Preview Roundups
January 08, 2015
Louisiana State at Missouri 7:00 PM ET
LSU enjoyed a solid run through the non-conference portion of its schedule, but SEC action should provide a new challenge. LSU begins its SEC slate Thursday at Missouri - only their third road contest of the season - in an all-Tigers matchup. LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin has emerged as one of the top players in the league, averaging 18.2 points and 8.9 rebounds, not to mention a pair of assists and 1.3 steals.
Michigan St at Iowa 7:00 PM ET
Michigan State has traditionally been a strong road team during Big Ten play and will get a chance to prove that again when it visits Iowa on Thursday. The Spartans split their first two conference games at home and will be playing a true road game for only the third time this season when they tip off against the Hawkeyes. Iowa won its first two conference games and has taken three straight overall behind forward Aaron White.
Rutgers at Nebraska 9:00 PM ET
Rutgers may be a first-year Big Ten member, but its recent defensive play has the team looking like it will fit right into its new conference. The Scarlet Knights, who eye their first league road victory Thursday when they visit Nebraska, have won three of four and held each of their opponents over that span to an average of 52.3 points. Rutgers turned in one of its finest defensive efforts of the season Saturday, limiting Penn State to a season-low point total in a 50-46 home win.
Arizona St. at Oregon St. 9:00 PM ET
Oregon State tries to continue its best home start in 17 years when it hosts Arizona State on Thursday, and a more aggressive approach on offense could help the Beavers stay undefeated at Gill Coliseum. Oregon State, which is 8-0 at home, lost its Pac-12 opener at Oregon 71-59 on Saturday and looks for a quicker start against the Sun Devils.
Memphis at Southern Methodist 9:00 PM ET
Two of the American Athletic Conference's top players will meet when Memphis travels to SMU on Thursday. Memphis sophomore forward Austin Nichols, coming off a career-high 28 points, is averaging 21.5 points in two AAC games and leads the league with 3.5 blocks. SMU junior guard Nic Moore is sixth in AAC in scoring and second in assists.
San Francisco at Gonzaga 9:00 PM ET
Seventh-ranked Gonzaga plays its first true home game in 24 days when its hosts San Francisco in West Coast Conference play Thursday. The Bulldogs haven't played a game in Spokane since a 94-54 victory over Texas Southern on Dec. 15. Gonzaga opened WCC action with three consecutive road games capped by a 87-75 victory at Portland on Saturday and has played once at the McCarthey Athletic Center since Dec. 2.
Stanford at UCLA 9:00 PM ET
A once-promising season has taken a disastrous turn for UCLA, which will be trying to snap a five-game slide when it hosts Stanford on Thursday. The Bruins ended a three-game road trip with a 71-39 loss at Utah on Sunday and are averaging 47.3 points in the last four contests. UCLA will have a tough time turning that offense around against the Cardinal, who are winners of four straight and have held five of their last seven opponents to 60 or fewer points.
Arizona at Oregon 10:30 PM ET
Many of the key players are gone, but Arizona is surely aware of the loss it suffered at Oregon last season and the No. 6 Wildcats will try to avoid a repeat in the Pac-12 game Thursday in Eugene, Ore. Arizona was ranked No. 3 when it visited the forest floor last March, went cold down the stretch and lost 64-57. Both teams warmed up for this game with double-digit victories in their conference openers last weekend.
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