Preview Roundups
December 05, 2015
Binghamton at Michigan St 12:00 PM ET
After spending the early part of the season proving why he is the early frontrunner for Player of the Year honors, Denzel Valentine needed a bit of help from his stellar supporting cast to keep No. 3 Michigan State undefeated its last time out. The Spartans attempt to continue their best start since winning 12 in a row to begin the 2000-01 campaign on Saturday when they host Binghamton.
Bucknell at N.C. State 12:00 PM ET
North Carolina State has to find a way to get points in the paint. Coach Mark Gottfried hopes for a better performance from his big men when the Wolfpack host Bucknell on Saturday.
Indiana St. at Butler 12:00 PM ET
As if hosting an in-state rival isn’t enough, Butler
also is bringing plenty of momentum into Saturday’s home date with Indiana
State. The 25th-ranked Bulldogs are coming off their most impressive
win of the season, rallying on the road Wednesday to clip No. 17 Cincinnati 78-76.
Seton Hall at Rutgers 12:00 PM ET
Despite the efforts of freshman guard Corey Sanders, Rutgers carries a three-game losing streak as it hosts Garden State-rival Seton Hall on Saturday. Sanders scored a team-high 17 points but missed a short jumper in the final seconds of the Scarlet Knights' 69-68 loss to Wake Forest last time out.
Eastern Michigan at Penn St. 12:00 PM ET
After some early and alarming issues on the defensive end, Penn State seems to have tightened things up. The Nittany Lions seek their third straight win following a two-game slide when they host Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
Grand Canyon at Louisville 12:00 PM ET
Louisville coach Rick Pitino did not try to hide the pain he felt from his team’s 71-67 loss at Michigan State on Wednesday in a battle of undefeated college basketball powerhouses. The 22nd-ranked Cardinals will attempt to bounce back at home on Saturday when they face their third straight unbeaten opponent in Grand Canyon.
Kennesaw St. at West Virginia 12:30 PM ET
Unlike the many visitors who leave Las Vegas emptyhanded, West Virginia returned from last week’s trip with two impressive wins and an improved ranking. The 15th-ranked Mountaineers look to remain unbeaten Saturday when they host Kennesaw State, which was picked to finish last in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Temple at Wisconsin 12:30 PM ET
Fresh off its biggest win of the season, Wisconsin takes aim at visiting Temple on Saturday afternoon. Fans can expect a low-scoring affair, as the Badgers rank 229th in the nation in scoring entering Friday, while the Owls are 235th, and neither team shoots well from the 3-point line.
Syracuse at Georgetown 1:00 PM ET
Jim Boeheim has been critical of the NCAA's handling of his nine-game suspension for infractions that took place in prior seasons. He found out Thursday that his appeal had been denied but that the NCAA will allow the ban to start immediately, beginning with No. 19 Syracuse's road game against Georgetown on Saturday.
New Hampshire at Southern Methodist 1:30 PM ET
New Hampshire and host SMU will both be happy to have their leading scorers healthy heading into Saturday afternoon's meeting. Nic Moore's broken pinky finger seemed fine when the Mustangs' top scorer led his team past TCU on Wednesday.
IUPU - Ft. Wayne at Utah 2:00 PM ET
Utah looks to continue its strong start and record its fourth
consecutive victory when it hosts IPFW on Saturday afternoon. The Utes
defeated rival BYU 83-75 on Wednesday to mark their fourth 80-point
outing of the campaign.
Abilene Christian at Nebraska 2:00 PM ET
Nebraska
went toe-to-toe with No. 21 Miami it its last time out, and despite losing in
overtime, it's just that type of game that has allowed a young roster that
includes four freshmen in the rotation to develop chemistry. The Cornhuskers
get a chance to take another step in the right direction as they host Abilene Christian on Saturday.
Creighton at Loyola-Chicago 2:00 PM ET
Creighton
had a chance to hold home court against Arizona State, but was outcoached,
outplayed and out-toughed, head coach Greg McDermott said after a 79-77 loss on
Wednesday. The Bluejays don't have long to stew about the loss as on Saturday
they hit the road to play a Loyola Chicago squad that has lost two straight games.
Chicago St. at DePaul 2:00 PM ET
DePaul is still looking to recapture some of the success from its glory days, but there's no questioning its superiority in Chicago. The Blue Demons looks to flex their muscles against city-rival Chicago State in the 500th game at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont on Saturday.
Houston Baptist at Michigan 2:00 PM ET
Michigan looks to win four straight games for the first time since Nov. 2014 when it hosts Houston Baptist on Saturday. The Wolverines beat Charlotte 102-47 and Texas 78-72 to finish fifth in the Battle 4 Atlantis before earning their first true road victory in three years with a 66-59 triumph over North Carolina State as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday.
William & Mary at Virginia 2:00 PM ET
Virginia survived its first test but is still
adjusting without starting point guard London Perrantes, who underwent an
appendectomy Sunday. The next step comes Saturday as the 10th-ranked
Cavaliers host in-state rival William & Mary.
New Mexico at Purdue 2:15 PM ET
Off to one of its best starts in program history, No. 11 Purdue begins a four-game homestand on Saturday afternoon when it hosts New Mexico. The Boilermakers improved to 7-0 for just the sixth time in school history and the first time since the 2009-10 season with a convincing 72-59 victory at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night in a Big Ten/ACC Challenge game.
Maine at Marquette 2:30 PM ET
With its confidence fully restored by four straight victories, Marquette will look to keep it going Saturday against visiting Maine. The Golden Eagles trounced Grambling State on Wednesday behind 20 points from reserve Jajuan Johnson and appear to have two more soft games before playing their first true road game of the season Dec. 12 at Wisconsin.
California at Wyoming 3:00 PM ET
After falling out of the Top 25 with two losses last week, California takes its redemption tour on the road Saturday against Wyoming, which has won three straight following a one-point loss to Montana State. The Golden Bears struggled defensively in losses to San Diego State and Richmond but answered with a 66-52 home win over Seattle on Tuesday.
SIU - Edwardsville at Northwestern 3:00 PM ET
On paper, it looks like it could be a big afternoon for host Northwestern when it hosts SIU-Edwardsville in a non-coference matchup Saturday. The Wildcats have won three straight, while SIU has lost six in a row.
UMKC at Iowa 3:00 PM ET
Playing seven games over a 14-day span, Iowa is in the midst of a grueling schedule as it prepares for its battle with No. 4 Iowa State for state bragging rights on Dec. 10. The Hawkeyes attempt to move to 3-2 during that stretch when they host UMKC on Saturday.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Virginia Tech 3:00 PM ET
Virginia Tech might actually finish a game in regulation for the first time in weeks when it hosts Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Saturday. The Hokies split their last two contests against UAB and Northwestern, with each of those being decided in overtime.
Western Carolina at Illinois 3:00 PM ET
Illinois looks to pick up its first win under the newly-christened Lou Henson Court when it hosts Western Carolina in a non-conference matchup on Saturday. The Illini played their first four home games in nearby Springfield, Ill., before opening the refurbished State Farm Center with a loss to Notre Dame on Wednesday.
South Dakota at Minnesota 3:00 PM ET
Minnesota looks for its first three-game winning streak of the season when it hosts South Dakota on Saturday. The Gophers squeaked past Omaha 93-90 on Nov. 27 before earning their most impressive victory of the campaign when they beat Clemson 89-83 on Monday as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Harvard at Kansas 3:15 PM ET
With heralded freshman Cheick Diallo now in the fold, Kansas has the look of a much more formidable squad. The sixth-ranked Jayhawks seek their fifth straight win when they take on Harvard at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday.
Arizona at Gonzaga 3:15 PM ET
No. 14 Arizona will be without starting center Kaleb Tarczewski when it
visits No. 12 Gonzaga on Saturday in a showdown between the top two
programs in the West. Tarczewski suffered a stress reaction in his left
foot during the recent Wooden Legacy tourney and will be sidelined
four-to-six weeks.
Missouri St. at Oklahoma St. 3:30 PM ET
Oklahoma State, which lost a nonconference home game for just the fourth time in 56 games under Travis Ford on Wednesday night to in-state rival Tulsa, 66-56, will try and bounce back against visiting Missouri State on Saturday afternoon. The Cowboys shot a season-low 29.1 percent against the Golden Hurricane, the team's lowest mark since shooting 25.6 percent against South Carolina last season, and a big reason for that was the fact senior guard Phil Forte III didn't suit up for the fourth stra
Mississippi at Massachusetts 4:00 PM ET
Already a seasoned scorer, Stefan Moody is still trying to get up to speed at point guard for Ole Miss, which will play its second of three straight road games Saturday against Massachusetts at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase in Springfield, Mass. The senior and second-leading scorer in the SEC is averaging 22 points for the Rebels, but if you listen to his coach, he has a way to go before he masters his new position.
Oral Roberts at Tulsa 4:00 PM ET
Tulsa hosts Oral Roberts on Saturday in the 51st meeting between the crosstown rivals as the Golden Hurricane seeks to win back the PSO Mayor's Cup. The Golden Eagles have won the last two meetings in the series, 74-68 in 2013 and 77-68 in 2014.
Charlotte at Miami-Florida 4:00 PM ET
Coming off a one-point upset home loss to Northeastern and an overtime victory at Nebraska, No. 21 Miami (Fla.) will look to avoid another nail-biting finish when it hosts struggling Charlotte on Saturday afternoon. The 49ers are coming off a 109-74 blowout loss to Davidson.
South Florida at South Carolina 4:00 PM ET
South Carolina looks to match its best start since 2003-04 when it hosts South Florida on Saturday afternoon. The Gamecocks are the only team in the SEC that has yet to lose a game this season.
Nevada at Oregon St. 4:00 PM ET
It figures to be a day for the record books Saturday when Oregon State hosts Nevada in nonconference play. That's because Beavers senior point guard Gary Payton II, who has recorded a steal in 37 consecutive games, needs just one theft to break a tie for the mark he shares with his father, former Oregon State great and NBA Hall of Famer Gary "The Glove" Payton.
VMI at Ohio St. 4:30 PM ET
It’s been a long time since Ohio State coach Thad Matta would take positives in a loss, but that’s what happened Tuesday when his inexperienced squad dropped a six-point decision to No. 10 Virginia. Hoping to build off that performance, the Buckeyes will try to snap a four-game losing streak when it hosts VMI on Saturday.
Georgia Tech at Tulane 5:00 PM ET
A pair of strong rebounding teams will square off when Georgia Tech visits Tulane on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets are led by Charles Mitchell’s 12.9 rebounding average while Green Wave sophomore forward Dylan Osetkowski is coming off his fourth double-double of the young season.
Buffalo at Duke 5:15 PM ET
Duke hosts Buffalo on Saturday in what would have been a homecoming of sorts for coach Bobby Hurley, but the former Blue Devils standout left the Bulls after two seasons for greener pastures at Arizona State. What's left is a matchup that pits Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and No. 5 Duke against Nate Oats, who tries to keep the Buffalo program moving forward after it reached its first NCAA Tournament following a 23-win season in 2014-15.
SE Missouri St. at Memphis 7:00 PM ET
Memphis may be undermanned, but don't expect it to be seriously tested when it hosts Southeast Missouri State on Saturday. The Tigers hope to follow up on their first back-to-back wins of the season, while Southeast Missouri has lost its six games by an average margin of 18.3 points.
Providence at Rhode Island 7:00 PM ET
Kris Dunn looks to continue his phenomenal play when he leads No. 24 Providence into a matchup at in-state rival Rhode Island on Saturday. Dunn recorded his second career triple-double in an 89-66 win over Hartford on Wednesday, finishing with 16 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds as the Friars rebounded from their first loss of the season against No. 3 Michigan State three days earlier.
Morehead St. at Indiana 7:00 PM ET
Indiana looks to rebound from another disappointing defensive performance when the Hoosiers return home to host dangerous Morehead State on Saturday. Indiana led by six, more than eight minutes into the game, but allowed 52.9 percent shooting overall and 11-of-24 from 3-point range in a 20-point loss at No. 5 Duke on Wednesday.
Illinois-Chicago at Central Florida 7:00 PM ET
UCF’s Tacko Fall showed what kind of presence he can be in the post last time out and the 7-6 freshman tries to string together two dominant performances when the Knights host UIC on Saturday. Fall recorded a season-high 23 points on 11-of-12 shooting with 10 rebounds and three blocks in the 94-85 victory over Stetson on Wednesday.
Colgate at Texas Christian 8:00 PM ET
TCU’s matchup against visiting Colgate on Saturday lacks the history or prestige of their previous contest against ranked opponent SMU, but it still matters in the win-loss column. The Raiders shouldn’t be much trouble for the Horned Frogs, who have held their own against far tougher opponents recently.
Western Kentucky at Xavier 8:30 PM ET
Undefeated Xavier is flying high heading into Saturday’s contest against visiting Western Kentucky. The No. 18 Musketeers are 3-0 at home and signs point to its success being more than early season luck - bad news for the Hilltoppers, who are looking to capitalize on a big win of their own.
Texas A&M at Arizona State 10:30 PM ET
Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy sent his team a message when he didn't start two of his top three scorers in the most recent game, and it will be interesting to see which starting five he chooses Saturday, when the No. 20 Aggies travel to Arizona State for a nonconference game. Danuel House, who averages a team-high 16 points for Texas A&M, and third-leading scorer and top rebounder Tyler Davis did not start Wednesday against FGCU because of poor practice habits leading up to the game.
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