Preview Roundups
December 29, 2015
Tulane at Memphis 1:00 PM ET
American Athletic Conference play kicks off this week, and Memphis will host Tulane in the opener for both teams on Tuesday. The Green Wave and the Tigers both turned things around on the defensive end to close out their pre-conference slate and will try to carry that momentum forward.
Tennessee St. at Tennessee 1:00 PM ET
The non-conference portion of the schedule comes to an end for Tennessee, which needs a win over visiting Tennessee State on Tuesday to go into SEC play above .500. Coach Rick Barnes' squad has been perfect at home and will look to remain that way when it faces the Tigers, who are coming off a loss to Illinois State that snapped their seven-game winning streak.
Temple at Cincinnati 3:00 PM ET
After its non-conference schedule concluded on a bitter note, No. 23 Cincinnati aims to return to the win column Tuesday against visiting Temple. This is the first American Athletic Conference contest for both teams, who finished tied for third in the league a season ago.
Texas Southern at Baylor 3:00 PM ET
Baylor forward Taurean Prince appears ready for the start of Big 12 play and the rest of his teammates don’t seem far behind. Prince is averaging a team-high 16.4 points along with 5.9 rebounds for the 21st-ranked Bears, who close out their non-conference schedule Tuesday against visiting Texas Southern.
Richmond at Texas Tech 5:00 PM ET
Zach Smith will try to keep his hot streak going Tuesday when Texas Tech hosts a Richmond team that features its own talented forward. Smith recorded his first double-double in his last outing and is averaging 12.3 points on 63.2 percent shooting and eight rebounds over the last three games for the Red Raiders, who have won eight straight.
Liberty at Notre Dame 5:00 PM ET
Notre Dame leader Demetrius Jackson rebounded from a poor effort against Indiana to lead the Irish over Youngstown State on Dec. 21. With the start of ACC play on the horizon, Jackson looks to continue his excellent overall play as Notre Dame concludes non-conference play Tuesday against visiting Liberty.
Southern Methodist at Tulsa 5:00 PM ET
SMU and Tulsa finished 1-2 atop the American Athletic Conference regular-season standings last season, and the teams open their 2015-16 league schedule Tuesday night at Tulsa. The Mustangs are off to the best start in program history, with their longest winning streak since running off 20 straight in 1955-56.
Duquesne at Georgia Tech 7:00 PM ET
Georgia Tech has shown plenty of improvement this season and can gain a little more momentum before conference play begins when it hosts talented Duquesne on Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets, who open their ACC campaign at No. 8 North Carolina on Saturday, are averaging almost 15 points more than 2014-15 and outrebounding opponents by 10.8 per game.
Florida St. at Florida 7:00 PM ET
In a game that matches contrasting strengths, Florida State visits Florida on Tuesday night in the final non-conference tuneup for both teams. The Seminoles are led by their high-scoring backcourt while the Gators' strengths have been their frontcourt scoring and defensive tenacity.
Northeastern at N.C. State 7:00 PM ET
North Carolina State takes a five-game winning streak into the finale of its non-conference schedule on Tuesday at home against a dangerous Northeastern squad. The Wolfpack got through a sluggish 58-52 win over UNCG last Tuesday, using Anthony Barber's 27 points to survive some ugly offensive numbers.
Princeton at Miami-Florida 7:00 PM ET
No. 15 Miami (Fla.) faces its final non-conference test as its plays host to Princeton at the Bank United Center on Tuesday night. Coming off consecutive blowouts of Charleston and La Salle, coach Jim Larranaga's biggest challenge is to have his team focused on its Ivy League foe rather than on Saturday's ACC opener against Syracuse.
Robert Morris at Georgia 7:00 PM ET
Georgia hosts Robert Morris on Tuesday in its final game before SEC play begins, capping a difficult non-conference slate during which the Bulldogs have found their stride with the combination of balance offense and stifling defense. Four different players have led Georgia in scoring through nine games, and on defense Georgia ranks seventh nationally in opposing field-goal shooting and blocked shots.
Purdue at Wisconsin 7:00 PM ET
No. 14 Purdue begins its quest for its first Big Ten title in 20 years when it opens up conference play on the road against Wisconsin on Tuesday. The Boilermakers haven't won a Big Ten championship since 1996 but are feeling good about themselves after beating Vanderbilt 68-55 to end the non-conference portion of their schedule 12-1 - their best record since the 2010-11 season.
UMKC at Oklahoma St. 7:00 PM ET
After a tight loss to Florida and a break for the holidays, Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford reconvened with his team on Christmas night. He was pleased with his players' commitment - both on and off the court - and hopes that adds up to a victory Tuesday against visiting UMKC.
Wake Forest at Louisiana State 7:00 PM ET
LSU attempts to remain undefeated at home this season when it hosts Wake
Forest on Tuesday. The Tigers have won all seven games by double digits
but the Demon Deacons represent their first true test on the home
floor.
Saint Louis at Kansas St. 8:00 PM ET
Kansas State aims for a third consecutive victory when it tunes up for Big 12 Conference play by hosting struggling Saint Louis on Tuesday. The Wildcats, who are in the midst of their best start since the 2012-13 campaign, look to improve to 8-0 at home in their final test before opening conference play Saturday against West Virginia.
Jacksonville St. at Alabama 8:00 PM ET
Alabama eases out of its holiday break by hosting Jacksonville State on Tuesday. The two teams have not faced each other since 2001 and meet with their seasons heading in opposite directions.
Cal Poly SLO at Texas A&M 8:00 PM ET
Texas A&M closes out 2015 with a final tune-up game Tuesday against visiting Cal Poly before the start of SEC play later in the week. The 19th-ranked Aggies routed No. 21 Baylor 80-61 on Saturday for their second-largest victory over a ranked opponent in school history.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Missouri 9:00 PM ET
Missouri looks to snap a three-game skid when it closes out 2015 by hosting Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday. Missouri has won all four of the previous meetings between the teams by an average of 39 points.
UC Irvine at Kansas 9:00 PM ET
Kansas coach Bill Self lavished praise on Perry Ellis after his last game, suggesting his 6-8 senior forward was peaking following the team's first true road win of the season. Ellis and the third-ranked Jayhawks return home Tuesday to face a unique challenge when they host UC Irvine and the huge front line of the Anteaters.
Connecticut at Texas 9:00 PM ET
Two of the nation's top big men will be on the sidelines when Connecticut visits Texas in a non-conference matchup Tuesday. The Huskies will be without one of the nation's top defenders in Amida Brimah for up to eight weeks after undergoing finger surgery while Texas lost menacing senior center Cameron Ridley to a broken foot Sunday.
Michigan St at Iowa 9:00 PM ET
The depth that has helped spur Michigan State to the best start in school history was highlighted yet again in its most recent win - its first without Denzel Valentine. Without their injured do-it-all star for at least two more games, the top-ranked Spartans look to remain undefeated Tuesday when they begin Big Ten play at Iowa.
Western Oregon at Oregon 9:00 PM ET
Oregon makes its final tune-up prior to the start of Pac-12 play when it
hosts NAIA program Western Oregon on Tuesday. The Ducks have won 10
games with their only slip-ups being road losses to Mountain West
programs UNLV and Boise State.