Kansas vs. Tennessee: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
Duke and Gonzaga isn’t the only matchup of top-5 nationally ranked teams. Who wins this battle between Kansas and Tennessee for the NIT Season Tip-Off title?
TV schedule: Friday, November 23, 9:00 pm ET. ESPN2
Arena: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
Despite winning in the Champions Classic over Michigan State to start the season, Kansas (4-0)fell from No. 1 to No. 2 in the following AP top-25 poll. Since then, the Jayhawks have had rougher than expected bouts versus Louisiana and Vermont. Then came the four-team NIT Season Tip-Off battle, with a matchup with Marquette in the semifinals.
The high-scoring Golden Eagles scored their offensive acumen, taking a double-digit lead in the first half. But the defense of Kansas came through, holding Marquette to just 21 second half points while scoring 22 unanswered points in the 77-68 win. Preseason All-American candidate Dedric Lawson had his best game yet in a Jayhawks uniform, scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds. Lagerald Vick continues his breakout campaign as a senior, chipping in with 16 in the game.
With Duke falling to Gonzaga in the finals of the Maui Invitational, Kansas has a primed opportunity to regain the No. 1 ranking. But they’ll have to overcome their toughest opponent yet, one who has quietly been flying under the radar.
Tennessee (4-0) had their own struggles in their NIT Season Tip-Off game against Louisville. The Cardinals were going toe-to-toe for the vast majority of the until, until the Vols were able to pull away with a 92-81 victory. Grant Williams (averaging 22.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg on the season) led all scorers in the game with 24 points, while senior forward Admiral Schofield chipped in with 20. It was another impressive offensive display for Rick Barnes’ team, with 22 assists on 34 made field goals.
With Kentucky always receiving national attention and No. 8 Auburn participating on television throughout the Maui Invitational, the No. 5 Volunteers haven’t been on everyone’s minds in the early part of the season. But with the reigning SEC Regular Season champs returning over 90% of the team’s production from the prior year, this may be the best team in the conference this time again.
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Like Duke vs. Gonzaga, the “underdog” has the advantage with experience while the “favorite” have more talent and future NBA players. In another top-5 game this week, this will be another instant classic down the wire. Kansas will have the edge a couple of months from now with Devin Dotson and Quentin Grimes gaining more experience but Tennessee’s upperclassmen will teach them a valuable lesson on Friday.