Preview Roundups
November 25, 2016
Iowa St. at Miami-Florida 11:00 AM ET
Iowa State and Miami (Fla.) meet in the semifinals of the AdvoCare Invitational on Friday morning after the Cyclones survived a scare from upset-minded Indiana State and the Hurricanes finished strong to defeat Stanford on Thursday. The No. 22 Cyclones, who came into Thursday's game averaging 105.3 points a game, struggled to find their offense but did just enough to eke out a 73-71 victory while the Hurricanes overcame a cold-shooting first half with a dominant performance on both ends of the f
Florida St. at Illinois 12:30 PM ET
Florida State and Illinois meet in the consolation game of the NIT Tip-Off tournament on Friday in Brooklyn, N.Y., and one team is probably a bit more disappointed than the other. While the Fighting Illini knew their fate early trailing by double-digits less than seven minutes into their 89-57 loss to No. 17 West Virginia, the Seminoles coughed up a 13-point lead in the final 10 minutes and fell 89-86 to Temple despite shooting 55 percent from the field.
Hartford at Rutgers 1:00 PM ET
Undefeated Rutgers is finding all sorts of ways to extend its winning streak - and coach Steve Pikiell couldn't be happier. The Scarlet Knights look to run their season-opening winning streak to six games as they host Hartford in a Friday matinee.
Michigan St at Wichita St. 1:00 PM ET
For just the third time in his career, Tom Izzo's Michigan State squad has started 3-3. The No. 20 Spartans hope to leave the Bahamas on a winning note Friday when they square off against Wichita State in the third-place game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Indiana St. at Stanford 1:00 PM ET
Indiana State and Stanford will look to quickly forget their opening-round losses in the AdvoCare Invitational when they meet in a second-round game in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Friday. The Sycamores came within inches of upsetting No. 22 Iowa State while the Cardinal led for much of the game before their offense disappeared in the final 10 minutes against Miami (Fla.)
Bryant at Northwestern 2:00 PM ET

Coming off an up-and-down week that could easily have been brilliant, Northwestern resumes its non-conference schedule Friday against Bryant. The Wildcats sandwiched a rout of No. 21 Texas with close losses to 2016 NCAA Tournament teams Butler and Notre Dame.

Idaho State at Texas Tech 3:00 PM ET
It wasn't the result Texas Tech wanted, but a consolation win at the Cancun Challenge is a better fate than the Red Raiders were headed for early in Wednesday's game. Texas Tech coach Chris Beard sees if his players can use the victory to build momentum during a five-game homestand that kicks off Friday against Idaho State.
Abilene Christian at Oklahoma 3:00 PM ET
After taking third place at the Tire Pros Invitational in Orlando, Oklahoma returns home to host Abilene Christian on Friday afternoon. It begins a stretch that will see Lon Kruger's squad playing five of its next six games in the state of Oklahoma with the lone road contest a Dec. 3 matchup at Big Ten heavyweight Wisconsin.
Temple at West Virginia 3:00 PM ET
The "Press Virginia" defense employed by No. 17 West Virginia comes in especially handy for moments such as this as the Mountaineers face Temple on Friday in the NIT Tip-Off tournament championship at Brooklyn, N.Y. West Virginia forced 24 turnovers in Thursday's 89-57 thrashing of Illinois in the first round - dropping their average to a national-best 26.5 - and with a rotation that goes some 13 deep should be able to wear down the Owls.
Baylor at Louisville 3:30 PM ET
Johnathan Motley and Baylor are turning the Battle 4 Atlantis into their own personal showcase. The Bears look to win the Bahamas-based event Friday when they face No. 10 Louisville in the tournament title game.
Mercer at East Carolina 5:00 PM ET
Jeff Lebo became the winningest coach in the program's Division I history when East Carolina crushed Florida A&M for its second straight victory on Tuesday. The Pirates look to continue their fast start when they meet Mercer in the third round of the Savannah (Ga.) Invitational Games on Friday.
Texas A&M at Virginia Tech 5:00 PM ET
D.J. Hogg of Texas A&M and Justin Robinson of Virginia Tech had the best games of their college careers in the opening round of the Wooden Legacy, and the sophomores will try to stay on a roll when their teams meet Friday in the semifinals at Cal State Fullerton. Hogg scored a career-high 25 points Thursday in a 95-73 victory against Cal State Northridge, and Robinson finished with a career-best 22 points a couple hours later in a 92-72 victory against New Mexico.
Gardner-Webb at Georgia 7:00 PM ET
Georgia coach Mark Fox saw the potential in his team to compete with the nation’s best during Tuesday’s loss to No. 6 Kansas, and he also saw areas where the Bulldogs can improve coming into Friday’s home contest against Gardner-Webb. Yante Maten shouldered the offensive load against the Jayhawks, but J.J. Frazier endured a miserable shooting night as Georgia’s offense looked stagnant at times in the 65-54 defeat at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.
Tenn-Martin at Kentucky 7:00 PM ET
Top-ranked Kentucky could be without leading scorer Isaiah Briscoe for a second straight game when it hosts Tennessee-Martin on Friday, but the Wildcats boast plenty of talent to pick up the slack. Kentucky coach John Calipari took the opportunity to give Malik Monk some experience at the point and move De'Aaron Fox to the No. 2 spot, and the freshmen backcourt duo responded with a combined 39 points in Wednesday's 101-70 victory over Cleveland State.
High Point at Clemson 7:00 PM ET

After a tough early-season schedule, Clemson begins a five-game homestand when it hosts High Point on Friday. The Tigers have faced one of the most difficult schedules in the nation thus far and are looking to bounce back after consecutive six-point losses to Xavier and Oklahoma at the Tire Pros Invitational. 

Morehead St. at Pittsburgh 7:00 PM ET
Pittsburgh seeks a 13th straight non-conference home triumph when it hosts Morehead State on Friday. Considering the success that the Panthers have at Petersen Events Center and the way Michael Young is playing, the fans will likely leave with a smile.
Belmont at Rhode Island 7:00 PM ET
Hardly disgraced in falling to the No. 1 team in the country, No. 25 Rhode Island looks to begin another winning streak Friday against visiting Belmont. The Rams never led but hung around until a second-half spurt gave now-No. 3 Duke the cushion it needed to claim a 75-65 victory Sunday in the championship of the Hall of Fame Tip-off in Uncasville, Conn.
Virginia at Iowa 7:00 PM ET
No. 6 Virginia and its vaunted defense has been too much for opponents on the young season but that could change Friday night against Iowa in the third round of the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Fla. According to ESPN, the Cavaliers are the first team in the past 20 seasons to limit three consecutive Division 1 opponents to fewer than 40 points.
Marshall at Ohio St. 7:00 PM ET
Ohio State looks to continue its hot start to the season when it hosts Marshall as part of the Global Sports Invitational on Friday. The Buckeyes trounced Jackson State 78-47 to move to 5-0 for the second time in three seasons, and they hope to put the defensive clamps on their third straight opponent after holding Western Carolina (27.5) and the Tigers (29.5) to under 30 percent shooting from the field.
Boston College at Kansas St. 7:00 PM ET
Kansas State forward Dean Wade is shaking off a slow start to his sophomore season, just in time for the Wildcats to head to Brooklyn, N.Y., for this weekend’s Barclays Classic. The Wildcats face Boston College on Friday to open the neutral-court two-day event and Wade, who made the Big 12 All-Newcomer team a season ago, scored just seven points in his first two games before totaling 21 points in his past two – including 13 in Tuesday’s blowout of Robert Morris.
Southern Methodist at Southern California 7:00 PM ET
With a young team and already one signature win under his belt, USC coach Andy Enfield is very satisfied with his young squad. The Trojans look to extend their winning streak and duplicate last season's 5-0 start when they host SMU on Friday night.
VCU at Louisiana State 7:00 PM ET
Brandon Sampson's career was hardly a smooth ride to this point, although Thursday's performance offered a glimpse into the LSU guard's potential. Sampson and the Tigers wrap up their trip to the Bahamas on Friday with a matchup against VCU in the fifth-place game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
Quinnipiac at Seton Hall 7:30 PM ET
Junior guard Khadeen Carrington looks to continue his red-hot shooting when Seton Hall begins play in the consolation round of the AdvoCare Invitational against Quinnipiac on Friday in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Carrington recorded a season-high 28 points Thursday as the Pirates took Florida to the wire before falling 81-76 in the first round.
Lehigh at Mississippi St. 8:00 PM ET
Mississippi State will face its first game without leading scorer Quinndary Weatherspoon when the Bulldogs host Lehigh on Friday. The team announced Monday the sophomore guard, who was averaging 18.8 points, needs season-ending surgery for a left wrist injury.
Southern Illinois at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
Minnesota has been perfect in 2016-17 through five games and coach Richard Pitino’s squad is looking for a half-dozen wins in a row when it hosts Southern Illinois in a non-conference clash on Friday. The Golden Gophers have played all five of their games at home but have been quite impressive, coming off a rout of previously unbeaten Arkansas on Tuesday.
Western Kentucky at Washington 8:00 PM ET
Washington freshman guard Markelle Fultz is already garnering a strong buzz among NBA scouts and has his share of supporters for being the top freshman in the country. Fultz and the Huskies finally take their show on the road Friday night in a town known for its star performers when they play Western Kentucky in the third round of the Global Sports Classic at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
N.C. Asheville at Kansas 8:00 PM ET

Sixth-ranked Kansas looks to close out a grueling stretch of four games in eight days with a perfect mark when it hosts UNC Asheville on Friday as part of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. The Jayhawks have the nation’s longest active home winning streak at 43 games, including 41 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Vanderbilt at Santa Clara 8:00 PM ET
Vanderbilt looks to snap a two-game skid Friday as the Commodores face Santa Clara in the consolation game of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena. The Commodores committed 16 turnovers and saw leading scorers Matthew Fisher-Davis and Luke Kornet both come up short in Thursday’s 76-66 loss to Butler.
Fresno St. at Oregon St. 9:00 PM ET
Oregon State looks to snap a three-game losing streak Friday against visiting Fresno State, which has a lot in common with the struggling Beavers. Both teams made a rare appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season but have failed to build on that success early on while playing without key starters.
UC Riverside at Utah 9:00 PM ET

After opening with three games in seven days followed by a week off, Utah resumes play Friday night with a non-conference home game against UC Riverside. The contest tips off another three-games-in-seven-day stretch for the Utes, who also will host Butler and Montana State over the next week.

Richmond at Maryland 9:30 PM ET
Maryland is unbeaten through five games, is ranked No. 23 in the nation and opens play in this weekend’s Barclays Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y., as a favorite to win the two-day event. But as the Terrapins prepare for Friday’s contest against Richmond, they continue to seek an offensive consistency that has been lacking, especially considering Maryland has relied on its defense and free-throw shooting to avoid upsets three times in the season’s opening month.
Providence at Memphis 9:30 PM ET
Memphis will try to open 5-0 for the first time in six years when it takes on Providence in the third round of the Emerald Coast Classic on Friday in Niceville, Fla. The Tigers' four straight wins to start the season have come by an average of 21.3 points, the largest of which came in Tuesday's 104-65 rout of McNeese State.
Gonzaga at Florida 9:30 PM ET
Florida is off to its best start in four years and the Gators face their toughest challenge yet Friday when they take on No. 11 Gonzaga in the semifinals of the AdvoCare Invitational at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Florida trailed by as many as six early in the second half before sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen made key plays down the stretch and scored 21 points in an 81-76 victory over Seton Hall in the first round Thursday.
St. John's at Old Dominion 9:30 PM ET
Chris Mullin wants to see some consistency out of his team before it leaves the Bahamas. St. John's takes aim at Old Dominion in the seventh-place game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament when the teams collide Friday.
Texas Christian at UNLV 10:30 PM ET
Unbeaten TCU and first-year coach Jamie Dixon are off to the fastest start in school history for a coach in his debut season and scored an impressive 80-71 victory over Illinois State on Monday. But all four of the Horned Frogs' wins have come at home and Dixon is anxious to see how his team will perform on the road starting with Friday night's game against UNLV.
Butler at Arizona 10:30 PM ET
Arizona faces Butler on Friday in a battle of unbeatens at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena. Sophomore guard Allonzo Trier remains out because of an eligibility issue for No. 9 Arizona, which shot 48 percent in Thursday’s 69-61 victory over Santa Clara.
Wyoming at California 11:00 PM ET
California star Ivan Rabb’s adjustment period continues Friday as the Bears begin a four-game homestand against Wyoming, which was picked to finish 10th in the Mountain West. The sophomore forward made his season debut Monday after missing time with a toe injury, recording 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 77-65 loss to San Diego State.
Nebraska at UCLA 11:59 PM ET
Nebraska survived the only close contest of the four first-round games at the Wooden Legacy, earning a meeting with No. 13 UCLA in the semifinals Friday night at Cal State Fullerton. The Cornhuskers blew an eight-point lead with just under 40 seconds remaining Thursday afternoon against Dayton and fell behind by one before surviving with an 80-78 victory, about two hours before the Bruins rolled past Portland 99-77.