No. 3 Tennessee basketball hosts Syracuse in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday in Knoxville.
The Orange are on the road for their first true road game of the regular season, just a week after their two-game stint a the Legends Classic. Meanwhile, the undefeated Vols are in the middle of its fourth 7-0 since 2000 — and the second time in five years.
Tennessee leads the all-time series against Syracuse, 4-3, after winning the last three straight matchups. That includes a 73-56 win in the 2023 Maui Invitational.
General Information:
Teams: No. 3 Tennessee (7-0) vs. Syracuse (4-2)
Tip-off: 7:30 pm EST
Watch: ESPN
Latest on Tennessee basketball:
In this week’s new AP Poll, Tennessee basketball jumped into the top five and became ranked No. 3 after two eye-opening wins in the Baha Mar Championship and a dominant win at home versus UT Martin.
Tennessee is 7-0 overall and 4-0 at home on the season. Coming into this matchup, Tennessee ranks top 10 in the nation in points allowed on the defensive end. The Vols will look to add upon this success in this home matchup. Tennessee is also one of the nation’s best offensive rebounding teams, but Syracuse is one the best teams at not allowing offensive rebounds, so this will be something to look out for.
Latest on Syracuse basketball:
Just hours before tip-off it was announced that Syracuse’s top scorer, JJ Starling will be out indefinitely with a broken left hand. It’s not his shooting hand, but it’s a difficult loss for the Orange to manage. Syracuse is averaging 81 points per game, but has just a 2.7 scoring margin through six games.
With Starling’s absence, head coach Adrian Autry may insert Chance Westry into the lineup at some point. Westry’s return to the court has been highly anticipated, but Autry hasn’t found the right time to bring in the Auburn transfer.
This is Syracuse’s third Quad 1 opponent it has faced this season, and likely the final guaranteed Quad 1 nonconference game the Orange will take on this year. Even without Starling, Syracuse will need to rely on its veteran players like Eddie Lampkin and Chris Bell. Bell has struggled from deep to start the season, making Tuesday’s game the perfect time for the junior to lean back into his range if the Vols give him the space.