Preview Roundups
January 17, 2015
Tulsa at South Florida 11:00 AM ET
Red-hot Tulsa continues it ping pong-like schedule of alternating home and away games when it visits USF on Saturday. Despite the hectic slate, the results have been more than coach Frank Haith could have expected in his first year with the club. Tulsa knocked off defending champion UConn on Tuesday and enters Saturday's contest the lone unbeaten team in American Athletic Conference play.
Rutgers at Minnesota 12:00 PM ET
Heading into the Big Ten portion of its schedule, Minnesota was 11-2 and looked to be a contender for the league title. But the Golden Gophers head into Saturday's matchup with visiting Rutgers winless in their first five conference games, with four of those losses coming by five points or less. Rutgers has been up-and-down in its first Big Ten campaign, alternating losses and wins in its first five games, though a win over Wisconsin is certainly a feather in the Scarlet Knights' hat.
Texas A&M at Louisiana State 12:00 PM ET
Two teams poised to reach the upper echelon of the SEC this season after showing early promise test each other when Texas A&M visits LSU on Saturday afternoon. Texas A&M took No. 1 Kentucky to two overtimes before losing last weekend and then defeated Mississippi State for its first league victory Tuesday with a deep, balanced offense. The Tigers have won 10 of their last 11 games after beating Ole Miss 75-71 on Wednesday and rely on five players who all average more than 30 minutes.
Duke at Louisville 12:00 PM ET
Instead of continuing his triumphant march to his 1,000th career victory, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is searching for answers on how to snap his team out of its sudden decline. Krzyzewski attempts to secure win No. 998 for the third time on Saturday when his fourth-ranked Blue Devils visit No. 7 Louisville. After rolling off 14 straight victories to open the season, Duke has dropped back-to-back games by at least 12 points for the first time since the end of the 1995-96 season.
Tulane at Houston 12:00 PM ET
One might expect a tired Tulane squad when it visits Houston on Saturday for an American Athletic Conference matchup. The Green Wave dropped a triple-overtime marathon at UCF on Wednesday. Tulane's trio of guards, led by Louis Dabney's 26 , combined for 69 points in a contest that feature 23 lead changes and 18 ties.
Marquette at Xavier 12:00 PM ET
Steve Wojciechowski is finding that he is relying heavily on senior Matt Carlino in his first season as coach of Marquette, which hits the road to face Xavier Saturday in Big East action. Carlino, a solid if not spectacular player, hit a 3-pointer in the final minute to lift the Golden Eagles to a 53-52 victory over Creighton on Wednesday.
Purdue at Penn St. 1:00 PM ET
Penn State is still searching for its first Big Ten win four games into the conference season, and the next shot comes Saturday when it welcomes Purdue into the Bryce Jordan Center. One of the prime culprits in the slow start has been the Nittany Lions’ long-range shooting accuracy. Penn State scored a season-high 46 points in the paint in Tuesday’s 76-73 loss at Indiana but hit only 4-of-24 from 3-point range and is now shooting 25.3 percent from beyond the arc in Big Ten play.
N.C. State at Florida St. 1:30 PM ET
Unable to follow up its impressive victory over No. 4 Duke, North Carolina State will look to get back into the win column when it plays at Florida State Saturday in an ACC game. The Wolfpack got off to a slow start, but then fought back before succumbing to No. 16 North Carolina Wednesday, a loss that continued their stretch of alternating wins and losses that dates back to Dec. 12.
Wichita St. at Evansville 2:00 PM ET
Wichita State looks to extend its impressive mark in Missouri Valley Conference play when it visits pesky Evansville on Saturday. The No. 14 Shockers have won 23 consecutive conference contests, the longest streak in the league since 1925. Wichita State is coming off a 67-55 win over Southern Illinois on Wednesday behind a career-best 25 points from Darius Carter, while Evansville posted a 56-54 victory over Missouri State on D.J. Balentine’s tie-breaking jumper with six seconds left.
VCU at Duquesne 2:00 PM ET
It’s now nine straight wins for 17th-ranked VCU, but the Rams’ last outing was one of their toughest as they held off host Rhode Island 65-60 on Tuesday. VCU, which had trailed a total of 36 seconds in its previous seven games, overcame a nine-point second-half deficit to remain undefeated and tied with Dayton atop the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Rams will put that win streak and conference lead on the line Saturday when they visit Duquesne at Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Center.
Virginia at Boston College 2:00 PM ET
In the midst of its best start in 34 seasons, Virginia is looking like a well-oiled machine, but the fact that it is far from peaking is a scary proposition for the rest of the ACC. "I think we have so much to improve upon," guard Malcolm Brodgon told reporters after scoring 16 points in a 65-42 win over Clemson on Tuesday. The mission to get better continues when the second-ranked Cavaliers take their perfect record on the road for a matchup with Boston College on Saturday.
Florida at Georgia 2:00 PM ET
Florida has been a different team since the start of the SEC campaign and will attempt to remain unbeaten in league play when it visits Georgia on Saturday. Florida scored at least 72 points in each of its first three conference games after recording 70 or more only three times in the opening 13 contests, a span during which it went an ordinary 7-6. Georgia hopes it has turned the page as well after notching its first league victory at Vanderbilt 70-67 on Wednesday following an 0-2 start.
Ohio St. at Iowa 2:00 PM ET
Maybe Iowa should play all of its Big Ten games on the road, because the Hawkeyes have found a way in each of their first three conference contests away from home. Iowa returns home Saturday to face No. 25 Ohio State in a rematch of the two teams’ conference opener Dec. 30, a contest the Hawkeyes started by scoring 17 points in the first four minutes en route to a 71-65 road win. “We’re not an overly emotional group,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffrey said after a 77-75 win at Minnesota on Tuesday.
Miami-Florida at Notre Dame 2:00 PM ET
Notre Dame better be careful Saturday when Angel Rodriguez and Miami (Fla.) visit the No. 12 Fighting Irish. Rodriguez has excelled in his three games against ranked foes this season, averaging 24.3 points, five assists and three steals, including 24 points in a 90-74 victory against fourth-ranked Duke on Tuesday. Notre Dame survived at Georgia Tech on Wednesday but is still reeling from the indefinite loss of 6-10 junior Zach Auguste (14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds) due to academic issues.
Central Florida at Memphis 2:00 PM ET
Memphis already had a solid defense but the Tigers are finding some toughness as they prepare to host UCF on Saturday. Coach Josh Pastner credited forward Calvin Godfrey for bringing a "warrior-like mentality" to Thursday's win against Cincinnati. "It spread throughout the team," Pastner told reporters after the game. "I thought our defense has been really good all year long and our defense was really good (against Cincinnati)."
Baylor at Kansas St. 3:00 PM ET
Baylor dug itself a 0-2 hole in Big 12 play and is now searching for its third straight win when it visits Kansas State on Saturday. The No. 23 Bears nearly missed a chance to even the conference mark when they let a 14-point lead with 8 1/2 minutes left slip away against Iowa State, but point guard Kenny Chery hit the game-winning jumper with 4.7 seconds left in Wednesday’s 74-73 victory. Kansas State has won three straight games after posting a 58-51 win over Texas Tech on Wednesday.
Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount 4:00 PM ET
While slow traffic nearly caused No. 3 Gonzaga to arrive late to its last game, the Bulldogs recovered from a second-half letdown just in time to give coach Mark Few his 200th win in conference play. After escaping Pepperdine with a two-point victory, Gonzaga eyes its 11th straight victory on Saturday when it visits Loyola Marymount. The Bulldogs arrived 25 minutes before their scheduled tip time Thursday when accidents on the Pacific Coast Highway led to long delays for all drivers.
East Carolina at Southern Methodist 4:00 PM ET
SMU coach Larry Brown said in the preseason that junior Markus Kennedy has the ability to play in the NBA. After struggling for much of the season, the 6-9 forward played his best game of the season against Temple and will look for a repeat Saturday when East Carolina visits. Kennedy and his teammates will have to contend with a Pirates squad that is coming off its first conference win since making the jump from Conference USA this season.
Texas Christian at Texas Tech 4:00 PM ET
TCU needs to fix some fundamentals if it's going to win its first Big 12 game Saturday at Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs started the season 13-0 but have been outrebounded in every game in league play and rank last in free-throw shooting among Big 12 teams. "The margin of error is very slim for us," coach Trent Johnson said during Monday's conference call. "You can't have mental lapses at crucial points in games, not against the teams in this league."
Syracuse at Clemson 4:00 PM ET
Syracuse has won seven games in a row thanks in large part to the stunning transformation of Rakeem Christmas. The senior center scored a career-high 35 points in Tuesday's overtime win against Wake Forest and is averaging 18.2 - nearly five points higher than his scoring averages from the last three years combined (2.8, 5.1, 5.8). Christmas once again will be the focus of the Orange offense when they hit the road for Saturday's contest at Clemson.
Vanderbilt at Mississippi St. 4:00 PM ET
Two teams in dire need of a conference win meet Saturday when Vanderbilt visits Mississippi State in an SEC clash. The Bulldogs have lost a school record-tying 16 straight SEC games in the regular season with their lone league win in that stretch coming against Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament last March. Their slide continued with a 74-70 loss at Texas A&M on Tuesday as I.J. Ready scored 18 points to lead Mississippi State, which is 0-3 in the SEC for the first time since opening 0-7 in 2006.
Kentucky at Alabama 4:00 PM ET
Top-ranked Kentucky put an end to close calls and looks to remain unbeaten when it visits Alabama on Saturday. The Wildcats were taken to overtime by Mississippi and double overtime by Texas A&M in their first two SEC contests before annihilating Missouri 86-37 on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide had a six-game winning streak snapped in falling to South Carolina 68-66 on Tuesday but are fierce at home, winning all 10 games this season.
Michigan St at Maryland 4:00 PM ET
Maryland announced itself as a contender in its first season in the Big Ten by winning at Michigan State in the conference opener on Dec. 30. The 11th-ranked Terrapins will try to pull off a season sweep when they host the Spartans on Saturday. Maryland sits atop the Big Ten standings thanks in part to its defense, which has yet to allow a conference opponent to reach 70 points and leads the Big Ten by limiting opponents to 37.3 percent from the field.
Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh 4:00 PM ET
Pittsburgh hosts Georgia Tech on Saturday looking to move above .500 in ACC play after getting a spark from an unlikely source during Wednesday’s victory over Florida State. Reserve forward Aron Phillips-Nwankwo, who had played just five minutes all season, scored seven points and sparked a strong rebounding and defensive effort in a 73-64 triumph. Things are not going as well for Georgia Tech, which has dropped its first four ACC games after losing 62-59 to Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Colorado at Arizona St. 4:30 PM ET
Colorado limps into Tempe to face Arizona State on Saturday with the status of two starters - Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson - in question. Scott (back) and Johnson (ankle) missed Thursday's 68-54 loss at No. 9 Arizona as the Buffaloes fell to 0-5 in true road games and coach Tad Boyle said he wasn't sure whether either or both will play Saturday, but made it clear the absence of two of his top three scorers will not be tolerated as a reason for losing.
Butler at Georgetown 5:00 PM ET
Georgetown has won three of its last four games, but coach John Thopmpson III expects more from his team - particularly on the defensive end. "I think we were lucky tonight. They were getting wide-open shots and converting open looks, including 3-pointers," Thompson told the media after Tuesday's 78-72 win at DePaul. Thompson will find out Saturday if his team is more committed to the defensive end when it hosts Butler in a Big East contest.
Tennessee at Missouri 6:00 PM ET
Tennessee looks to continue its strong start to SEC play when the Volunteers travel to Missouri to take on the Tigers on Saturday. The Volunteers are coming off an uneven stretch in which they had a five-game losing streak snapped by Alabama but rebounded for a 74-69 win over No. 19 Arkansas on Tuesday. The Tigers hope to bounce back from a demoralizing 86-37 loss at top-ranked Kentucky on Tuesday and have lost two straight since opening the SEC slate with an overtime win over LSU.
West Virginia at Texas 6:15 PM ET
Whenever West Virginia thought it was about to turn a corner last season, Texas was there to put the Mountaineers back in their place. Coming off one of its most impressive wins of the season, No. 15 West Virginia looks to avenge three double-digit losses to the 20th-ranked Longhorns when the Mountaineers travel to Austin on Saturday. Three of the Mountaineers’ best performances in 2013-14 came in games leading up to Texas, which quickly halted whatever momentum West Virginia had created.
Utah at Arizona 7:00 PM ET
The Pac-12 Conference will have its first matchup between top-10 teams in nearly seven years when No. 9 Arizona hosts eighth-ranked Utah on Saturday. The Wildcats have won 31 straight on their home floor, but they’ll face a Utah team that came into Thursday allowing 55.1 points per game and holding opponents to 36.4 percent shooting - both 11th-best in the nation. Arizona starting shooting guard Gabe York, the team's top 3-point shooter, missed Thursday’s win against Colorado with an ankle sprai
Villanova at Pennsylvania 7:00 PM ET
No. 5 Villanova has been steamrolling its opponents and takes a break from Big East action to visit Big 5 rival Pennsylvania on Saturday. The Wildcats' only loss came in overtime against Seton Hall and they have won their ensuing three games by 18, 17 and 13 points heading into their showdown at the Palestra in Philadelphia. "It's one of the most historic arenas in our country," Villanova coach Jay Wright told reporters.
Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma 7:00 PM ET
Oklahoma has dropped two games in a row in the wide-open Big 12 and is hoping to avoid a third straight when it hosts rival Oklahoma State on Saturday. The 18th-ranked Sooners got run over by West Virginia on the road on Tuesday as a defense that had been among the best in the conference was exposed. The 24th-ranked Cowboys are trying to avoid a losing streak of their own after falling at Kansas on Tuesday.
Providence at Creighton 7:30 PM ET
Providence looks to bounce back from an embarrassing defeat when they visit struggling Creighton on Saturday. Friars coach Ed Cooley was unhappy with his team's 83-70 loss to St. John's on Wednesday, telling reporters: "I didn’t think today was so much about St. John’s. I think we played bad. I really did." The Bluejays are still searching for their first Big East win after losing their sixth straight overall - 53-52 at Marquette on Wednesday.
Temple at Cincinnati 7:30 PM ET
It’s too early to call Saturday’s American Athletic Conference contest between Cincinnati and visiting Temple a must-win for either team, but it’s clearly time to start building some momentum. Both teams are riding two-game losing streaks, with Temple blowing double-digit leads against Tulsa and SMU. Cincinnati is 4-3 under associate coach Larry Davis, who is filling in while Mick Cronin is being treated for an unruptured aneurysm.
Northwestern at Michigan 8:15 PM ET
Michigan looks to continue its recent dominance over Northwestern when the two teams square off in Ann Arbor on Saturday. The Wolverines have won the last six meetings — including the last three by an average margin of 24.3 points — and hope to beat the Wildcats at Crisler Center for the fifth straight time. "I respect what (Northwestern coach) Chris Collins has done with the program," Michigan coach John Beilein said on his weekly radio show. "They have very smart basketball players."
South Carolina at Auburn 8:30 PM ET
Auburn's Bruce Pearl is coming off his worst regular-season loss in 20 years as a head coach, which means the Tigers should be ready when they host South Carolina in an SEC matchup on Saturday. Auburn lost by 20 points to Florida on Thursday as it was outscored by 20 in the paint, the Tigers’ worst such differential this season. South Carolina is coming off a 68-66 victory over Alabama on Tuesday in which the Gamecocks scored a season high 21 second-chance points.
Kansas at Iowa St. 9:00 PM ET
Kansas has won or shared 10 consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles and is the only team undefeated in conference play, but the road is about to get tougher when the No. 10 Jayhawks visit No. 13 Iowa State on Saturday. Kansas is coming off a 67-57 victory over No. 24 Oklahoma State on Tuesday in a game marred by 49 fouls - a performance which didn't please Jayhawks coach Bill Self - and plays the second of four consecutive games against Top 25 opponents in the loaded Big 12.
Oregon St. at Washington St. 9:00 PM ET
Oregon State and Washington State have enjoyed surprising turnarounds under respective first-year coaches Wayne Tinkle and Ernie Kent this season, making Saturday's encounter in Pullman, Wash., an intriguing one. The Cougars helped Kent get a win over his former team Thursday as Washington State knocked off Oregon 108-99 in overtime. Kent has already guided the Cougars to as many conference wins as they had last season, and one more victory will match the team's overall wins from 2013.
Connecticut at Stanford 9:00 PM ET
Change could be in the air for Connecticut, which visits Stanford on Saturday in a key nonconference contest for both teams. The Huskies are coming off a troubling 66-58 loss at Tulsa on Tuesday, when they were forced to rally from a double-digit deficit in the second half following another sluggish start. “We’ve got to start playing hard and consistent for 40 minutes,” coach Kevin Ollie told reporters. “Starting at Stanford, I have to find some guys that are going to do that.”
Mississippi at Arkansas 9:30 PM ET
No. 19 Arkansas looks to extend its home winning streak to 17 games when Ole Miss pays a visit Saturday night. The high-scoring Razorbacks had rattled off seven consecutive wins to move into the Top 25 before falling at Tennessee 74-69 on Tuesday. Ten of Arkansas' 11 victories at Bud Walton Arena this season have come by double digits and the Razorbacks hope for a repeat of the 110-80 triumph over the Rebels in their last meeting on March 5, which snapped their six-game skid in the series.