Preview Roundups
December 15, 2014
Appalachian St. at Georgia Tech 7:00 PM ET
Georgia Tech is trying to make the most of its winter break to not only prep for Monday's visit from Appalachian State, but also fix some problems on offense. The Yellow Jackets didn't get much practice time while playing five games in a 10-day stretch before finals and spent this past week on extra film and extra individual work. Coach Brian Gregory has been focused on turnovers, especially in the front court.
Elon University at Duke 7:00 PM ET
It seems undefeated Duke will play anyone during the non-conference portion of its schedule, but even the No. 2 Blue Devils need an occasional break as they host undermanned Elon on Monday. Duke is coming off an 80-70 victory at No. 6 Wisconsin on Dec. 3 - its only true road game before ACC play begins - so the Blue Devils may have to shake off some rust before they meet defending national champion Connecticut on Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J.
Georgia Southern at South Florida 7:00 PM ET
With nine days having passed since its last game, a fresh USF squad looks to shake a two-game losing streak when it hosts Georgia Southern on Monday. The Bulls were off to a roaring start under new coach Orlando Antigua, winning five of their first six games, before hitting the skids in consecutive road tilts at Alabama and Detroit. "We can't keep putting ourselves in the position where we're always coming from behind," Antigua told the Tampa Bay Times.
North Carolina Central at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
Memphis, which has dropped two of its last three games at home to Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State, will try to get back to the .500 mark Monday when it hosts North Carolina Central. The Tigers fell to 3-4 with a disheartening 73-55 home loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday, trailing by as many as 22 points in the second half. Memphis also lost starting guard Markel Crawford for at least four games with a sprained left knee in the contest.
Texas Southern at Gonzaga 9:00 PM ET
Eighth-ranked Gonzaga figures to add another victory to its ledger when it hosts Texas Southern on Monday. The Bulldogs notched an impressive 87-74 road win at UCLA on Saturday as they shot 58.5 percent and never once trailed while playing their typical brand of team basketball. “The key was that we played our style of basketball and shared the ball,” guard Byron Wesley told reporters. “We had poise down the stretch and our guys are used to playing in big games.”
Grambling State at Oregon St. 10:00 PM ET
Questions remain about Oregon State’s depth and scoring potential, but the Beavers are showing definite progress under first-year coach Wayne Tinkle. The team heads into Monday’s home game against Grambling State riding a three-game win streak following Saturday’s impressive 59-49 win over Mississippi State. Tinkle’s squad is leaning on its stellar defense to hold opponents to 56.5 points per game on 34.7 percent shooting.
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