Tennessee basketball moves to the primetime slot of the Maui Invitational Tuesday night as they battle reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey and No. 2 Purdue.
The Vols moved into the semifinals with a 17-point win over Syracuse while the Boiler Makers used a second half comeback to knock off No. 11 Gonzaga.
Here’s everything to know about the top 10 tilt in Honolulu.
More From RTI: Three Quick Takeaways From Tennessee’s Win Over Syracuse
How to Watch – No. 7 Tennessee (4-0) vs. No. 2 Purdue (4-0)
- Start Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
- Location: SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center
- TV: ESPN. PxP: Dan Shulman, CC: Jay Bilas, Sideline: Angel Gray
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
Betting Lines
Spread: Purdue -2 Tennessee
Totals: Over/under 134.5
Spread: Purdue -4 Tennessee
Total: Over/under 138
Probable Starters
Tennessee (UT’s Monday Starters)
Purdue (PU’s Monday starters)
Team Statistics (via Sports Reference)
Tennessee
Purdue
Stat Leaders
Tennessee:
Points: Dalton Knecht — 19 PPG, 52 FG%, 39 3PT%
Rebounds: Jonas Aidoo — 8.3 RPG, 6.5 DRPG, 1.8 ORPG
Purdue:
Last Four Games
Tennessee:
- 76-53 win over Syracuse (Maui Invitational)
- 82-61 win versus Wofford
- 80-70 win at Wisconsin
- 80-42 win versus Tennessee Tech
Purdue:
- 73-63 win over Gonzaga (Maui Invitational
- 83-71 win versus Xavier
- 87-57 win versus Morehead State
- 98-45 win versus Samford
Prediction
Tennessee basketball gets its third battle with a Big 10 power (counting the preseason) of the season on Tuesday night as they prepare to face No. 2 Purdue in the Maui Invitational semifinals.
Everything starts with the big man for Purdue: reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey. The 7-foot-4 center presents unheard of matchup issues for any team. That’s the challenge for Tennessee and particularly junior forward Jonas Aidoo. Aidoo is one of the nation’a best post defenders and is as up to the challenge as just about anybody.
What worries me for Tennessee is that Tobe Awaka suffered an ankle injury against Syracuse. Tennessee hasn’t provided an update for Awaka’s status but if he can’t go that will be a lot of minutes and pressure for Aidoo. His ability to stay out of foul trouble will be integral in this one.
My other question for this game is whether Tennessee’s guards can force a bunch of turnovers. When Purdue started struggling last season, its young guards struggled controlling the pace and rhythm of the game but Fletcher Lloyd and particularly Braden Smith have seemingly made sizable jumps this season.
This one feels pretty close to a toss up but Tennessee’s front curt depth worries me against the Boilermakers.
Purdue 74, Tennessee 70
