Tennessee basketball vs Miami in the Jimmy V Classic: Prediction, picks, injury updates

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Vols coach Rick Barnes has Tennessee basketball on top of the college basketball world before a pair of power-conference games.

The newly minted No. 1 Vols (8-0) play Miami (3-6) on Tuesday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. They play Illinois on Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET, FOX) on the back half of the big week.

Here is what to know about the matchup between the Vols and Hurricanes:

How Tennessee fared as the No. 1 team in the nation

Tennessee is playing its first game as the No. 1 team in the nation since Feb. 16, 2019, at Kentucky.

The Vols reached the top ranking Monday, rising from No. 3 after the two teams ahead of them − Kansas and Auburn − both lost. Tennessee is 8-2 in program history as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll.

UT went 7-1 during a four-week run as No. 1 during the 2018-19 season. It lost the spot after an 86-69 loss at Kentucky. The Vols went 1-1 in a one-week stint as No. 1 in the 2007-08 season. It lost 72-69 to Vanderbilt on Feb. 26, 2008, in its first game after attaining the top ranking for the first time in program history.

Miami is the unluckiest team in college basketball

Miami is rated as the most unlucky team in college basketball by KenPom as of Sunday.

KenPom defines lucky as “a measure of the deviation between a team’s actual winning percentage and what one would expect from its game-by-game efficiencies.” In other words, Miami should have a better won-loss record than it does based on its statistical profile.

The Hurricanes have lost six straight games. Four of those losses were by seven points or fewer, including a three-point loss to Charleston Southern and a four-point loss against Arkansas.

CLASS: The inside story on how Tennessee basketball, Rick Barnes recruited transfer portal class

Chaz Lanier does it best against power-conference teams

Chaz Lanier is averaging 18.8 in his first eight games with the Vols. The heralded North Florida transfer dials it up against big-time competition.

The Vols guard is…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-basketball-vs-miami-jimmy-183437489.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-12-09 18:34:00

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