Preview Roundups
January 07, 2017
Pittsburgh at Syracuse 12:00 PM ET
Syracuse finally has defeated a team from a power conference and will try to make it two in a row when it hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Orange have stumbled badly after last season’s surprise trip to the Final Four, but might have turned a corner with a 70-55 win over Miami on Wednesday.
East Carolina at Temple 12:00 PM ET
Temple and East Carolina have combined to lose five of their first six conference games, putting additional emphasis on Saturday's American Athletic Conference clash. Both Temple and the visiting Pirates need a victory, although both might just settle for a quality offensive performance at this point.
Butler at Georgetown 12:00 PM ET
After taking down the top team in the nation, No. 18 Butler will try to avoid a letdown when it visits a desperate Georgetown squad on Saturday. The Bulldogs knocked off top-ranked defending champion Villanova 66-58 on Wednesday, snapping the Wildcats' 20-game winning streak in a court-storming affair at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
DePaul at Seton Hall 12:00 PM ET
Seton Hall, fortunate to not be 0-2 in the Big East, attempts to push its home win streak to nine games Saturday against DePaul. The Pirates scored six points in the final 38 seconds to overcome Marquette on Sunday and send their record at the Prudential Center to 17-3 since the start of last season.
Missouri at Georgia 1:00 PM ET
Georgia started its SEC schedule with an impressive victory, but following a home loss, it cannot afford a stumble when it hosts struggling Missouri on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs, who impressed many while going 8-4 during a difficult non-conference schedule, did not get enough offensive production against South Carolina on Wednesday as they shot just 36.2 percent in a 67-61 defeat.
Michigan St at Penn St. 1:00 PM ET
Michigan State will look to make it four in a row to start conference play when it travels to Philadelphia to take on Penn State in a Big Ten matchup at the Palestra. The Spartans sit tied atop the conference standings with their perfect 3-0 mark while the Nittany Lions are coming off a tough three-point loss at Michigan on Wednesday.
Texas Christian at West Virginia 1:00 PM ET
For a team that leads the nation in turnovers forced at nearly 25 per game, one expects No. 7 West Virginia knows a thing or two about taking care of the ball. The Mountaineers, though, enter Saturday afternoon's Big 12 home opener against TCU coming off a sloppy performance that led to a 77-76 overtime loss to Texas Tech on Tuesday, with coach Bob Huggins telling reporters: "We're not going to win with 14 turnovers."
Texas A&M at South Carolina 1:30 PM ET
South Carolina opens the home portion of its SEC schedule Saturday against Texas A&M looking like the team that was ranked in the top 25 earlier this season, thanks in part to the return of Sindarius Thornwell. The senior guard, who was suspended for six games, was reinstated for Wednesday’s conference opener at Georgia - a 67-61 victory in which Thornwell contributed 19 points, 11 rebounds and a career high-tying six steals.
Boston College at Duke 2:00 PM ET
In its first game without coach Mike Krzyzewski on the sideline, eighth-ranked Duke looks to continue its dominance over Boston College when it hosts their ACC matchup on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Devils have won 10 straight in the series and are 19-2 all-time against the Eagles, including 8-0 at home.
Virginia Tech at Florida St. 2:00 PM ET
No. 13 Florida State plays the second of six straight games against teams currently ranked in the top 25 when it hosts 23rd-ranked Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon. The Seminoles have won 10 straight – one shy of tying the school record – and have their highest ranking since the 1992-93 campaign.
Louisville at Georgia Tech 2:00 PM ET
In a highly decorated career spanning 32 seasons, Louisville coach Rick Pitino's teams have almost always hit the ground running at the beginning of conference play. The 2016-17 campaign is an exception to that rule, and the ninth-ranked Cardinals will try to become the last ACC team to notch a conference victory Saturday when they visit Georgia Tech.
Creighton at Providence 2:00 PM ET
Justin Patton may have opened the season as a bit of an afterthought considering Creighton's stellar backcourt, but he has served notice to the rest of the Big East that he is every bit as dangerous. Coming off his most explosive offensive effort of the season, the 7-0 freshman hopes for an encore performance Saturday when the 10th-ranked Bluejays attempt to remain undefeated away from home when they visit Providence.
St. John's at Xavier 2:30 PM ET
No. 15 Xavier will attempt to avoid looking too far ahead when it hosts St. John's in a Big East clash Saturday afternoon. The Musketeers, the only team yet to lose a game in Big East play, will travel to face Villanova - which will likely tumble from its No. 1 ranking due to a loss at Butler this week - before visiting the 18th-ranked Bulldogs and hosting No. 10 Creighton as part of a three-game gauntlet after facing the Red Storm.
Clemson at Notre Dame 3:00 PM ET
No. 21 Notre Dame has owned Clemson, but Jaron Blossomgame has worn out the Fighting Irish. With both teams coming off hard-fought decisions this week, Notre Dame seeks a 3-0 start in league play when it hosts the Tigers on Saturday.
Oregon St. at Washington 3:00 PM ET
Two teams seeking their first Pac-12 victory meet Saturday as Oregon State visits Washington, which has lost six of its last nine games despite the presence of one of the nation’s top players. Huskies freshman point guard Markelle Fultz, averaging a league-high 22.3 points along with 6.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists, served as the team's lone bright spot with 22 points in Wednesday’s 83-61 home loss to Oregon.
Oklahoma at Kansas St. 3:00 PM ET
Kansas State’s seven-game win streak came to an
end in crushing fashion Tuesday night as No. 2 Kansas pulled out a
controversial 90-88 home win. The Wildcats will now be looking to bounce back
Saturday when they host struggling Oklahoma.
Maryland at Michigan 3:15 PM ET
Maryland looks to bounce back from its first loss since late November when it hits the road to tangle with Michigan on Saturday. The Terrapins had ripped off six consecutive wins in December, including a comfortable 84-59 victory against Illinois in their Big Ten opener, before suffering a disappointing 67-65 defeat to Nebraska on New Year's Day for their first conference setback at home since Feb. 13, 2016.
Mississippi St. at Louisiana State 3:30 PM ET
Quinndary Weatherspoon and Mississippi State will be out to avoid their first losing streak of the season and an 0-2 start in the SEC during Saturday's game at LSU. Weatherspoon was held to seven points - his lowest scoring output of the season - in Tuesday's home loss to Alabama.
Illinois at Indiana 5:00 PM ET
The first two months of the season have shown that Indiana has the ability to beat some of the best teams in the nation and lose to others it was expected to handle. The 25th-ranked Hoosiers look to end a three-game losing streak and record their first Big Ten victory of the campaign in the third try at home when they host Illinois on Saturday afternoon.
Utah at Arizona State 5:00 PM ET
Arizona State on Thursday played its first game
decided by one possession this season and came out on top, edging visiting
Colorado 78-77. The Sun Devils are expecting another tight one Saturday as they
host Utah.
South Florida at Southern Methodist 5:00 PM ET
SMU is 10-0 at home and unlikely to show any sympathy Saturday for South Florida, which plays its first game since coach Orlando Antigua was fired Tuesday. Upsetting the Mustangs on the road would be a dream debut for USF interim coach Murry Bartow, but considering that SMU won nine games in a row and dominates at Moody Coliseum by an average of 20.8 points, that outcome appears to be unlikely.
Tennessee at Florida 5:15 PM ET
With victories in four straight games, No. 24 Florida aims to maintain its winning ways Saturday evening against visiting Tennessee. The SEC clash features the Gators' balanced scoring attack against a Volunteers squad led by do-it-all guard Robert Hubbs III.
Mississippi at Auburn 6:00 PM ET
One team will pick up its first SEC victory of the season when Ole Miss visits Auburn on Saturday. The Rebels have won eight straight and 11 of their last 13 meetings with the Tigers, including three in a row at Auburn.
Vanderbilt at Alabama 7:00 PM ET
Vanderbilt and host Alabama will look to build on winning starts to the SEC portion of their schedules when they meet on Saturday. The Commodores have found their 3-point shooting touch in two victories while the Crimson Tide relied on their tenacious defense and inside domination to defeat Mississippi State.
Oregon at Washington St. 7:00 PM ET
After receiving an injury scare earlier this week, Oregon forward Jordan Bell expects to be in the starting lineup Saturday as the 14th-ranked Ducks visit surprising Washington State, which has opened Pac-12 play with back-to-back wins over Washington and Oregon State. Bell is averaging 10.4 points and a team-leading 8.3 rebounds along with 2.2 blocked shots per game for the Ducks, who have won 12 in a row.
Oklahoma St. at Baylor 7:00 PM ET
One of just two remaining unbeaten teams in the nation, No. 3 Baylor can make a strong case for a No. 1 ranking with a Big 12 win over over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon. The Bears, who have never been ranked No. 1 in school history, took a step closer with a 65-63 victory over Iowa State on Wednesday while top-ranked Villanova fell at Butler 66-58.
Texas Tech at Kansas 7:15 PM ET
Kansas has won two close games to open conference play, quickly finding that the path to its 13th consecutive Big 12 championship could be tougher than expected. After a fortunate no-call in a home victory over rival Kansas State on Tuesday, the No. 2 Jayhawks seek to extend two long streaks when a surprising Texas Tech squad visits Saturday.
Marquette at Villanova 7:30 PM ET
The last time Villanova lost a game, the Wildcats went on to win 20 in a row - including the national championship - and answered all of the critics along the way. The top-ranked Wildcats aim to begin another long streak Saturday when they host Marquette in Big East action.
N.C. State at North Carolina 8:00 PM ET
Two rivals who recorded important victories last time out face off when North Carolina State visits 16th-ranked North Carolina on Saturday night in an ACC showdown. N.C. State rebounded from an 18-point loss to Miami (Fla.) in its conference opener to beat No. 23 Virginia Tech while the Tar Heels edged Clemson in overtime after falling to Georgia Tech to start their ACC season.
Arkansas at Kentucky 8:30 PM ET
Excuse freshman De'Aaron Fox for planning ahead, even though the one-and-done candidate should probably savor the moments during what will likely be his only season at Kentucky. The No. 6 Wildcats, who host Arkansas on Saturday in an SEC matchup, demolished undermanned Texas A&M 100-58 on Tuesday and while Fox realizes what happens in the NCAA Tournament matters most, the star point guard also knows it is a process to get there.
Cincinnati at Houston 9:00 PM ET
No. 22 Cincinnati travels to Houston on Saturday in a key early battle in the AAC. The Bearcats were the preseason pick to win the conference, while the Cougars are off to a fast start at 3-0 in league play.
Texas at Iowa St. 9:15 PM ET
Iowa State looks to bounce back from its first loss in nearly a month when it hosts Texas on Saturday. The Cyclones had won three consecutive games, including a 63-56 victory against Texas Tech in their Big 12 opener, but fell short in their upset bid of No. 3 Baylor, dropping a narrow 65-63 road decision to the Bears on Wednesday.
Colorado at Arizona 9:30 PM ET
Arizona brought a five-game win streak into
Pac-12 play and hasn’t let up, winning its first three conference games by an
average of 18 points. The 17th-ranked Wildcats will look to continue
their run Saturday night when they host Colorado.
Gonzaga at Portland 10:00 PM ET
Nigel Williams-Goss has solidified himself as a bona fide standout and the junior point guard looks to follow up the best game of his career when fourth-ranked Gonzaga visits Portland on Saturday. Williams-Goss recorded career highs of 36 points and 11 rebounds and also had six assists as the Bulldogs stretched the nation's longest winning streak to 15 games with a 95-80 victory over San Francisco on Thursday.
St. Mary's at San Francisco 11:00 PM ET
Saint Mary's survived the first game of a tough four-game West Coast Conference stretch that head coach Randy Bennett referred to as "daunting" with an entertaining 81-68 victory over BYU on Thursday. Now the 19th-ranked Gaels hit the road for three straight games, starting with a Bay Area showdown with rival San Francisco on Saturday night.
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