What: Barclays Center Classic, Men’s basketball (5-0) vs. Tennessee (4-1)

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y., MASN, SNY, ESPN3 (TV)

When: Friday, Nov. 27 at 9 p.m.

GW enters the Barclays Center Classic Friday night undefeated, riding its second 5-0 start under head coach Mike Lonergan.

The Colonials, who received 85 votes in Monday’s AP Top 25 Poll, will take on SEC foe Tennessee Friday before facing either Nebraska or No. 24 Cincinnati Saturday afternoon.

Tennessee has won three of its last four, including victories over GW’s last two opponents,  Gardner-Webb (89-64) and Army (95-80). Its only loss of the season came against Georgia Tech (ACC) in a 69-67 decision.

The Volunteers are coming off a 16-16, postseason-less 2014-2015 campaign in which former head coach Donnie Tyndall was under investigation by the NCAA and was ousted this offseason. Former Texas head coach Rick Barnes (who was replaced by former VCU head coach Shaka Smart) now heads up a program which returns most of last year’s roster.

Case for the Colonials:

Senior guard Patricio Garino leads three Colonials averaging double-digit scoring numbers with 17.4 per game, while junior forward Tyler Cavanaugh and senior guard Joe McDonald pace GW on the boards with an average of 8.0 rebounds per game.

The Colonials are averaging the same points per game total as the Vols, 83.4, but posting a 47.2 field goal percentage to their opponent’s 46.1. Tennessee’s offense will evenly match GW’s and may even have an edge, so the key for the Colonials will be a strong defensive effort.

Tennessee has rebounded well so far, but will be at a serious size disadvantage against GW. Tennessee’s starting frontcourt, Derek Reese and Armani Moore, measure 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-4, respectively.

The GW defense is conceding an average of 71.4 points per game to the Vols’ 73, and will need to find a way to shut down Tennessee star senior guard Kevin Punter who averages 21.8 points per game, 21st in NCAA Division I.

But the Vols will be without last season’s leading scorer Josh Richardson, who was picked 40th in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. For the Colonials to move to 6-0, they will have to match Tennessee offensively and get to the line while maintaining an edge on the other end of the floor.

Case for the Vols:

While the Colonials enter as the better defensive squad, Tennessee has all the tools it needs to dominate the scoreboard. Punter is one of four upperclassmen scoring in double-figures, part of an offense that, on average, outerbounds GW 44.4 to 41.4.

Like their Atlantic 10 opponent, the Vols have a veteran core that could be hard to stop. Senior forward Moore is big threat down low, averaging 18.6 points, a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game and 3.8 assists per game. Junior guard Robert Hubbs III also adds a 16.2 points a game and is a averaging a team-lowest 0.4 turnovers per game.

Despite GW going a healthy 10-21 from deep against Gardner-Webb Tuesday, Tennessee will most likely have the three-point shooting edge in this one, averaging a 36.5 percent clip to the Colonials’ 29.2.

If the Vols can solve the GW defense and continue to put up big numbers, they could hand the Colonials their first loss of the season.

The Bottom Line:
Expect this game to be a close one, between two evenly matched mid-major programs. Tennessee won’t go down easily, but if GW can be the team that finally controls the boards against the undersized Vols, that could be the difference-maker in getting to the Championship game on Saturday.