Preview Roundups
November 20, 2017
UL Lafayette at Iowa 12:00 PM ET
Luka Garza and Jack Nunge didn't need long to get adjusted to the college game for Iowa, which has ridden the two big men to a 3-0 start heading into Monday's game with Louisiana at the Cayman Islands Classic. Garza has averaged nearly a double-double and Nunge has been almost as good for the Hawkeyes, who will play the Ragin' Cajuns for the first time.
Marquette at VCU 2:30 PM ET
Marquette has the nucleus to contend for a Big East title this season, but needs support from everyone as it continues the maturation process with a game against VCU in the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday. The Golden Eagles, who are coming off an 87-71 loss at No. 21 Purdue on Tuesday, took their first step by reaching the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in four years, but face an uphill climb in the competitive Big East Conference.
Wichita St. at California 4:30 PM ET
Wichita State, armed with great expectations, leave the mainland for a game against California in the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday, but it will be basketball first of course for the No. 8 Shockers. Wichita State, which carried its highest preseason ranking into a season since 1981-82, is coming off an 81-63 victory over Charleston on Nov. 13 in a game in which it led by as many as 33 points before taking its foot off the pedal late.
Molloy at St. John's 6:30 PM ET
St. John's is off to a running start with three straight double-digit victories, including a dominant 79-56 triumph over Big Ten foe Nebraska in a Gavitt Tipoff Game on Thursday. Now the Red Storm close out their four-game homestand on Monday with their first-ever visit from Molloy, a Division II school located less than 15 miles away.
Oakland at Syracuse 7:00 PM ET
Having nearly doubled his scoring average from a season ago, Tyus Battle aims to lead Syracuse past visiting Oakland on Monday. Battle averaged 11.3 points as a freshman and has upped that mark to 22.3 points through three games of the current campaign.
Furman at Duke 7:00 PM ET
Duke will come into Monday's home matchup with Furman with an edge, if Friday's comments are any indication. The Blue Devils struggled somewhat to defeat Southern on Friday and aim for a more complete effort in Monday's affair.
Jackson State at Maryland 7:00 PM ET
Maryland looks to keep its unbeaten start to the season going when it hosts Jackson State on Monday night. The Terrapins rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to edge Bucknell on Saturday, while the Tigers come in on a two-game losing streak.
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State 7:00 PM ET
Teams welcoming back star players meet Monday when a pair of undefeated teams, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, tangle in the semifinals of the Legends Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Aggies get back 6-10 sophomore power forward Robert Williams, whom many scouts felt would have been a lottery pick in the 2017 draft, while the Cowboys return 6-7 junior forward Jeffrey Carroll, who improved his scoring average 9.4 points per game last year over his 2015-16 campaign.
Cleveland St. at East Carolina 7:00 PM ET
East Carolina will try to rebound from a pair of embarrassing losses when it hosts Cleveland State on Monday night. The Pirates were beaten by previously winless Central Connecticut State on Friday 79-68.
UCLA at Creighton 7:00 PM ET
No. 18 UCLA finally has started to resemble the type of team it hoped to be this season, after an international incident in China and a pair of narrow victories. The Bruins play Creighton in Kansas City on Monday in the Hall of Fame Classic after finally hitting their stride in the second half of Friday’s 96-68 victory over South Carolina State, pulling away from a six-point halftime advantage as freshmen Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes fueled the second-half surge.
Long Beach St. at West Virginia 7:00 PM ET
No. 10 West Virginia opened the season with a sluggish offensive effort in a one-sided loss to Texas A&M in Germany. It's safe to say the Mountaineers have straightened out whatever was ailing them as they seek their third straight win Monday night against visiting Long Beach State in the opening round of the Advocare Invitational.
Cincinnati at Buffalo 7:30 PM ET
While blowouts are nice, No. 13 Cincinnati is preparing as if it will get a competitive game from Buffalo when the teams meet Monday in the opening round of the Cayman Islands Classic. The Bearcats have won their first three games by an average of 41.3 points, but coach Mick Cronin knows that close games are coming and the first could be against the Bulls.
Emporia State at Missouri 8:00 PM ET
Missouri fans still haven’t had a chance to really see star freshman Michael Porter Jr. in action, and that isn’t likely to change when the Tigers host NCAA Division II Emporia State on Monday. The freshman phenom is nursing a mysterious leg injury, and while the Tigers haven’t given a timeline for his return, they aren’t expected to rush him back to face the Hornets.
Green Bay at Mississippi State 8:00 PM ET
Mississippi State looks to continue with a balanced offensive attack when the Bulldogs host Wisconsin-Green Bay on Monday. Through the opening two games of the season, Mississippi State has six players averaging double-digits in scoring with two others at nine points or better.
Troy at Kentucky 8:00 PM ET
Fourth-ranked Kentucky, which bounced back from a hard-fought 65-61 Champions Classic loss to No. 3 Kansas with a 17-point win over East Tennessee State on Friday, plays its fifth game in 11 days when it hosts defending Sun Belt champ Troy on Monday night. And head coach John Calipari says the theme of the night will be unselfishness.
Northern Arizona at Kansas State 8:00 PM ET
Bruce Weber knows Kansas State will see plenty of defensive alignments this season - and he's happy to have experienced a little variety early in the 2017-18 campaign as his team prepares to host Northern Arizona in the second game of the Las Vegas Invitational. The Wildcats remained unbeaten with a 71-49 rout of UC Irvine, a game in which Kansas State successfully overcame the Anteaters' vaunted zone defense.
Hampton at Xavier 8:30 PM ET
Xavier has put on a show at the offensive end in its first three games, and the next act for the No. 17 Musketeers comes Monday when they host Hampton. Xavier is shooting at a blistering 57.7 percent clip and averaging 94 points behind one of the nation’s best duos in backcourt mates Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura.
Notre Dame at Chaminade 9:00 PM ET
Notre Dame, which entered the season looking for a third scoring option behind seniors Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell, may have found the answer in sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs. The New Jersey native is averaging 17.7 points for the 14th-ranked Irish, which faces Chaminade on Monday in the Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center.
Nebraska Omaha at Texas Christian 9:00 PM ET
TCU looks to improve to 4-0 on the season when it hosts Omaha in a contest that is part of the Emerald Coast Classic on Monday night. Both teams will head to Destin, Fla., for games on Friday and Saturday to wrap up tournament play.
Penn St. at Pittsburgh 9:30 PM ET
Pittsburgh coach Kevin Stallings is in the process of a complete roster overhaul and his Penn State counterpart Patrick Chambers got a taste of what Stallings is currently dealing with in the last few days. In a series that has been played 147 times -- Penn State leads 75-72, the Panthers and Lions will meet in the semifinals of the Legends Classic on Monday in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Baylor at Wisconsin 9:30 PM ET
The season is off to a good start for No. 24 Baylor, which has won its first three games by an average of 27.3 points while getting coach Scott Drew his 300th career victory on Friday. But the competition gets much tougher starting Monday when the Bears head to Kansas City for a date with Wisconsin in the Hall of Fame Classic, followed by either No. 18 UCLA or Creighton, a trip to No. 17 Xavier and a home date with No. 6 Wichita State.
Michigan at Louisiana State 11:00 PM ET
LSU begins play in the Maui Invitational on Monday against Michigan at the Lahaina Civic Center, but don't expect the Tigers to be spending much time on the beach. While LSU has averaged 102 points in wins over Alcorn State and Sanford, first-year coach Will Wade said there’s plenty of room for improvement on the defensive end.
North Carolina at Stanford 11:30 PM ET
The defending national champions go west this week, as No. 9 North Carolina begins a four-game West Coast swing Monday at Stanford. It’s the final tune-up for both teams before the PK80 Invitational on Thursday in Portland, Ore.