"Syracuse had arguably the toughest draw of the Players Era Festival, finishing 0-3 against No. 8 Houston, No. 21 Kansas and No. 10 Iowa State. This game won't be any easier. Tennessee is top-20 in offensive and defensive efficiency on KenPom and is led by shifty guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie and 6-foot-10 quagmire Nate Ament, who combined to score 114 points over last week's three games in Las Vegas. Syracuse will have to solve that riddle to have a chance in this one."
"Duke, meanwhile, is 8-0 after beating a ranked Arkansas team last week. For Duke, the key will be Cameron Boozer continuing his incredible production against Florida's elite frontcourt. His worst games have come against length -- "worst" being 15 points and 12 rebounds against Texas then 18 and 11 against Kansas -- and the Gators can throw plenty of size at him."
The 2025 ACC/SEC Men's Challenge features three ranked matchups across two days, headlined by No. 4 Duke vs No. 15 Florida, No. 16 North Carolina at No. 18 Kentucky, and No. 6 Louisville at No. 25 Arkansas. Tennessee, top-20 in KenPom offensive and defensive efficiency, presents a tough matchup for Syracuse and relies on guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie and 6-foot-10 Nate Ament, who combined for 114 points in Las Vegas. Syracuse's offense remains a work in progress and would benefit from more pick-and-roll action, per Synergy Sports data. Florida seeks back-to-back titles despite early losses, while Duke (8-0) will depend on Cameron Boozer to handle Florida's size, as his tougher games have come against length.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]