The format of the Players Era Festival is so wacky that trying to predict which two teams will participate in Wednesday’s championship is mostly an exercise in futility. It can literally be determined by the number of points a team allows in a game, never mind that all games are not even of the same length.
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my Thanksgiving week tournaments to have a proper bracket. This is stupid. Regardless, the 18-team event in Las Vegas has produced some interesting non-league matchups, and the best on Tuesday is a matchup between Houston and Tennessee, two schools that met in the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Both remain undefeated after victories on Monday: Houston over Syracuse, Tennessee over Rutgers. The Cougars remain No. 3 in the updated CBS Sports Top 25 and 1 daily basketball rankings as of Tuesday morning. The parts are no. 21.
College basketball picks, schedule: Tennessee vs. predictions Houston, all Players Era games Tuesday
Kyle Boone
In proof of the absurdity of the Players Era format, Houston, the highest-ranked team in the event, according to the Top 25 And 1, could back up its win on Monday with another on Tuesday and still be left out of Wednesday’s title game due to points differential. The Cougars only defeated Syracuse 78-74 in OT on Monday. So even if they beat Tennessee convincingly on Tuesday, it probably won’t be enough.
Houston-Tennessee tips at 6pm ET on TNT.
The only other game scheduled for Tuesday between two teams in the Top 25 And 1 is Michigan-Auburn. The Wolverines are No. 7 in the Top 25 and 1 after Monday’s 94-54 win over San Diego State. The Tigers are ranked No. 22 after Monday’s 84-73 win over Oregon. Michigan-Auburn tips at 8:30 PM ET on TNT.
Top 25 and 1 rankings
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