The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team will return to Allen Fieldhouse to take on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in their fourth and final game of the Hall Of Fame Showcase. The Jayhawks enter the game as the near unanimous number one team in America, and are looking to make a statement that they the deepest and most talented team in America. The Jayhawks are entering the game after an impressive 89-59 victory over Oakland, but they are still dealing with questions after a 57-55 slug-fest with Memphis earlier last week. Friday’s game will be televised on the Jayhawk Television Network at 7PM.
The Jayhawks are looking to continue their dominance over mid major teams this year, and some of the familiar stars for Kansas are looking to get back on track. Sherron Collins had a down game against Oakland, scoring only 9 points on 4-7 shooting, though he did dish out a team high 7 assists. Cole Aldrich had his worst game of the season by far, scoring only 4 points on 2-10 shooting, while pulling down 9 rebounds and blocking 3 shots. Marcus Morris and freshman sensation Xavier Henry each scored 19 points and Tyrel Reed added 11 for the Jayhawks, who stretched the nation’s longest home court winning streak to 44 games. Morris, a 6-foot-8 sophomore showing significant improvement, also had 11 rebounds. His twin brother, Markieff, contributed eight points.
Tennessee Tech is 3-3 on the season after its 72-65 win at Southern Utah on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles average 66.7 points per game and are giving up 79.5 points. They average 13.5 three-point attempts each game and make 4.7 per contest. The Golden Eagles are led by 6′6″ Sophomore forward Kevin Murphy, who leads the team with 15.3 points. He is second on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game. Senior guard Frank Davis is next in scoring at 10.3 points per game and he is tied with junior forward Alfred Jones (7.5 ppg) and senior guard Elijah Muhammad (9.5 ppg) in steals with six apiece. Jones leads the team with 5.5 rebounds per contest and Muhammad has a team-best 23 assists on the season. Bassey Inameti is a 6′8″ Sophomore who averages 3.2 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game in 17 minutes of play. Inameti also has 25 fouls in 6 games this season.
Key Losses for Tennessee Tech
Memphis 92-59
Oakland 77-56
Minnesota 87-50
Key Wins for Tennessee Tech
Bluefield College 85-78
Central Arkansas 71-67
Southern Utah 72-65
Key Stats
Tennessee Tech is averaging 66.7 points per game this season and is shooting 34.6% from three point range.
Mike Sutton is in his 8th season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles, and has a 117-103 record.
Oakland finished 2009 with an 12-18 record and were 6-12 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
Mike Sutton made his name in coach as an assistant with Tubby Smith. He coached with Smith at 5 different stops including VCU, Tulsa, Georgia, and Kentucky. He also has a national championship ring while on staff at Kentucky for the 1998 season.
The Series
Kansas and Tennessee Tech are meeting for the first time in men’s basketball. The Jayhawks are 15-0 all-time against current membership of the Ohio Valley Conference. KU last faced a OVC team when it played Tennessee State in the 2006 Las Vegas Invitational in Allen Fieldhouse – a Kansas 89-54 victory. The Jayhawks are 9-0 against the OVC’s Murray State and many will remember its last meeting with MSU – a 61-58 win in Lincoln, Neb., en route to the 1988 NCAA National Championship.
Prediction
Kansas will dominate this game from the opening tip until the final buzzer. Look for the Kansas front court to dominate the Golden Eagles, who have only 1 player in Alfred Jones who can pose any danger with his back to the basket. Oakland has a pretty good set of guards with Davis and Muhammad, who will make Kansas pay if they play off of them on the perimeter. Small Forward Kevin Murphy should be a decent test for the Kansas wings as well. This should be an opportunity for Cole Aldrich to get back on track against a team that has no one taller than 6′8″, and lacks anyone with shot blocking skill. Kansas should be able to play aggressive defense on the perimeter and force some turnovers knowing that they are unlikely to be hurt by the interior play of the Golden Eagles.
Outcome
Kansas 102 Oakland 47
