Preview Roundups
February 08, 2020
Boston College at Virginia Tech 12:00 PM ET
Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament resume has taken a mammoth hit with four consecutive losses, and it will try to stop the bleeding Saturday when it hosts Boston College in an ACC matchup. Beginning with a 61-56 loss to the Eagles on the road Jan. 25, the Hokies have averaged just 59.3 points during their ill-timed slide.
Michigan St at Michigan 12:00 PM ET
No. 14 Michigan State tries to snap a two-game losing streak and keep pace near the top of the Big Ten standings when it visits in-state rival Michigan on Saturday for a Big Ten contest. The Spartans are coming off a loss to Penn State on Tuesday that knocked them out of first place in the league, while the Wolverines are trying to bounce back from a home loss to Ohio State on Tuesday.
DePaul at Georgetown 12:00 PM ET
At 1-9 in the Big East, DePaul may be reduced to playing the role of spoiler for the rest of the season starting with Saturday's league game at Georgetown. The Blue Demons have dropped five straight games since their lone Big East victory Jan. 18, but can deliver a serious blow to the Hoyas with a victory.
Louisiana State at Auburn 12:00 PM ET
No. 18 LSU looks to rebound after a shocking loss last time out and hold onto first place in the SEC on Saturday afternoon when it pays a visit to 10th-ranked Auburn, which has won five straight contests. LSU was rolling along with 10 consecutive victories - four of them on the road - before its lingering defensive deficiencies contributed to a 99-90 loss at last-place Vanderbilt on Wednesday.
Southern Methodist at Temple 12:00 PM ET
SMU's current run of improved play began with a win over Temple. The resurgent Mustangs visit the Owls on Saturday in American Athletic Conference action looking for their fifth win in six games.
Kansas at Texas Christian 12:00 PM ET
Within a stretch of about 48 hours prior to Kansas' last game, Udoka Azubuike upset Bill Self to the point where he got benched and also did enough with his next chance to earn the praise of his Hall-of-Fame coach. The third-ranked Jayhawks hope to get another strong effort from their senior big man on Saturday when they visit TCU.
Miami-Florida at Florida State 12:00 PM ET
Rivals Miami and Florida State are heading in different directions as they get ready to battle in Tallahassee on Saturday. The eighth-ranked Seminoles have won 12 of their last 13 games, including rallying to take the first meeting 83-79 in overtime on Jan. 18, while the Hurricanes have stumbled since ACC play began, losing eight of their last 10.
Kentucky at Tennessee 1:00 PM ET
Sixteenth-ranked Kentucky and Tennessee - the oldest SEC rivals - meet Saturday for the 229th time as the Wildcats seek their sixth victory in seven games and try to keep pace in the race for the conference title. Kentucky coach John Calipari spent part of Friday shooting down rumors that he will become Knicks coach while the Volunteers' Rick Barnes talked about the storied Wildcats.
Texas A&M at South Carolina 1:00 PM ET
Life without Justin Minaya didn't begin well for South Carolina, which hosts Texas A&M on Saturday in an SEC game. The sparkplug forward, who missed Wednesday's 84-70 loss at Ole Miss, underwent thumb surgery Thursday morning and is out indefinitely as the Gamecocks must figure out how to survive without the heart and soul of their club.
Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh 2:00 PM ET
Georgia Tech has its leading scorer back from injury, and last season’s leading scorer is playing his best basketball of the season entering Saturday’s ACC game at Pittsburgh. The Yellow Jackets have won three of their past four games, dominating Virginia Tech 76-57 on Tuesday as sophomore guard Michael Devoe scored 12 points after missing the past three games with a foot injury, and junior guard Jose Alvarado finished with 20 points and six assists.
Florida at Mississippi 2:00 PM ET
After back-to-back losses to top 25 foes Auburn and LSU, Ole Miss bounced back with a surprising 84-70 triumph over South Carolina on Wednesday that pushed coach Kermit Davis' career win total to 500. Now the Rebels turn their focus to hosting Saturday's rematch with Florida after the Gators dominated the previous meeting 71-55 on Jan. 14.
Purdue at Indiana 2:00 PM ET
Purdue and Indiana find themselves in similar situations for Saturday's Big Ten rivalry matchup in Bloomington. Both teams are trying to string together enough wins to stay in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament berth and to remain in the upper half of the conference.
Saint Louis at Dayton 2:00 PM ET
Sixth-ranked Dayton tries for its 12th straight victory when it hosts Saint Louis on Saturday in an Atlantic 10 Conference game as Obi Toppin continues to prove he is one of the best players in the country. The sophomore forward, who turns 22 on March 4, is averaging 19.7 points and eight rebounds in what will likely be his final collegiate season.
West Virginia at Oklahoma 2:00 PM ET
Whether it was a motivational tactic after an easy win over Iowa State or genuine concern for his 11th-ranked Mountaineers, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins was not overjoyed with the victory. He challenged his team to step up its play down the stretch, and the long-time coach will see how that works Saturday when they travel to Oklahoma.
Seton Hall at Villanova 2:30 PM ET
The top two teams in the Big East square off Saturday when 13th-ranked Seton Hall hosts No. 12 Villanova. The Pirates are 9-1 in league play, while the Wildcats are 7-3 following back-to-back losses entering this matchup.
Arkansas at Missouri 3:30 PM ET
Arkansas looks to bounce back from a tough home loss when it visits Missouri on Saturday in an SEC contest. The Razorbacks back fell at home to No. 11 Auburn on Tuesday, while the Tigers are trying to snap a two-game losing streak, with the most recent setback coming at Texas A&M on Tuesday.
Virginia at Louisville 4:00 PM ET
Louisville has been on a tear the past months since losing consecutive games to Kentucky and Florida State, but it will be playing a team Saturday that has dominated them in recent years. The Cardinals seek a 10th straight win overall and hope to snap a nine-game losing streak to reigning national champion Virginia when the Cavaliers visit this weekend in an ACC contest.
South Florida at Memphis 4:00 PM ET
After dropping two games and losing top freshmen James Wiseman and D.J. Jeffries, it seemed the previously forgone conclusion of Memphis making the NCAA Tournament was in question. But the Tigers have bounced back with three straight victories and look to extend that streak Saturday when they host South Florida - a team they narrowly defeated at Tampa in January - in an American Athletic Conference game.
Minnesota at Penn St. 4:00 PM ET
No. 20 Penn State looks to stay on track for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 when it hosts Minnesota on Saturday. The Nittany Lions have racked up five consecutive wins, including an impressive 75-70 road victory over 14th-ranked Michigan State on Tuesday,and they hope to stay in the hunt for their first Big Ten regular season championship by avenging a 75-69 loss to the Golden Gophers on Jan. 15.
Texas Tech at Texas 4:00 PM ET
Texas Tech will face a familiar foe Saturday when the Red Raiders head out on the road to renew their rivalry against Texas. The Longhorns have dominated the all-time series - 86-60 advantage since the first meeting in 1939 - and they’ll be looking to begin a new streak Saturday as they had 22 straight home wins against the Red Raiders before falling in last season’s showdown.
Duke at North Carolina 6:00 PM ET
Seventh-ranked Duke won’t be facing a vintage North Carolina team when it visits the Dean Smith Center on Saturday night for an ACC contest, but the Blue Devils will be primed for an emotional battle when the teams celebrate 100 years of a rivalry that ranks among the best in the country. Duke has won four straight contests while the Tar Heels continue to struggle, including losses in six of 11 games at home this season.
East Carolina at Tulane 6:00 PM ET
A once-promising season continues to roll downhill for Tulane, which had its losing streak reach six in a row with a 75-62 setback at Houston on Thursday. The Green Wave will try to snap the slide when they host the team directly above them in the standings in East Carolina on Saturday.
St. John's at Creighton 6:00 PM ET
Creighton will likely have a short stay in the Top 25 regardless of it does in Saturday's Big East game against visiting St. John's. The No. 22 Bluejays threw out a rare clunker, scoring a season-low 56 points, including 20 in the second half, in a loss to Providence on Wednesday and will look to regroup against the Red Storm, who have lost five of their last six games.
Alabama at Georgia 6:00 PM ET
Alabama heads to Georgia on Saturday in a matchup of two teams struggling in the SEC standings and having trouble in the second half of games. The Crimson Tide lost their third game in a row Tuesday, falling 69-68 at home to Tennessee by blowing a 15-point lead late in the first half, while the Bulldogs saw a 22-point lead with 16:43 left evaporate in a 81-75 defeat at Florida - Georgia’s second-consecutive late road collapse.
Nebraska at Iowa 6:00 PM ET
No. 17 Iowa looks to bounce back from its worst loss of the season when it hosts Nebraska on Saturday. The Hawkeyes had won six of their previous seven games to climb up the national rankings but were routed 104-68 by Purdue on Wednesday, which was their largest margin of defeat in the 121-game series with the Boilermakers, and they hope to put the loss in the rearview mirror by exacting a measure of revenge against the Cornhuskers following a setback in Lincoln on Jan. 7.
Stanford at Colorado 6:00 PM ET
Two Pac-12 teams trending in opposite directions
meet Saturday in Boulder as No. 24 Colorado hosts Stanford. The Buffaloes have
won four of their last five games to match Oregon for the conference lead while
the Cardinal has dropped four of its last five to fall back into a tie for
fifth in the Pac-12.
Oklahoma State at Baylor 6:00 PM ET
Baylor may be the only unbeaten team left in Big 12 play, but few opponents have given the Bears more of a scare during their school-record 19-game winning streak than the team that needed more than a month to get its first conference victory. Hoping to extend its undefeated streak to 20, No. 1 Baylor sets its sights on a season sweep Saturday when it hosts Oklahoma State.
Wake Forest at Syracuse 8:00 PM ET
If Syracuse is going to have any chance to entertain an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, it can ill afford a slip-up against last-place Wake Forest on Saturday at home. The Orange have lost two in a row and enter the weekend in fifth place in the ACC, which is suffering through a down season for the usually powerful conference.
Providence at Xavier 8:00 PM ET
Playing on the road in the Big East is never easy, but Providence might feel like it's getting a little break Saturday night at Xavier in the first game this season between the teams. At least the Friars won't have to face a ranked opponent for the first time since Jan. 15.
Kansas State at Iowa State 8:00 PM ET
A pair of teams fighting to stay out of the basement of the Big 12 standings meet Saturday night when Kansas State visits Iowa State. The host Cyclones have lost four in a row - the last three in conference play - to sink into an eighth-place tie with the Wildcats, one game up on last-place Oklahoma State.
California at Utah 8:00 PM ET
California came up short Thursday in its continuing
quest for its first road win of the season. The Golden Bears will give it
another shot Saturday night when they visit Utah to close out their two-game
mountain road trip.
San Diego St. at Air Force 8:00 PM ET
Following a welcome week off in the middle of conference play, No. 4 San Diego State returns to action Saturday for a road matchup against Air Force. The Aztecs are the seventh team to open a season 23-0 since 2010-11 and figure to be heavy favorites against the Falcons, who have lost five straight and six of their last seven.
Vanderbilt at Mississippi State 8:30 PM ET
Mississippi State missed out on a resume-building victory last time out and looks to rebound at home Saturday night in an SEC matchup against last-place Vanderbilt, which just shocked the top team in the conference. The Bulldogs have won five of their last seven games overall, but dropped an 80-72 decision at 16th-ranked Kentucky on Tuesday while shooting just 36.8 from the field.
UCLA at Arizona 10:00 PM ET
Arizona moved to within a half-game of first place in the Pac-12 Conference with Thursday night's 85-80 victory over visiting USC. The 23rd-ranked Wildcats, who have won five of six since a 1-2 start to league play, will try for their fourth consecutive win Saturday night when they host UCLA.
Southern California at Arizona State 10:00 PM ET
Arizona State kept its Pac-12 title and NCAA Tournament hopes alive Thursday night with an impressive 84-66 victory over visiting UCLA. The Sun Devils will try to complete a sweep of the Los Angeles schools Saturday night when they host USC.
Gonzaga at St. Mary's 10:00 PM ET
Second-ranked Gonzaga knows it is in for a battle when it visits Saint Mary's on Saturday in West Coast Conference play. The Bulldogs are seeking their 17th consecutive victory, while the Gaels are looking to post another epic upset like the 60-47 win over Gonzaga in last season's WCC tourney that came with a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon at Oregon St. 10:30 PM ET
Oregon standouts Payton Pritchard and Chris Duarte have been remarkably consistent this season, but last weekend was one they’d both like to forget. The talented guards look to bounce back from a rare off-night when the 15th-ranked Ducks visit rival Oregon State on Saturday.
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