Preview Roundups
December 29, 2014
Rice at Texas 1:00 PM ET
Ninth-ranked Texas will look to bounce back Monday when it hosts Rice for its non-conference finale. The Owls, who are 0-3 on the road, have outscored their last six opponents in the paint but likely won't have that advantage against the powerful Longhorns frontcourt. Texas is third in the country in rebounds (44.3) and tied for second in blocked shots (93).
Massachusetts Lowell at Boston College 2:00 PM ET
Boston College saw its four-game winning streak come to an end last time out and looks to start another run Monday when it hosts UMass Lowell in the first meeting between the teams. The Eagles must improve defensively after allowing 55.8 percent shooting in the 75-71 loss to USC on Dec. 21 with their ACC opener at No. 2 Duke slated for Saturday. UMass Lowell, in its second year of Division I basketball, has lost three straight after winning six in a row.
Toledo at Duke 7:00 PM ET
Duke has dispatched every challenger so far, and the second-ranked Blue Devils eye two more chances to prepare for this weekend's ACC opener. Duke hosts Toledo on Monday in its first game since defeating defending national champion Connecticut on Dec. 18, before hosting Wofford on Wednesday in advance of Saturday’s conference matchup with Boston College. The Duke freshman class, led by Jahlil Okafor, has sparked an offense ranked fifth nationally in field-goal percentage.
Southern Miss at Louisiana State 7:00 PM ET
LSU seeks its longest winning streak in coach Johnny Jones' three-year tenure when rebuilding Southern Miss visits Monday. The Tigers have won six straight games, five of those at home, after last Monday's 71-47 drubbing of College of Charleston. Jordan Mickey led the way with 15 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks for his team-high sixth double-double of the season.
Tennessee St. at Texas Christian 8:00 PM ET
TCU closes its non-conference schedule Monday against visiting Tennessee State, but the unbeaten Horned Frogs can be excused if they’re looking ahead to their Big 12 opener Jan. 3 against West Virginia. Coach Trent Johnson, whose team is off to the best start in school history, knows the Horned Frogs will be judged by the next three months. “It’s nice that we’re winning,” Johnson told reporters. “But we’ve still got a long ways to go.”
North Texas at Texas Tech 8:00 PM ET
With Big 12 play just around the corner, Tubby Smith is hoping his team can snap a two-game losing streak when it hosts North Texas on Monday. The Red Raiders have dropped two straight by double digits and don't want to head into a matchup with nationally ranked Texas on a three-game skid. The Mean Green come in having won two of their last three, but are 0-3 away from home this season, all by double-digit margins.
Midwestern St. at Southern Methodist 8:00 PM ET
SMU seeks its seventh straight win when it closes the nonconference slate against Division II Midwestern State on Monday. The Mustangs have won seven of eight since losing consecutive games at Gonzaga and Indiana in mid-November and are coming off a 62-51 victory at Michigan on Dec. 20. The program was stung when top high school recruit Emmanual Mudiay chose to play in China for $1.2 million, but the school did get one of its stars back against the Wolverines.
Middle Tennessee St. at Auburn 9:00 PM ET
Auburn is trying to develop momentum prior to the start of SEC play and goes after its fourth consecutive victory when it hosts Middle Tennessee on Monday. The Tigers had a bumpy start under new coach Bruce Pearl – losing five of their first eight games – before the recent streak pushed them above .500. The Blue Raiders enter with four wins in five games and are coming off an easy 65-47 victory over Tennessee State.
Gonzaga at San Diego 11:00 PM ET
Eighth-ranked Gonzaga, fresh off a wild 87-80 victory at Brigham Young in their West Coast Conference opener Saturday, travels to San Diego for a Monday night contest. The Toreros dropped their opener to visiting Portland in heartbreaking fashion Saturday night 61-58 as the Pilots ended the game on a 9-0 run capped by a game-winning 3-pointer by guard Alec Wintering with three-tenths of a second to play.
UC Irvine at Oregon 11:00 PM ET
Oregon tries for its fifth straight victory while putting a wrap on the non-conference portion of its schedule when it hosts UC Irvine on Monday. The Ducks are playing their second straight game against a Big West Conference team after defeating UC Santa Barbara 82-78 in overtime on Dec. 22. "It shows a lot of resiliency,” freshman guard Casey Benson told reporters after Oregon erased a 12-point deficit with just under 12 minutes remaining.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Stanford 11:00 PM ET
Stanford should be in line for a welcome breather in its final non-conference game Monday night against visiting Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Cardinal are coming off an overtime victory Tuesday against No. 9 Texas, one that was physically and emotionally draining following a two-point loss to BYU three nights earlier. Stanford should be able to avoid a letdown against an Arkansas-Pine Bluff team that has suffered a string of losses to mediocre mid-majors.
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