Preview Roundups
February 04, 2015
Ohio St. at Purdue 6:30 PM ET
After some struggles at the start of conference play, No. 20 Ohio State attempts to add to its three-game winning streak when it visits Purdue in Wednesday’s Big Ten contest. The latest victory was the Buckeyes’ most impressive as they routed Maryland 80-56 last Thursday. “We’ve won three in a row now, and our max was two in a row,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta told reporters. “What do we do next? Do we get complacent? The biggest challenge we face right now is to keep getting better.”
Temple at South Florida 6:30 PM ET
Temple turned its season around on the defensive end the last three games and the Owls look to extend their winning streak to four when they visit USF on Wednesday in American Athletic Conference play. Temple allowed an average of 69 points during a three-game slide before giving up 49 per contest during its current win streak that includes a 73-48 rout of USF on Jan. 22. The Bulls have lost seven straight, but showed improvement in Saturday's 78-71 overtime loss at first-place Tulsa.
Texas A&M at Mississippi 7:00 PM ET
Five-foot-10 point guard Stefan Moody is standing out for Ole Miss. The Florida Atlantic transfer by way of Kilgore Junior College has scored at least 14 points in eight of nine games since the calendar flipped to 2015, with the latest being a game-high 23-point effort - including an inspiring put-back dunk - in Saturday’s 67-47 victory at Missouri. With four wins in their last five outings, Moody and the Rebels host Texas A&M on Wednesday.
Boston College at Notre Dame 7:00 PM ET
Tenth-ranked Notre Dame looks to bounce back from a loss and avoid looking too far ahead when it hosts Boston College on Wednesday. After opening ACC play with four straight road wins and an 8-1 mark overall - good enough to temporarily seize first place from Virginia - the Irish fell 76-72 at Pittsburgh on Saturday. The nation's second-best shooting team (52.1 percent) finished at 53.1 percent but faded in the final seconds of a letdown after a rousing home win over Duke three days earlier.
Marquette at Villanova 7:00 PM ET
Marquette is traveling down a tough road, but things likely won't get any easier Wednesday as the Golden Eagles visit No. 7 Villanova in a Big East matchup. The Golden Eagles have lost five straight games - one by three points, another by four points and two more in overtime. Now they must contend with a Wildcats team that beat them twice a season ago and has captured six of its last seven games overall.
VCU at George Mason 7:00 PM ET
VCU saw its 12-game winning streak come to an end over the weekend, but it was a loss of a key player during that same contest that figures to make that setback even more unforgettable. The 18th-ranked Rams try to move past Briante Weber’s season-ending knee injury starting Wednesday as they visit George Mason. Weber, who was 12 steals shy of setting the all-time Division I record, tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus during the final minutes of VCU’s 64-55 home loss to Richmond on Saturday.
East Carolina at Connecticut 7:00 PM ET
Reigning national champion Connecticut looks to avoid matching its longest losing streak of the season when it hosts East Carolina on Wednesday night in an American Athletic Conference matchup. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back losses at Cincinnati and Houston, putting them in position of having to win the league's postseason tournament in order to defend their title. UConn will be squaring off with East Carolina for the first time since 1978.
Georgia Tech at Duke 7:00 PM ET
Duke begins the week fifth in the ACC and fifth in the national rankings, a statement that tells plenty about the league’s depth and just as much about the Blue Devils’ potential. Duke hosts struggling Georgia Tech on Wednesday after an eventful week in which the Blue Devils were upended by No. 10 Notre Dame before knocking No. 3 Virginia from the unbeaten ranks. Jahlil Okafor won conference Rookie of the Week honors for the eighth time, averaging 16 points and 13 rebounds in two games.
Wichita St. at Bradley 8:00 PM ET
Wichita State looks to bounce back from its first regular-season league loss in 23 months when it visits Missouri Valley Conference rival Bradley on Wednesday night. The Shockers had a 27-game MVC winning streak snapped by then-No. 18 Northern Iowa on Saturday - a loss that dropped the Shockers five spots to No. 17 in the Top 25 coaches poll. It also halted a nine-game winning streak for Wichita State, which included a 20-point victory over Bradley.
Oklahoma St. at Texas 8:00 PM ET
Two teams falling fast in the Big 12 standings meet Wednesday as Oklahoma State visits Texas, which closed January with three straight losses. Fortunately for the Longhorns, three of their next four games are at home, starting with a rematch against a Cowboys team that has struggled on the road. The Cowboys have lost three of their last four, but they shot 47.3 percent in a 69-58 win over the Longhorns on Jan. 10 in Stillwater.
Jacksonville St. at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
After a blowout loss to No. 3 Gonzaga, Memphis will look to return the favor when it plays visiting Jacksonville State Wednesday in its final non-conference game of the season. The Tigers responded well to their only back-to-back losses of the season by winning five of six games, but they were no match for a Gonzaga team that has won 38 straight at home, best in the nation.
Penn St. at Maryland 8:30 PM ET
Maryland has not played since Thursday’s blowout loss at Ohio State, a nearly week-long respite to sort out things after two defeats in the past three games. The No. 16 Terrapins need freshman standout Melo Trimble to bounce back in Wednesday’s home game against Penn State after Trimble went 0-of-8 from the field in scoring three points against the Buckeyes. Penn State’s two-game winning streak ended Saturday in a 60-58 loss at Illinois, as D.J. Newbill’s buzzer-beating layup rolled off the rim.
Texas Christian at Baylor 8:30 PM ET
If nothing else, Baylor and TCU simply hope to play a cleaner basketball game when the teams meet Wednesday on the Bears' home floor. When the squads faced off Jan. 10 in Fort Worth, Baylor squeaked out a 66-59 overtime triumph but shot only 29.8 percent - the lowest shooting percentage in a victory under coach Scott Drew. The teams combined for 53 fouls, 28 missed free throws and 3-of-25 3-point shooting as the Bears improved to 6-0 against the Horned Frogs since TCU joined the Big 12.
Clemson at Florida St. 9:00 PM ET
Carrying the momentum of three wins in its last four games, Florida State looks to get on a roll when it hosts Clemson on Wednesday. It hasn't been easy in ACC play for the Seminoles, who used a road win over the Tigers on Jan. 19 to shake a 1-4 start to the conference schedule and spark the recent upswing. After the 55-54 decision over Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, coach Leonard Hamilton kept things in perspective while telling reporters, "What's important is for us to prepare for Clemson."
Providence at Georgetown 9:00 PM ET
Providence did not get off to a good start on its three-game road trip despite the continued strong play from point guard Kris Dunn. The Friars will try to even the road trip and earn a regular-season sweep when they visit No. 24 Georgetown on Wednesday. The Hoyas have won five of six since dropping a 60-57 decision in overtime at Providence on Jan. 10 and are coming off a 27-point thrashing of Creighton.
Creighton at Xavier 9:00 PM ET
High-scoring Xavier couldn't build on its second victory over Georgetown, losing at Seton Hall last time out. The Musketeers, who ranked 22nd in the nation in offense entering Tuesday, will try to start a new winning streak and get back over the .500 mark in Big East play when they host Creighton on Wednesday. It is the first of two meetings this season with the final encounter set for March 7 in Omaha, Neb.
Kansas St. at Texas Tech 9:00 PM ET
Kansas State has lost back-to-back games to fall out of touch with the leaders in the Big 12 and the Wildcats will try to avoid losing further ground when they visit Texas Tech on Wednesday night. Kansas State never recovered after shooting 6-for-35 in the first half Saturday against No. 9 Kansas and fell 68-57, four days after losing by six points against No. 12 West Virginia. Texas Tech set a conference record for fewest points in an 81-36 loss last week against No. 21 Oklahoma.
Missouri at Alabama 9:00 PM ET
Levi Randolph had a day to remember the last time he saw Missouri during a season Alabama would rather forget. The Crimson Tide’s top playmaker looks to burn the Tigers again on Wednesday when Alabama travels to Columbia in a battle of slumping SEC foes. After the Crimson Tide were handed their worst loss of the season by the Tigers on Jan. 18, 2014, Randolph took it upon himself to even the score just over a month later, exploding for a career-high 33 points in an 80-73 triumph.
Washington at Oregon 9:00 PM ET
Washington's season could be best described as a rollercoaster, with a rise to the top (11-0 start) followed by a drop (four-game losing streak), rise (three straight victories) and another dip (three losses in a row). Oregon, meanwhile, has won three of its last four games and tries for its third straight victory at home when it meets the Huskies on Wednesday. The Ducks also look to avenge an 85-77 loss Jan. 18 at Washington, which is a different team since that encounter.