Kansas at Tennessee
Knoxville, TN – Though Tennessee is without four key players, Kansas coach Bill Self is still cautious about bringing his top-ranked squad into Knoxville.
The Jayhawks look to remain undefeated Sunday when they face the 16th-ranked Volunteers, who’ve been entangled in off-court controversy for the last week.
Facing the nation’s No.1 team is tough enough with a full roster, but doing it without a starter and three key reserves only heightens the challenge for Tennessee (11-2).
Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl dismissed senior starting forward Tyler Smith from the team on Friday, one week after his arrest with three others on misdemeanor gun and drug charges. Center Brian Williams and guards Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins remain suspended indefinitely.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com have made Kansas –6 point spread favorites for Sunday’s game against Tennessee. Current College Basketball Public Betting Information shows that 59% of more than 299 bets for this game have been placed on Kansas –6.
The four combine to average 32.2 points, 14.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game, but losing Smith is the biggest blow for a squad that’s hosting a top-ranked opponent for the first time at Thompson-Bowling Arena. The two-time All-SEC selection was averaging 11.7 points, 4.7 boards and 3.7 assists in 12 games.
Despite the circumstances, the Vols know they must look ahead.
"It’s disappointing, but some things you have to move on from to focus on your next thing," center Wayne Chism told the school’s official Web site. "Everybody feels disappointed about it, but we’ve got to move onto the next game and worry about our season. We’ve got to keep moving on forward."
Tennessee has won three in a row overall, and is 7-0 at home this season. The Vols are 35-2 in non-conference home games under Pearl, and face their first No. 1 opponent since winning 66-62 at Memphis on Feb. 23, 2008.
"It’s a great opportunity for us," Pearl said. "It will take something very, very special to beat Kansas. But that’s what we’re setting out to do."
Pearl’s guarded optimism is a concern to Self, whose Jayhawks (14-0) are off to their best start since opening 20-0 during the 2007-08 national championship season.
"From a depth standpoint (Tennessee) wont be as deep, but from a team standpoint I don’t see them changing much at all," Self said. "It will be a good atmosphere and one where we really need to play well away from home to start developing an identity."
Without Smith, Kansas will likely to need to contain the 6-foot-9 Chism (11.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and leading scorer Scotty Hopson (13.5 ppg), two of the six scholarship players left on Pearl’s roster. That pair combined for 35 points in an 88-71 win over Charlotte on Wednesday in the first game since the suspensions
"I still expect them to be a good team," said Kansas freshman Xavier Henry, who’s averaging a team-leading 16.1 points.
Chism had 17 points with eight rebounds and Hopson added 11 in Tennessee’s 92-85 loss at Kansas last season in the first meeting between the schools.
Sherron Collins had 26 points with nine assists and Cole Aldrich added 22 with 10 rebounds in that contest for the Jayhawks. The preseason All-Americans have been the backbone of Kansas’ early success this season.
Collins had a career-high 33 points and helped the Jayhawks rally for a 71-66 home win over Cornell on Wednesday. The senior guard was the difference for Kansas, which shot a season-low 36.7 percent and trailed by one with less than a minute to play.
"He’s one of those guys who’s really deferred to get everybody else involved, but everybody on our team knows who the guy is at crunch time,” Self said of Collins, who’s averaging 15.1 points and 4.1 assists per contest.
Aldrich (11.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg) had 13 points with nine rebounds Wednesday as the Jayhawks failed to score at least 75 points for the first time in seven games. They still average 86.3 this season.
Kansas is facing its second straight Top 25 opponent on the road after routing then-No. 18 Temple 84-52 on Jan. 2.
Posted: 1/9/10 10:25PM ET
