By Peyton Wesner
12:00 PM EST-ESPN
2-1 Tennessee Volunteers
at 3-1 11. Kansas Jayhawks
The Tennessee Volunteers did not show up officially at HP Fieldhouse at Disney's Wide World of Sports until 1:00 PM EST because in the first half Santa Clara had command of the game. The Broncos were hitting threes and had a three point lead going into the half. Then the roles changed in the second half as Santa Clara had trouble putting the ball in the hole while Tennessee was scoring left and right Josh Richardson (SR) who would have 18 points on the night. The Tennessee 14-0 run would to begin the second half lasted 9 minutes and have the Vols a 41-30 lead. Tennessee's control of the game in the second half helped them march to a 64-57 victory. The Rhode Island Rams were looking for their second Top 25 win in a row against Kansas on Thanksgiving...they should have looked somewhere else. Kansas, who was absolutely destroyed in Indianapolis ten days ago against number 1. ranked Kentucky, had a chip on their should as they were determined to show the analysts that they were not going to get defeated by a small Atlantic 10 school. The Jayhawks accomplished my key to the game by contesting E.C. Matthews shots causing him to shoot 6-18 from the field with 20 points. Also Kansas's scorers was plainly just too much for the Rams' defense as they had five players with at least nine points (Perry Ellis (JR) 17 pts, Frank Mason III (SO) 12 pts, Wayne Selden Jr. (SO) 10 pts, Devonte Graham (FR) 10 pts, and Cliff Alexander (FR) 9 pts. My key to the game for the Tennessee Volunteers is playing tough defense by contesting Kansas' shots. The Jayhawks shot 47% from the field as well as the behind the arc. If Tennessee doesn't keep their opponent's percentages down, it could be a long game for them in Orlando. My key to the game for Kansas is to shut down Josh Richardson like they did to E.C. Matthews yesterday. Although you may be thinking that Matthews wasn't contained since he had 20 points, the field goal percentage tells the whole story. Richardson is Tennesseee's best player and has been averaging 18 points per game. In my opinion he will need at least 20 points to lead his team to victory.
---Kansas 67, Tennessee 60
2-3 Santa Clara Broncos
at 3-1 Rhode Island Rams
Maybe when playing a team from the WCC, a team can show up for half a game and win but when playing a SEC school, closing a game out is essential. The Broncos came out firing threes against the Tennessee Volunteers yesterday. In fact their first twelve points were all from three pointers. Going into the half, Santa Clara had made 5 three pointers while holding a 30-27 lead. Then, the Volunteers remembered how to play defense and shut out the Broncos for the first 9 minutes and 35 seconds of the second half. After the Tennessee defensive tune-up the game was over and Santa Clara was headed to the Loser's Bracket. Rhode Island was coming into the Orlando Classic undefeated with a record of 3-0. This season was the first time in five years that Rhode Island had started off the season 3-0. College Basketball Analysts around the nation were looking foward to see how Rhode Island would play against a next tier opponent. By the 13:16 mark in the first quarter the game was already over in my opinion since Kansas had made 3 three pointers in three straight possessions giving the Jayhawks a 17-6 lead. Rhode Island just couldn't contain all the young scorers Kansas had to throw at them. Also E.C. Matthews had a horrid game from the field as he made only 6 of his 18 attempts. Today's game features three good scorers in Santa Clara's Brandon Clark (SR) who averages 18.2 points per game and Jared Brownridge (SO) who averages 12 points per game and Rhode Island's E.C. Matthews (SO) who averages 17.3 points per game. Personally I believe like yesterday that Brownridge and Clark will have to have a massive game if they want to avoid the 7th place game on Sunday. My key for Santa Clara is to play two halves of basketball. What I mean by that is to not get complecent about a three point lead, build onto it. Also make adjustments to the opposing team's changes coming out of halftime. For Rhode Island, my key is feed Matthews. Matthews will have a better game than yesterday afternoon and is not the kind of player to let one rough performance against a great team get him down. Lastly, the Rams need to play better defense. Kansas shot the lights out of the gym yesterday and going into A-10 play Rhode Island will not be able to out score every opponent. If they can improve their defense and better contest shots, the Rams will be able to contend with VCU and SLU.
---Rhode Island 74, Santa Clara 60
6:30 PM EST-ESPNU
2-3 Rider Broncos
at 3-1 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Rider gave up 77 points to number 20. ranked Michigan State yesterday in game three of the Orlando Classic. The Broncos' opponents average about 72 points a game and I figure Georgia Tech will score AT LEAST that many tonight. The Yellow Jackets played a good game last night but were single-handedly defeated by the 22 year-old Matt Carlino. Anyone who has watched college basketball for the last four years surely has heard of Carlino as he has played the last three seasons for good BYU Cougar teams. At BYU, Carlino averaged double figures every season with at least four assists a game. Last night, Carlino wasn't passing...he was shooting and swishing. The Graduate Student hit 8 three pointers and 14 free throws to total 38 points, an Orlando Classic Record previously held by Butler Junior Kellen Dunham. With this being said, I see Georgia Tech as a victim of circumstances since Carlino had the best game of his career to lead Marquette to victory. Tonight I see a GTech blowout win. My key for Rider is to just make the game simple and don't get overwhelmed with the margin down. If I were Coach Baggett, I would tell my team to just break the game into segments and worry about outscoring Georgia Tech for each little 4 minute portion. My key for Georgia Tech is to not lose their indenty just because of last night's loss. If the Yellow Jackets stay consistent, they will come up with the win tonight leading to a great game between Rhode Island and Georgia Tech on Sunday.
---Georgia Tech 77, Rider 57
9:00 PM EST-ESPN2
4-1 20. Michigan State Spartans
3-2 Marquette Golden Eagles
Michigan State sure proved that no mid-major or low-major teams will beat them this year with the debacle they caused the Rider Broncos to have last night. The Spartans won by 32 points and had the game in control from the tip. "Sparty" had a great overall game yesterday. They showed their dominance on the defensive side of the court by holding Rider to 11 points in the first half and on the offensive side of the court by scoring 77 points total. Michigan State was led by Denzel Valentine (JR) who had a career high in points with 19. Star Branden Dawson played only 16 minutes and had three points because of flu like symptoms. Tonight he will not start but may be available coming off the bench for Michigan State. Marquette was involved in the best game of Day 1 against the ACC-school, Georgia Tech. The game was back and forth although the Golden Eagles controlled the tempo for most of it. The largest lead of the game for either squad came when Marquette's Duane Wilson (FR) hit a layup with 3:46 left in the second half to give the boys from Milwaukee a 63-52. It is over right? No way, not against Georgia Tech. Tech would go on a 16-6 run to put them within one with 13 seconds left in the game. Would Marquette really blow it? Matt Carlino was the man fouled by Georgia Tech with the chance to extend Marquette's lead to 3. He sank both free throws easily putting the pressure on the Yellow Jackets to tie up the game. The Yellow Jackets would put in a layup with 1 second left to draw their deficit to one. Forced to foul, Georgia Tech fouled Jajuan Johnson with a little under a second left. The first shot from Johnson was good but the second was intentionally missed, which allowed the remaining second to run off the clock. Marquette survived thanks to Matt Carlino and his Orlando Classic record, 38 points. So what about tonight? In order to win, Marquette will have to play a defensively solid game and pray that Carlino is still hot from last night's game. Michigan State's key for the game is shut down Carlino. I highly doubt Carlino will have 20+ points but if he does, Marquette will be in a position to win in the final minutes.
---Michigan State 70, Marquette 63
Prediction Record of Tournament going into today: 3-1
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