Orlando Classic 2014: Teams, Schedule, Live Stream, Bracket, TV Info
There might not be an early-season tournament with more uncertainty and intrigue than the 2014 Orlando Classic.
In most years, you can pencil Kansas and Michigan State to a high seed in the NCAA tournament and assume they will win most big games throughout the season; however, that might not be the case this year as each squad has struggled in the early going with young lineups.
Meanwhile, a few other programs at this event are going through major rebuilds as well with new coaches and young players hoping to make an impact early in the season.
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Despite the question marks for just about every team in the tournament, a lot will be answered by the end of the week. This will make each day a must-see for college basketball fans, so follow along this guide to prepare yourself for the Orlando Classic at HP Field House in Orlando, Florida.
| Nov. 27 | 1 | Santa Clara vs. Tennessee | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Nov. 27 | 2 | Kansas vs. Rhode Island | 2 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Nov. 27 | 3 | Michigan State vs. Rider | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Nov. 27 | 4 | Marquette vs. Georgia Tech | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Nov. 28 | 5 | Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 | 12 p.m. | ESPN or ESPNU |
| Nov. 28 | 6 | Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN or ESPNU |
| Nov. 28 | 7 | Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 | 6:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Nov. 28 | 8 | Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Nov. 30 | 9 | Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7 | 10:30 a.m. | ESPN3 |
| Nov. 30 | 10 | Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8 | 1 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Nov. 30 | 11 | Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8 | 4 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Nov. 30 | 12 | Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7 | 6:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
Full bracket can be seen at ESPNEvents.com. All games can be viewed online at ESPN3.
Player to Watch: Branden Dawson, Michigan State
Branden Dawson is not even the leading scorer on his team—that honor belongs to Travis Trice, averaging 18 points per game—but he has the potential to be the most dominant.
The senior forward is a great interior force despite being just 6'6", and he knows how to finish in the paint when he gets the opportunity. The problem is that he hasn't been aggressive enough on the offensive end of the court.
Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press notes this is something head coach Tom Izzo wants to see changed:
Dawson showed his potential last postseason when he scored 26 points in the third round of the NCAA tournament against Harvard before adding 24 in the Sweet 16 against Virginia.
He missed the last game with flu-like symptoms, but he should return for this tournament. If he plays to his ability, Michigan State should be in good shape.
Most Intriguing Team: Tennessee
Kentucky is clearly the best team in the SEC, and Florida has the talent to be No. 2, but the rest of the conference is wide open with no one excelling in the early going. While Tennessee lost a lot of production from last season, this group has what it takes to be competitive in this conference.
Former Southern Miss coach Donnie Tyndall has no problem keeping the pace as slow as possible and getting the most out of every possession. This was clearly not seen against VCU's "havoc" defense, but the strategy will be more successful against opponents that also like to slow things down.
As a result, the Volunteers will see their quality scoring from Josh Richardson as well as the quality rebounding of Armani Moore. Freshman Detrick Mostella has also showcased plenty of potential in the early going of this season.
The key will be avoiding turnovers which become highlighted in a game with fewer possessions. If Tennessee's veteran players can take care of this problem, it can pull off an upset or two in this tournament.
Predicted Winner: Kansas
With all of the inconsistency from the other teams in this tournament, it would be extremely surprising to see anyone in the finals other than Kansas and Michigan State. Even with young rosters themselves, both coaches will get their teams prepared with great defensive efforts through the entire week.
Of course, the Jayhawks are dealing with more maturity issues than we have seen in recent memory. Bill Self has been forced to adjust his starting lineup due to problems off the court, as he explained per Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star: "If everybody was responsible off the court, we’d probably have more of the same starting lineups every time. And I don’t mean (players are) doing anything bad, but we got to tighten some things up. I see a lot of slippage on the court, and I think there’s a correlation to being responsible off the court, too."
Without an experienced veteran taking charge, the younger players have no one to follow.
That being said, the talent on the roster is unmistakable. Wayne Selden and Perry Ellis have lacked aggressiveness at times, but they know how to score when they get a chance. The freshman class of Cliff Alexander, Kelly Oubre, Devonte Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk will only get better with time as well.
As long as the team plays good defense and plays anywhere near its ability on offense, the Jayhawks should be able to defeat a Michigan State team without a deep bench.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
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