Preview Roundups
December 22, 2016
Texas A&M CC at Oklahoma St. 1:00 PM ET
Oklahoma State looks to build off one of its best performances of the season when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday afternoon in the last tune-up before Big 12 play. The Cowboys, who also own impressive wins over Connecticut and Georgetown, rolled to a 93-76 win at Wichita State on Saturday while draining a season-high 14 attempts from 3-point range.
Central Arkansas at Arizona State 3:00 PM ET
Consistency has been eluding Tra Holder this season and the Arizona State guard will have an opportunity to build on his last outing when the Sun Devils host Central Arkansas on Thursday. The Bears allow an average of 86.4 points per game and Holder will be striving to follow up a strong 24-point outing against Creighton after shooting poorly in two of the previous three games.
Tulsa at Stephen F. Austin 4:30 PM ET
Two juniors in their first season with Tulsa will take the main stage Thursday, when the Golden Hurricane face Stephen F. Austin in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Jaleel Wheeler, a 6-4 shooting guard who played his first two seasons at Kilgore College in Texas, is averaging 13.4 points and six rebounds while Junior Etou, a 6-7, 240-pound forward from the Congo who spent his first two seasons with Rutgers, is posting 11.2 and seven.
NC-Greensboro at Georgetown 6:30 PM ET
After a rough start that saw it lose four of its first six games, Georgetown is trending in the right direction heading into Thursday's non-conference finale against visiting UNC Greensboro. The Hoyas downed former Big East arch rival Syracuse for their fifth straight victory and have a date with the Spartans before commencing Big East play Wednesday at Marquette.
Tennessee at East Tennessee St. 7:00 PM ET
Tennessee has played some of the best teams in the country but has not been able to close the deal. After another tough loss, the Volunteers will close out their non-conference schedule in search of their first win over a top-100 RPI opponent this season when they visit a dangerous East Tennessee State team on Thursday in front of a sellout crowd of 6,000 fans at Freedom Hall.
Morehead St. at Mississippi St. 7:00 PM ET
Mississippi State made history from 3-point range last time out, but it was the team defense that left head coach Ben Howland most impressed. The Bulldogs will look to build off their most complete effort of the season as they continue non-conference play Thursday against visiting Morehead State.
George Washington at Miami-Florida 7:00 PM ET
Miami has won four consecutive games by an average of 18.8 points but figures to face a tougher task on Thursday, when it hosts a George Washington team that has captured five of its last six contests and three in a row. The Hurricanes are second in the nation in scoring defense (57.2 points), but the Colonials are coming off a 74-59 win over Central Florida in which they shot 54.2 percent in the second half against the country's top-ranked field-goal percentage defense (32.8).
Austin Peay at Indiana 7:00 PM ET
No. 16 Indiana looks to put together one more strong effort before beginning Big Ten play next week as it hosts Austin Peay on Thursday night. The Hoosiers, who open conference play against Nebraska on Dec. 28, have won six of their last seven contests after connecting on a season-high 66.7 percent from the field in a 103-56 victory over Delaware State on Monday.
Furman at Michigan 7:00 PM ET
Michigan looks for its third consecutive win when it hosts Furman to close out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Thursday. The Wolverines have bounced back from a 102-84 setback to second-ranked UCLA by routing Central Arkansas 97-53 and Maryland Eastern Shore 98-49, and hope to finish their non-conference slate with 10 wins for the second successive season.
Marshall at Cincinnati 7:00 PM ET
The scoreboard operator likely is in for a busy night when No. 23 Cincinnati concludes a three-game homestand against Marshall on Thursday. The Bearcats have averaged 107.5 points during the first two games of their stay, while the Thundering Herd haven’t scored less than 80 points in nearly a month.
Presbyterian at East Carolina 7:00 PM ET
East Carolina looks to get back on the winning track before conference play begins when it hosts Presbyterian College on Thursday night. The Pirates lost three straight - all by double digits, including an 81-71 setback at UNC Wilmington last time out.
Delaware at South Florida 7:00 PM ET
South Florida will look to turn around what has been a bleak week when it hosts Delaware on Thursday before taking its holiday break. Sophomore guard Jahmal McMurray, who had been the Bulls' leading scorer, abruptly requested his release from the program and the Bulls were soundly beaten 59-48 at home by Northern Illinois just hours after his departure was announced.
Yale at Temple 7:00 PM ET
Obi Enechionyia's scoring has been down of late, but as long as Temple is winning close games, all is fine. The Owls look to defeat visiting Yale on Thursday in their final tuneup before American Athletic Conference play tips off.
McNeese St. at N.C. State 7:00 PM ET
North Carolina State is on a roll as it hosts McNeese on Thursday in the penultimate game on its non-conference schedule as 7-0 freshman center Omer Yurtseven continues to get comfortable with his teammates. Yurtseven recorded 12 points, six rebounds and three assists in a 99-78 victory over Fairfield on Sunday, helping the Wolfpack to their fourth straight win and second in a row by more than 20 points.
Wofford at Georgia Tech 7:30 PM ET
Georgia Tech does not have a lot of time to reflect on a lousy offensive performance against a bitter rival given it hosts Wofford on Thursday, but any look back at the wreckage of Tuesday’s loss to Georgia must start with offense. The Yellow Jackets shot 34.6 percent from the field – and 1-of-10 from 3-point range – in a ragged 60-43 home loss, their lowest scoring output in nearly three years.
Sam Houston St. at Arkansas 8:00 PM ET
Two red-hot teams clash in a non-conference contest Thursday when Arkansas takes on Sam Houston in the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Ark. The Razorbacks have won seven straight and are off to their best start in six seasons under Mike Anderson, while the Bearkats have a five-game winning streak to their credit, with their last loss coming at current No. 6 Baylor.
Houston Baptist at Northwestern 8:00 PM ET
Northwestern has the unenviable distinction of never playing in the NCAA Tournament. But that could change this season for the Wildcats who conclude nonconference play Thursday against visiting Houston Baptist.
Eastern Washington at Colorado 8:30 PM ET
Colorado has slipped since leading the Pac-12 Conference in 3-point and free-throw shooting last season, and the Buffaloes are hoping the return of junior guard Dominique Collier, who played Monday after missing a month with a foot injury, will provide a boost. In any case, Colorado has only one more nonconference game to work out the kinks as Eastern Washi
Wyoming at DePaul 8:30 PM ET
While DePaul freshman guard Devin Gage hasn’t cracked the starting lineup, the Chicago native is starting to show why he figures prominently in the Blue Demons’ rebuilding plans. Gage looks to continue his upward trajectory Thursday as DePaul heads to Las Vegas to face Wyoming at the Orleans Arena.
Louisiana State at Wake Forest 9:00 PM ET
LSU plays its first true road game of the season when it travels to Wake Forest for its final non-conference tune-up on Thursday. It also is the last contest before beginning ACC play for the Demon Deacons, who are undefeated at home (4-0).
South Alabama at Mississippi 9:00 PM ET
Few will question whether the Ole Miss offense is ready for the start of conference play, but the defense looked like a work in progress until a convincing win over Bradley earlier this week. The Rebels aim to build on that defensive momentum as they wrap up non-conference play Thursday against visiting South Alabama.
Delaware State at Iowa 9:00 PM ET
Iowa looks to continue its upward trajectory when it closes out non-conference play against Delaware State on Thursday. The Hawkeyes seemed headed for a rebuilding year after dropping four straight games, including a disappointing 98-89 defeat at home to Omaha, but have roared back to life by winning their last four contests, and are coming off an 84-73 victory over North Dakota.
N.C. Asheville at Ohio St. 9:00 PM ET
After alternating wins and losses in its last seven games, Ohio State aims for back-to-back victories Thursday versus visiting UNC Asheville. The Buckeyes enjoyed a terrific defensive performance in their last contest in improving to 8-1 at home this season, but consistency is far from a guarantee with this squad.
Kansas at UNLV 9:00 PM ET
Kansas has won 10 consecutive games, is back up to No. 3 in the national rankings and found out Wednesday that head coach Bill Self has been nominated for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. What better place to go to celebrate than Las Vegas where the Jayhawks will face rebuilding UNLV on Thursday night?
Washington at Seattle 10:00 PM ET
The season has been a defensive struggle so far
for Lorenzo Romar’s young Washington team, but the Huskies just may be showing
signs of a turnaround. They’ll get one final nonconference tune-up Thursday
night at city-rival Seattle of the Western Athletic Conference.
South Carolina State at St. Mary's 10:00 PM ET
Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett is a hard man to please but is a bit more satisfied these days as the No. 19 Gaels complete the non-conference portion of their schedule by hosting South Carolina State on Thursday. Saint Mary's defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 67-46 on Tuesday for its third straight victory since suffering its only loss of the season - 65-51 to Texas-Arlington on Dec. 8 - while recording a season low in points allowed.
Idaho at Stanford 10:30 PM ET
Stanford has been outclassed by some of the recent opponents on the schedule, but that shouldn't be a problem when the Cardinal host Idaho on Thursday. Stanford was blown out 72-49 by SMU on Monday and also suffered 15-point losses to both Kansas and Saint Mary's during the recent stretch.
San Francisco at Utah 11:00 PM ET
Utah will be in the rare position of being the favorite to win a tournament when it opens the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu on Thursday against San Francisco. The Utes are the only power conference program in the eight-team field but will be playing just their second game away from home this season.
Missouri St. at Southern California 11:00 PM ET
USC is unbeaten and off to its best start since 1971, and nobody is more surprised than fourth-year coach Andy Enfield, who insists the 25th-ranked Trojans are far from being a finished product. Enfield’s squad looks to take another step forward Thursday as the Trojans face Missouri State at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
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