ESPN Men's Basketball

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Instant analysis of No. 15 Tennessee's 76-68 upset of No. 1 Kansas at Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday:

How the game was won: Tennessee had only six scholarship players available against the nation's No. 1 team because of the arrests of four Volunteers on New Year's Day. Bruce Pearl's squad was further thinned by foul trouble, as starters Wayne Chism and J.P. Prince each picked up his fourth foul within seconds of each other early in the second half. But thanks to key contributions from walk-ons and just plain outhustling the disjointed Jayhawks, the Volunteers somehow patched enough together to score one of the season's big upsets. Kansas was never in rhythm offensively and got less-than-usual production from stars Cole Aldrich (seven points) and Xavier Henry (10 points, one field goal attempt in the second half).

Turning point: After Kansas used a 7-0 run to tie the game at 64 with 4:21 left, Tennessee's Bobby Maze used a crossover dribble and swished a jumper with the shot clock dwindling. On the other end, Prince stole a pass and fed Scotty Hopson for a dunk to make it 68-64 and reverse the momentum. Tennessee answered with its own 7-0 run for a 71-64 edge with under two minutes to play.

Player of the game: Maze finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, made several big plays down the stretch and held things together when Chism and Prince were glued to the bench with fouls.

Unsung hero: Tennessee's Renaldo Woolridge hit four 3-pointers -- including three straight difficult ones in a first-half stretch -- and tied his career high with 14 points. Woolridge had made only seven 3-point field goals on the season coming into the game.

Play of the game: Kansas had edged back to within three points in the final minute when walk-on Skylar McBee was forced into taking a leaning 3-pointer with one second left on the shot clock. He drained it, giving the Volunteers the last lift they'd need to win the game.

Stat of the game: Kansas had 16 turnovers, to only seven by the Volunteers.

What it means: There will be a new No. 1 come Monday, as Kansas suffered its first defeat after a 14-0 start. The Jayhawks have some re-evaluating to do going into Big 12 play after a tough two-game stretch that included a close shave at home against Cornell. Tennessee proved it could beat a big-time opponent without its missing four contributors. Time will tell if the Volunteers can continue this level of play with a depleted roster.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- How would a short-handed Tennessee deal with top-ranked Kansas? For a half, at least, it's a fair fight.

The Volunteers led by as many as six points in the first half and go into intermission tied at 33. They came into the game with only six scholarship players and stole several minutes in the first half with walk-ons on the floor after J.P. Prince and Wayne Chism each picked up two fouls.

But coach Bruce Pearl gambled by putting Chism back in for the final couple of minutes, and the Vols' best big man got whistled for his third foul while hacking Sherron Collins with 34.6 seconds left. Pearl may regret that move. They'll need him for the second half to have any chance.

Kansas, which struggled shooting the ball on Wednesday against Cornell, had its troubles again in the first half while making just 35.3 percent of its shots and missing nine of its 13 threes. But Tyrel Reed drilled a 3-pointer in the waning seconds to tie the game at the break.

Tennessee looked like it was in trouble about midway through the half, but then Renaldo Woolridge sank three straight 3-pointers, one of them a bank shot from straight on and the other two under heavy duress. It was an unlikely barrage from a guy who had hit only seven 3s all year.

Kansas owned the boards for most of the first half, holding a 17-7 edge at one point and finishing with 10 offensive rebounds to just three for the Volunteers. Cole Aldrich has 12 boards already, but he has just two points on three field goal attempts as Tennessee is trying to smother him in the middle of its matchup zones. The Jayhawks still need to get him more involved in the second half, especially with Chism saddled by foul trouble.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Greetings from Thompson-Boling Arena, where this afternoon brings a showdown of two Top 15 teams. Well, sort of.

Tennessee may still own a No. 15 ranking, but the Volunteers might not resemble one of the nation's best squads today. This should be a showcase game for the program, which plays host to the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time ever in this building. Instead, Tennessee will get national attention for all the wrong reasons.

Senior Tyler Smith, arguably the team's best all-around player, was dismissed on Friday, and three key reserves remain suspended indefinitely after their Jan. 1 arrest on marijuana and drug charges. The Volunteers are left with just six scholarship players, and though they managed to beat Charlotte 88-71 on Wednesday with that skeleton crew, handling Kansas's deep and talented roster could be another story entirely.

Coach Bruce Pearl will have to break out his best "Rocky" speeches and play up the underdog role. But that lack of depth could become a major factor in a game between two teams who like to get up and down the floor as much as possible.

For the Jayhawks, this is another opportunity to prove they are the best team in the country, especially after Wednesday's too-close-for-comfort 71-66 nailbiter over Cornell at home. This should be the most hostile environment they've faced to date -- this game has been sold out for months -- and coach Bill Self has to be wary of overconfidence by his players in the wake of those Tennessee suspensions.

So there are plenty of story lines for this one. I'll be back with more later.