Preview Roundups
December 17, 2014
North Florida at Florida St. 7:00 PM ET
Florida State will look to recover from a lopsided defeat in its last game when it hosts North Florida on Wednesday. The Seminoles have lost two of their last three contests and were most recently trounced by No. 21 Notre Dame, falling by 20 in the ACC opener for both teams. Florida State will play without leading scorer Aaron Thomas for the rest of the season after the junior guard was declared ineligible prior to the matchup against the Fighting Irish.
Tennessee at N.C. State 7:00 PM ET
The coaches and players for Tennessee and North Carolina State undoubtedly are in different moods heading into Wednesday's contest. The visiting Volunteers are coming off their best win of the season - a 67-55 victory over then-No. 19 Butler on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack are entering on the heels of their worst loss this year - Sunday's 55-54 home setback against Wofford.
Hampton at Illinois 7:00 PM ET
Following a 6-0 start, Illinois has hit a rough patch, losing three of its last four games. The latest setback came Saturday when Oregon took advantage of a four-minute-plus Illini scoreless stretch late in the second half to rally for a 77-70 win the United Center in Chicago. It’s a skid the Illini would like to correct with only three more non-conference games remaining, beginning with Wednesday’s home date with Hampton.
No.Carolina A&T at Ohio St. 7:00 PM ET
Ohio State will try to take its home dominance to a crosstown arena when it hosts North Carolina A&T at Nationwide Arena on Wednesday. The Buckeyes, who are 8-0 on campus, are moving to the downtown arena for one game to satisfy a requirement of the school's commitment to host the second and third rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State picked up its 96th home victory since the 2009-10 season - most in the country - with an 87-71 win over Morehead State on Saturday.
Manhattan at Pittsburgh 7:00 PM ET
Pittsburgh has a chance to start stockpiling some victories when it plays the second contest of its five-game homestand against Manhattan on Wednesday. The Panthers have won two in a row since a 12-point setback at Indiana in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and face four non-conference opponents over the next two weeks before opening ACC play at North Carolina State on Jan. 2. Pittsburgh is 55-2 at home in December since 2002.
Arkansas St. at Mississippi St. 7:00 PM ET
Mississippi State returns home Wednesday to host Arkansas State looking to find its offense and end a three-game losing streak. The Bulldogs have averaged 51.7 points per game in losses to TCU, Tulane and Oregon State, shooting 36.5 percent from the field as the momentum of a season-opening five-game winning streak evaporated.
Detroit at Central Florida 7:30 PM ET
Donnie Jones expected some growing pains for his young UCF squad, which plays visiting Detroit Wednesday, but not as painful as it got against Florida Atlantic. The Knights went without a field goal for more than 16 minutes and shot 16.1 percent in the second half in dropping their third straight game. "It's always tough to take a loss like that," Jones told the media. "I still believe in this team. It was one game, and there is still a lot of growing going on."
Illinois-Chicago at Southern Methodist 8:00 PM ET
With four straight wins, SMU looks to wrap up its seven-game homestand on a high note when it hosts UIC on Wednesday night. The well-rested Mustangs are 6-1 at home this season and are coming off an 80-73 overtime victory against UC-Santa Barbara on Dec. 8. Leading scorer Nic Moore (14.3 points) left with a bruised knee early in the second half of that contest but will be in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game.
Missouri St. at Tulsa 8:00 PM ET
Reeling Tulsa aims to snap its two-game losing streak when it hosts Missouri State on Wednesday. The Golden Hurricane suffered a stunning upset last week, falling to Division II Southeastern Oklahoma State 69-66 and followed that up with a 19-point loss at the hands of No. 15 Oklahoma, leaving coach Frank Haith no choice but to face the reality of his team's current state. "We're struggling with our confidence," Haith told reporters. "We have to continue to work and get better."
South Carolina Upstate at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
Memphis has experienced an up-and-down first eight games of the season, alternating defeats with victories. The Tigers’ goal of stringing together consecutive wins for the first time this season will be challenged Wednesday when Memphis hosts a USC Upstate squad that already has won at Georgia Tech and played 18th-ranked Maryland close in a 10-point loss Saturday. The Tigers routed North Carolina Central on Monday 81-47, two days after a 73-55 home loss to Oklahoma State.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Houston 8:00 PM ET
It’s the Houston Cougars – not Rockets, but the American Athletic Conference squad is certainly in the midst of an NBA-like schedule stretch. Wednesday’s home game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff will be the second contest in as many nights for Houston, which is playing four games in a seven-day period overall. Wednesday’s contest will also tip off Las Vegas Classic regional-round play for both teams.
Central Michigan at Northwestern 8:00 PM ET
Northwestern must shore up its perimeter defense if it stands a chance against visiting Central Michigan on Wednesday. The Chippewas set a school record and tied a Mid-American Conference standard with 20 made 3-pointers in their 94-61 victory over SIU-Edwardsville on Dec. 6 and also boast the nation's top shooter from long range in 6-8 junior forward John Simons (60.5 percent on 38 attempts). Central Michigan is seventh in the country in 3-point field goal percentage at 42.6.
South Carolina State at Texas Tech 8:00 PM ET
The loss of four seniors and two transfers left some major holes to fill, but Texas Tech carries a six-game winning streak into Wednesday's home matchup against South Carolina State. Five freshmen and a junior college transfer are providing meaningful minutes for the Red Raiders. “All our freshmen are really improved," coach Tubby Smith said. "I’m really impressed with those guys that they’re able to step up and play the way they’ve been playing."
Winthrop at Auburn 9:00 PM ET
Struggling Auburn begins a five-game homestand when it faces Winthrop on Wednesday. The Tigers have dropped three straight - including a 72-61 setback to Clemson - and hope to avoid their first four-game losing skid in non-conference action since 2012. "It's important for us in these next five home games to start to come together and play better," coach Bruce Pearl told reporters. "It's important to put together some wins and have some confidence heading into conference play."
Loyola Marymount at Stanford 9:00 PM ET
Stanford begins a two-game road trip against BYU and Texas on Saturday, but first the Cardinal play host on Wednesday to Loyola Marymount, which enters riding a three-game losing streak. Point guard Chasson Randle averages a team-high 16.4 points for Stanford, which is looking to rediscover its offense after shooting a season-low 31.8 percent in last Saturday’s 49-43 victory over Denver. The poor shooting performance was almost expected with the Cardinal playing their first game in 13 days.
New Mexico St. at Baylor 9:00 PM ET
Baylor, one of the nation's top defensive teams, looks for its fourth win in a row when it hosts New Mexico State on Wednesday. The Bears are allowing 53.8 points per game - 11th in the nation through Monday's games - and also rank fifth in the nation in rebounding margin (plus-12.7). Baylor, which sits just outside the Top 25, was dominant on the backboards last time out and didn't allow Texas A&M an offensive rebound.
Eastern Michigan at Michigan St 9:00 PM ET
Michigan State is expected to add a key player to their rotation when the No. 22 Spartans host Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night. Javon Bess, a highly-touted freshman wing, is reportedly set to make his season debut after missing the first six weeks with a fracture in his right foot that required surgery. Michigan State can use all the help it can get against an Eastern Michigan team that’s coming off a 45-42 upset victory against Michigan.
San Diego St. at Cincinnati 9:00 PM ET
Two defensive-oriented squads will pester one another on the hardwood when No. 17 San Diego State visits Cincinnati on Wednesday. The Bearcats allow 52.8 points per game – ninth best nationally entering the week – while San Diego State ranks 14th at 55 per outing. Cincinnati is 5-0 at home and is coming off a double-overtime road loss at Nebraska while the Aztecs edged Long Beach State in their most-recent contest.
CSU Northridge at Oregon 11:00 PM ET
Arizona’s Stanley Johnson remains the favorite for Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors, but Oregon wing Dillon Brooks has clearly entered the race. Brooks heads into the Ducks’ contest Wednesday against visiting Cal State Northridge as the Pac-12’s leading freshman scorer at 15.8 points per game, and he’s set his career high in points in four of his last five games. Oregon has won three of its last four, including Saturday’s impressive 77-70 victory over Illinois in a game played in Chicago.
Grambling State at Washington 11:00 PM ET
Washington isn't expected to receive much of a challenge when it hosts Grambling State - the lowest-scoring team in the nation - on Wednesday. The No. 16 Huskies, who are one of nine undefeated teams in the nation, are attempting to start 9-0 for the first time since beginning the 2005-06 season with 11 straight victories. Washington was behind Eastern Washington by as many as 14 before rallying for an 81-77 victory on Sunday - it's third this season when trailing at the half.
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