The Official #3 Tennessee vs. Syracuse Game Thread, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN

[YankeeVol]

#3 Tennessee Volunteers: 7-0 (0-0 SEC)

vs.

Syracuse Orange 4-2 (0-0 ACC)

GAME 8 | TENNESSEE vs. SYRACUSE - Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Knoxville, Tenn. | Food City Center (21,678)


Line: UT -21.5
O/U: 142.5

TV: ESPN / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen / Live Stats
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM: 81
Online: WatchESPN.com


Syracuse Game Notes

 

[YankeeVol]

THE MATCHUP

• After starting 1-3 in its series with Syracuse, Tennessee is 3-0 this cenutry, with each win at a different location.
• Tennessee defeated Syracuse, 73- 56, in the 2023 Maui Invitational opener in Honolulu behind a combined 32 points from from Dalton Knecht (17) and Josiah- Jordan James (15).
• This is the second time the two sides are meeting in back-to- back years. The Orange swept a home-and-home on 12/9/92 and 11/28/93.
• Coming off a 20-12 (11-9) showing in Adrian Autry's first season at the helm, Syracuse placed No. 11 in this year's ACC preseason poll.
• The Orange are led by junior guard J.J. Starling, who is averaging 19.8 ppg, second-best in the ACC.
• Tennessee is 123-101 all-time versus current ACC schools and has beat all but one of them, Notre Dame (0-1), at least once.
• Rick Barnes is 83-77 against the current ACC membership, including 13-5 in his Tennessee tenure and 6-1 over the last four seasons (2021-25).

 

[YankeeVol]

NEWS & NOTES

• The Volunteers and Orange play in two of the three largest on- campus arenas in the country. More information is on Page 11.
• Tennessee's Darlinstone Dubar and Syracuse's Chaz Owens were prep teammates at Scotland Campus (Pa.) in 2019-20.
• Syracuse is the third of four ACC teams Tennessee will meet in non-conference play. It won at Louisville (11/9), beat Virginia (11/21) in the Bahamas and will face Miami (12/10) in New York.
• UT leads the nation in field-goal percentage defense (33.6), ranks second in scoring defense (54.7) and places sixth in both scoring margin (26.9) and field-goal percentage (52.3).
• Zakai Zeigler, who hails from a New York town 290 miles southeast of Syracuse, is putting up 7.86 apg. That is 3.0 above any other player in the SEC, as Boogie Fland and Jaylen Murray are tied for second at 4.86, as well as good for sixth-best in the country.
• Chaz Lanier leads the SEC and ranks eighth among all DI players with 3.86 3PM per game.
• In Tennessee's first seven games, it led for 266:15 of a possible 280 minutes and trailed for only 4:39.
• Through seven outings, the Vols' largest deficit is three points. Meanwhile, they have held a lead of at least 26 points in each game and won all of them by 15-plus.
• Tennessee's 178 wins over the last eight years (2017-25) rank co-ninth nationally, alongside Saint Mary's. Only Gonzaga (220), Houston (212), Kansas (198), Duke (190), Purdue (189), San Diego State (181), Virginia (181) and Liberty (179) have more.
• Tennessee is seeking an 8-0 start for the first time since beginning the 2000-01 campaign at 9-0.
• This is the Vols' 600th game at Food City Center, where they are 457-142 (.763) since its opening in 1987-88. In their most recent outing, a 78-35 win over UT Martin (11/27/24), they set an arena record for fewest points allowed.
• UT has conceded just 15 fast- break points in seven contests (2.1 ppg). In four of its seven outings, it has allowed zero. The Vols are plus-68, 83-15, in that stat overall.

 

[YankeeVol]

HIGH-CALIBER COMPANY

• Tennessee and Kansas are the only two teams to earn an AP top-five ranking in each of the last four seasons (2021-25). Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024-25 with a three-year streak.
• UT is one of only four schools to reach the AP top six in each of the past four seasons, alongside Alabama, Houston and Kansas.
• Tennessee is one of only five programs to reach the AP top six in at least six of the last seven seasons (2018-25), Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Kentucky. Additionally, in that same stretch, the Volunteers, Bulldogs, Jayhawks and Wildcats are the only four teams to enter the AP top-five in at least five different seasons.
• Tennessee is one of just six schools to earn an AP top-20 ranking in each of the past eight years (2017- 25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. Just two others, Houston and Purdue, have even reached the AP top 25 in each of those seasons.

 

[StarRaider]

Tennessee Gameday...

Syracuse at Tennessee Tuesday, December 3, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. ACC/SEC Challenge TV: ESPN Radio: TK99 (99.5 FM) / WAER (88.3 FM) https://cuse.com/news/2024/12/2/mens-basketball-syracuse-to-face-no-3-tennessee-in-acc-sec-challenge

syracusefan.com

 

[knoxvol52]

Tennessee ball out in Dark Mode Uniforms.

Vols 81
Cuse 62

 

[JohnWardForever]

Orange Vs Orange. BIG ORANGE WINS!

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

That is a pretty big spread.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

They are a bad defensive team, have lost to both teams they faced from P5 conferences (Texas and Texas Tech). They did keep those games close though, both were Neutral site games. So we're actually their first true road game of the season.

I think we'll win, but don't think I'd take the spread. Vols 82 Cuse 68

 

[omghulkhands]

They are a bad defensive team, have lost to both teams they faced from P5 conferences (Texas and Texas Tech). They did keep those games close though, both were Neutral site games. So we're actually their first true road game of the season.

I think we'll win, but don't think I'd take the spread. Vols 82 Cuse 68

wow I hadn’t even looked at the spread until your comment

 

[volz2wallz]

GBO!!

 

[Lefteye]

That is a pretty big spread.

Agree. UT better lace them up tight cause I have a feeling Syracuse is going to bring their best game tonight. Any w is a good one. Imo

GB

 

[ColinS]

Syracuse has enough talent in their starting line up to keep this close but have little depth. We need to lean on them and wear them down. I think we should pull away in the second half.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

They are a bad defensive team, have lost to both teams they faced from P5 conferences (Texas and Texas Tech). They did keep those games close though, both were Neutral site games. So we're actually their first true road game of the season.

I think we'll win, but don't think I'd take the spread. Vols 82 Cuse 68

They look like they could be 6-0 or 0-6. Their 2 losses to the P4 teams were close but all their non-P4 games have all been pretty close too.

I expect to win but Tennessee better be ready.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Tennessee ball out in Dark Mode Uniforms.

Vols 81
Cause 62

I hope so because if we lose we will never see them again unless we have some contracted obligation to wear them another game or something.

 

[Bigorangefan 98]

Vols 75 Syracuse 57 our defense will smoother them

 

[RyanWalkerPGH]

 

[TrippieRedd]

Winning by 20 then

 

[cardvolfan]

March 13, 1977 loss to Syracuse is still the most disappointing loss I’ve ever known.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

He’s their leading scorer, and basically their entire team. We should bludgeon them now.

 

[cardvolfan]

He’s their leading scorer, and basically their entire team. We should bludgeon them now.

They’re also a horrific shooting 3-point team, but something tells me they will be better tonight.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

It seems like more often than not, when opponents lose their star players, we tend to not always do so well versus the backups.

 

[walkenvol]

It seems like more often than not, when opponents lose their star players, we tend to not always do so well versus the backups.

So the fear of back up QB’s has found it’s way over from the FF!

 

[Lefteye]

So the fear of back up QB’s has found it’s way over from the FF!

Only if he’s a WR.

 

[Larkin]

oof, this aint good for Syracuse