series: Tennessee vs. Syracuse
Tennessee is 4-3 all time against Syracuse in a series that dates back to December 1972. The Vols won 73-56 last season in the opening round of the Maui Invitational and won 66-62 in January 2002, when Syracuse last made the trip to Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee won 83-70 at Syracuse is December 2000. Syracuse won three in a row between 1977 and 1993. The Orange won 93-88 in overtime in the first round of the 1977 NCAA Tournament in Baton Rouge, then swept a home-and-home with a win in Knoxville in 1992 and a win at Syracuse in 1993.
Last season against Syracuse, Tennessee got 17 points from Dalton Knecht and double-doubles from Josiah-Jordan James, with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Jonas Aidoo, with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
In the meeting in Knoxville in 2002, Tennessee jumped out to a 17-point lead at halftime and was led 18 points from Jenis Grindstanff. Marcus Haislip scored 15 and Jon Higgins had 11.
