Preview Roundups
December 23, 2015
Central Conn. St. at Connecticut 12:30 PM ET
Connecticut, which lost starting center Amida Brimah to a broken finger, looks to build on its two-game winning streak when it hosts state rival Central Connecticut State on Wednesday afternoon. The Huskies have never lost to the Blue Devils in 13 meetings but the loss of Brimah, who is regarded as one of the nation's top defenders, will surely impact its long-range hopes.
Auburn at Harvard 5:00 PM ET
Auburn junior Kareem Canty is close to establishing himself as the best point guard in the SEC and he'll look to continue his stellar play Wednesday when the Tigers meet Harvard in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Canty, a transfer from Marshall, scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half of Tuesday's five-point victory against New Mexico, three days after scoring 25 against Xavier.
Colgate at Georgia Tech 7:00 PM ET
Georgia Tech did not have time to sulk after a disappointing performance Saturday against in-state rival Georgia, and the Yellow Jackets quickly got back to playing better basketball in a 13-point victory Monday over Southeastern Louisiana. The Yellow Jackets host Colgate on Wednesday and would love to see Charles Mitchell and James White continue establishing themselves in the interior with two games left before ACC play begins.
Missouri at Illinois 7:00 PM ET
Missouri and Illinois each hope for a rivalry win that could jump-start their season when they square off Wednesday in the annual Braggin’ Rights Game in St. Louis. The Fighting Illini look to close out their non-conference slate with a fifth consecutive victory, while the Tigers aim to snap a two-game skid.
Western Carolina at Pittsburgh 7:00 PM ET
A resounding victory over a highly respected Davidson club at Madison Square Garden on Sunday earned Pittsburgh some much-deserved recognition. The Panthers will look to continue the momentum Wednesday when Western Carolina visits the Petersen Events Center for their fourth and final game of the Gotham Classic.
Bryant at Michigan 7:00 PM ET
Michigan searches for its fourth consecutive win when it concludes non-conference play with a home date against Bryant on Wednesday. The Wolverines bounced back from a disappointing 82-58 loss to SMU on Dec. 8 by notching three straight wins and are coming off a 105-46 triumph over Youngstown State on Saturday, the second-largest margin of victory in program history.
Utah Valley at Louisville 7:00 PM ET
This year's Billy Minardi Classic is a shining example of the effect Louisville coach Rick Pitino has had on college basketball throughout his career as 14 former assistants or players are in charge of their own programs. After reuniting with former assistant Kareem Richardson on Tuesday, the Hall of Fame coach will check in with one of his five former player-turned-head-coaches a day later when his 15th-ranked Cardinals host Mark Pope's Utah Valley squad.
Fairleigh Dickinson at Rutgers 7:00 PM ET
Life is about to get real tough for Rutgers, losers of six of its last seven, with the start of its Big Ten schedule looming next week. The Scarlet Knights seek much-needed wins when they close out their non-conference schedule before opening with Indiana, beginning with Wednesday's home date against Fairleigh Dickinson.
Texas Christian at Bradley 8:00 PM ET
TCU looks to extend its current winning streak to a season-best three games when it travels to Peoria to take on a struggling Bradley squad Wednesday. The Horned Frogs and Braves are both very young teams, with neither squad starting any seniors and Bradley including four freshmen in its starting five.
Northern Colorado at Mississippi St. 8:00 PM ET
Mississippi State freshman Malik Newman is expected to play the role of student-athlete for one year and the Bulldogs hope the All-SEC preseason second-team selection can start making it a more successful one. Newman, who is playing through a turf toe injury but said it is not bothering him as much, tries to validate his late first-round projection in the 2016 NBA draft when Mississippi State hosts Northern Colorado on Wednesday at Mississippi Coliseum in his home town of Jackson.
New Mexico St. at Baylor 8:00 PM ET
No. 22 Baylor will have to shake off a big loss because it has another big challenge Wednesday. The Bears host Pascal Siakam - one of the nation's top players early in the season - and New Mexico State.
Wis.-Milwaukee at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
Minnesota
was in early trouble against Chicago State, a team that had not beaten a
Division I or Division II school up to that time, before snapping out of its
funk and ending a three-game skid. On Wednesday, Richard Pitino's club closes
the non-conference portion of its schedule at home against Milwaukee.
Penn St. at Kent St. 8:00 PM ET
Penn State has to settle for a berth in Wednesday's Las Vegas Classic consolation game against Kent State, but it wasn’t because of a lack of fight. Trailing Colorado 64-53 with four minutes remaining in Tuesday’s semifinal at the Orleans Arena, Penn State closed with a furious 17-7 run but wound up a point short in a 71-70 loss.
Loyola Marymount at Gonzaga 9:00 PM ET
Few teams in the country - and certainly none in the West Coast Conference - offer the inside-outside combination of No. 24 Gonzaga. The loaded Bulldogs aim for their fourth straight victory Wednesday when Loyola Marymount comes to town in WCC action.
Green Bay at Wisconsin 9:00 PM ET
For the first time in more than 14 seasons, Wisconsin will take the court Wednesday without coach Bo Ryan. The veteran coach suddenly announced his retirement last week, leaving longtime assistant Greg Gard to take over on the sidelines, starting with Wednesday's home game against Green Bay.
Lafayette at Southern California 10:00 PM ET
USC, which finished with just 12 victories in 32 games last season, will try for win No. 11 in its current campaign when it concludes non-conference play against visiting Lafayette on Wednesday night. The Trojans bring their second five-game winning streak of the season into the contest against the Leopards, who are coming off a 10-day break for final exams.
Colorado at Southern Methodist 10:30 PM ET
Undefeated SMU welcomed back coach Larry Brown on Tuesday with another dominating win. Now, the Mustangs will meet a team equally as hot Wednesday when they tangle with one-loss Colorado in the championship game of the Las Vegas Classic at the Orleans Arena.