Preview Roundups
January 14, 2015
Tulane at Central Florida 7:00 PM ET
After needing overtime to get past American Athletic Conference foe USF last time out, Tulane looks to make it four wins in five tries in league play when it visits UCF on Wednesday. The Green Wave were held to 56 points against the Bulls last time out, but still prevailed and left coach Ed Conroy proud of his club's effort. "It was really impressive by our guys who really dug down through 45 minutes in order to feel the way they do right now," Conroy told reporters after the game.
Houston at East Carolina 7:00 PM ET
Houston and East Carolina, two struggling teams seeking their first American Athletic Conference wins, meet Wednesday in Greenville, N.C. The Pirates, who are in their debut AAC season after stepping up from Conference USA, have lost three straight and six of their past nine, with the latest being a 69-48 defeat at Cincinnati on Jan. 6. East Carolina shot a season-low 27 percent from the field, including 5-of-22 from 3-point range, en route to setting a season scoring low.
St. John's at Providence 7:00 PM ET
St. John’s attempts to turn things around after an eight-day break when it visits Providence on Wednesday night in a critical early-season Big East battle. The Red Storm were rolling along at 11-1 before conference play began and have dropped three straight games since, including a 90-72 loss to No. 5 Villanova on Jan. 6. The Friars won't make it easy after winning seven of their last eight contests, led by productive LaDontae Henton and reigning Big East Player of the Week Kris Dunn.
Harvard at Boston College 7:00 PM ET
The brand of basketball in the Ivy League may not receive a ton of respect nationally, but don't expect that sentiment to be shared by Boston College - especially when it comes to city rival Harvard. Losers of three straight overall, the Eagles will attempt to end a string of six consecutive losses to the defending Ivy League champions. Four of those defeats have come by double figures, including an average victory margin of 17.3 points over the last three seasons.
Southern Methodist at Temple 7:00 PM ET
With 10 wins in its last 11 games, SMU heads to Philadelphia on Wednesday to face off with Temple. The Mustangs have lost only once since Thanksgiving and are coming off a 70-61 victory at UCF on Sunday. They shot 57 percent in that contest, led by Nic Moore's 21 points on 5-of-9 from 3-point range, and lead the American Athletic Conference in scoring (70.1).
Louisiana State at Mississippi 7:00 PM ET
Ole Miss parlayed a close loss to No. 1 Kentucky into an easy victory, and coach Andy Kennedy is optimistic the Rebels can keep the momentum going when they host LSU on Wednesday. Ole Miss defeated South Carolina 65-49 on Saturday after falling at Kentucky 89-86 in overtime on Jan. 6, which had the feel of a moral victory but also seemed to provide a boost of confidence.
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech 7:00 PM ET
Notre Dame dodged several close calls during its 11-game winning streak that ended Saturday against Virginia, and Wednesday’s opponent had ample chances to stop the Fighting Irish’s run two weekends ago. Georgia Tech hosts 12th-ranked Notre Dame looking for its first ACC victory of the season and aims to avenge a bitter 83-76 double-overtime loss Jan. 3. The nation’s top shooting team, Notre Dame hit only 33.9 percent of its attempts in losing 62-56 to Virginia, its first loss since Nov. 23.
Rutgers at Maryland 7:00 PM ET
No. 11 Maryland looks to continue its winning ways when it hosts fellow Big Ten newcomers Rutgers on Wednesday. The Terrapins have won eight of their last nine games - including a 69-60 victory over Purdue - and hope to improve to 4-1 in conference play for the first time since 2009-10 when they were in the ACC. "We really feel good about where we are and where we are heading," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon told reporters. "We have good kids and they have worked hard all year."
North Carolina at N.C. State 7:00 PM ET
North Carolina State is basking in a big upset and attempts to knock off another ranked squad when it hosts No. 16 North Carolina on Wednesday in ACC play. The Wolfpack delivered a stunning 87-75 victory over then-No. 2 Duke on Sunday when they knocked down 10-of-16 3-point attempts and rejected 10 shots while outplaying the Blue Devils. “We just all put it together and we just played as a team,” guard Trevor Lacey told reporters. “When we play like this, we’re a good team.”
Southern Illinois at Wichita St. 8:00 PM ET
Wichita State is sitting in a familiar spot - tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference - as it prepares to host Southern Illinois on Wednesday. The No. 14 Shockers, who moved up one spot in this week's Top 25 rankings, are off to a 4-0 start in league play and will put their 25-game home winning streak on the line against the Salukis. “We’re always going to have a target on our back,” senior guard Tekele Cotton said.
Texas Tech at Kansas St. 8:00 PM ET
Kansas State, coming in off a 66-63 overtime upset victory at No. 18 Oklahoma, will try for its third straight Big 12 Conference victory Wednesday when it hosts Texas Tech. The Wildcats, who begin the week in a three-way tie for third place in the Big 12, have a chance to establish themselves as a legitimate title contender in the next seven days with back-to-back home games against the Red Raiders and No. 23 Baylor before traveling to No. 13 Iowa State on Jan. 20.
UCLA at Southern California 9:00 PM ET
UCLA has recovered from a 0-2 start to Pac-12 play with consecutive victories and looks for its third win in a row when it visits USC on Wednesday. The Bruins outlasted Stanford in a double-overtime affair and then rolled to a 73-54 win over California on Sunday and are now aiming to defeat the Trojans for the eighth time in the last nine meetings. USC lost to Stanford 78-76 on Sunday and is tied for ninth place in the conference standings.
Creighton at Marquette 9:00 PM ET
Creighton is discovering that life without Doug McDermott is not quite as easy in the Big East as it was last season. The Bluejays will try to earn their first conference win and snap a five-game slide when they visit Marquette on Wednesday. Creighton went 14-4 in the Big East behind National Player of the Year McDermott last season but has matched that loss total through the first four games of the conference slate behind an offense with less firepower.
Illinois at Northwestern 9:00 PM ET
Illinois looks to kick-start its stuttering Big Ten campaign when it travels to Evanston to renew hostilities with in-state rival Northwestern on Wednesday. The Fighting Illini have dropped three of their first four conference games - including a 53-43 setback to Nebraska on Sunday - and have been held to 65 points or fewer in each contest during that span. Illinois has lost all four of its road tests this season.
Florida St. at Pittsburgh 9:00 PM ET
Two teams looking to get hot as ACC play heats up will clash on Wednesday when Florida State visits Pittsburgh. The Seminoles have lost two of three following a season-high four-game win streak and coach Leonard Hamilton noted a standout performance by Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney in their latest defeat as the type of situation his young team is trying to avoid. "My biggest concern was that someone would go off," Hamilton told reporters. "(That's) difficult for us with the team we have now."
Xavier at Villanova 9:00 PM ET
Darrun Hilliard II and Ryan Arcidiacono are starting to heat up for No. 5 Villanova, which hosts Xavier on Wednesday night. Hilliard averages 13.5 points, and shoots 45.9 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range - all of which are down from his junior season - but the southpaw has scored 21 points in back-to-back games, making 7-of-15 from 3-point range in the process. Arcidiacono also had a strong showing in Saturday's 81-64 victory over DePaul.
Iowa St. at Baylor 9:00 PM ET
The national spotlight falls on No. 13 Iowa State this week, starting with Wednesday’s game against visiting Baylor, which avoided a 0-3 start in league play by defeating TCU on Saturday. The Cyclones host Kansas and ESPN’s College GameDay show on Saturday, but first comes the 23rd-ranked Bears, who are holding opponents to 56.3 points per game. “We’re almost top 10,” Iowa State point guard Monte Morris told reporters. “Getting ready for Kansas and Baylor in the same week…it’s big time.”
Georgia at Vanderbilt 9:00 PM ET
Vanderbilt leads the SEC and is among the top 10 teams in the nation in field goal percentage while making a little more than half of its shots. The young Commodores look to maintain their offensive efficiency and win for the seventh time in nine games when they host Georgia on Wednesday night in the 138th meeting between the two rivals. The Bulldogs must rebound from a pair of tough losses in their first two SEC games, including an 87-84 double-overtime defeat Saturday at LSU.
Stanford at California 11:00 PM ET
California guard Jabari Bird expects to be available Wednesday when the Golden Bears host Stanford, which sits one game behind first-place Utah in the Pac-12 race. Bird missed 10 games with a left foot injury before returning for Saturday’s game at UCLA, but the dynamic sophomore exited late in the first half due to cramps and sat out the second half. Bird’s presence is critical for a Cal team that has lost five of its last six, including three in a row.
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