Preview Roundups
November 30, 2014
Texas at Connecticut 12:00 PM ET
Defending National Champion Connecticut came up short in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off and is facing its biggest test of the early season. The 22nd-ranked Huskies will try to bounce back from a loss to West Virginia in the Tip-Off final when they host No. 9 Texas on Sunday. UConn is still trying to replace the steady production lost when Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniels waived goodbye after last season.
Army at Duke 12:00 PM ET
Through his first two weeks as a college basketball player, Jahlil Okafor has proven that he can rebound in more ways than one. Not only is the Duke freshman a major factor on the boards, but he showed this week he can bounce back from a pair of subpar outings. Okafor, fresh off a career-high 24-point performance on Wednesday, will look to lead the No. 2 Blue Devils to a victory over visiting Army on Sunday.
Michigan St at Kansas 1:00 PM ET
After coming up short in their first opportunities against top-ranked opponents, No.12 Kansas and No. 19 Michigan State look for an early NCAA Tournament resume-builder on Sunday when they meet each other in the championship game of the Orlando Classic. The Jayhawks were routed 72-40 by No. 1 Kentucky last week, but have rebounded with three straight double-digit wins. Kansas cruised past Rhode Island in first-round action Thursday before pulling away late from Tennessee on Friday.
Tennessee Tech at Tulane 2:00 PM ET
Tulane has been ripping through the early schedule since an opening loss to Wake Forest and will aim for its fifth straight victory when it hosts Tennessee Tech on Sunday. The Green Wave are limiting opponents to 56.5 points in the last four games while letting Louis Dabney carry the load offensively. The junior guard went for a season-high 19 points in a 71-61 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Friday.
Providence at Kentucky 2:00 PM ET
Top-ranked Kentucky has been rolling over opponents this season, but the Wildcats start a stretch of facing five ranked opponents over their next seven games when No. 25 Providence comes to Lexington on Sunday. Not that John Calipari's squad has a lot to be worried about, when their lone game thus far against a ranked opponent was a 32-point blowout of Kansas in Indianapolis.
Air Force at Texas Tech 2:00 PM ET
Texas Tech looks for its third straight win when it hosts Air Force on Sunday afternoon. The Red Raiders are only a 69-64 overtime loss at LSU away from being undefeated. Tubby Smith's squad has since bounced back with home wins over Missouri State (80-68) and Northwestern State (75-64).
Central Conn. St. at East Carolina 2:00 PM ET
If form holds true, East Carolina can expect a victory Sunday when it plays visiting Central Connecticut State. The Pirates have alternated wins and losses so far this season, including going 1-2 at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla., which they wrapped up Wednesday with a 75-73 loss to Hawaii.
Lipscomb at Colorado 2:00 PM ET
Colorado's success this season could rest on the shoulders of freshman point guard Dominique Collier as the maturation process continues against visiting Lipscomb on Sunday. Collier, a two-time Mr. Colorado Basketball out of Denver East High School, told cubuffs.com his home debut “felt great ... I just tried to be calm and run the team as much as I can” after recording six assists in 23 minutes of a 68-53 victory over Air Force on Tuesday.
Stanford at DePaul 2:30 PM ET
The narrative leading into the start of the Stanford’s season was how much we didn’t know, but as the Cardinal prepare for host DePaul on Sunday, the storyline is becoming much clearer. Despite losing Josh Huestis and Dwight Powell to the NBA and Aaron Bright to Saint Mary’s as a graduate transfer, Chasson Randle remains the focal point of the team. Though vastly underrated, Randle - who is averaging 18 points a game - is one of the nation’s top guards.
Morgan St. at Virginia Tech 3:00 PM ET
It seems a little strange for Virginia Tech to be hosting a game in the Cancun Challenge, but that's how the Hokies will wrap up their Cancun schedule, hosting Morgan State on Sunday afternoon. Virginia Tech has gone 2-1 in the event, coming off a consolation game rout of Miami (Ohio), which snapped a two-game losing streak. The Bears come into this contest off their first win of the season, a last-second victory over Liberty.
Iona at Arkansas 3:30 PM ET
Arkansas is pressuring the ball on defense and sharing it on offense as it dominates the competition early in the season. The Razorbacks will attempt to move to 6-0 when they host Iona on Sunday. Arkansas ranks among the national leaders with an average of 21.2 assists and grabs nearly 10 steals to set up the fast-break offense led by Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls.
Southern California at New Mexico 4:00 PM ET
USC will try to continue the momentum built from a win against Cal State Fullerton when it visits New Mexico on Sunday. The Trojans nearly blew a 14-point lead and struggled to score from 3-point range, but the defense eventually clamped down and a dunk by Julian Jacobs with four seconds remaining helped tuck away the victory.
LIU Brooklyn at Temple 4:00 PM ET
Temple, coming off its first Big 5 victory of the season over Pennsylvania on Tuesday, will try for its second straight victory Sunday afternoon when it hosts winless LIU Brooklyn. The Owls are 3-0 at home this year after grinding out the 76-67 win over the Quakers. Temple led that one 70-67 with 1:15 remaining but closed out the win at the free throw line with guard Josh Brown going 4-for-4 in the final 37 seconds.
Tennessee at Marquette 4:00 PM ET
Marquette may only be a .500 team record-wise at the moment but gained the admiration of one high-profile opponent for its grittiness the last time out. The Golden Eagles, who face Tennessee in Sunday’s third-place game at the Orlando Classic, took the fight to No. 19 Michigan State in the semifinals before suffering a 79-68 setback on Friday. "I thought they played harder … The tougher team lost tonight. They played so hard that it was scary," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said after the game.
Long Beach St. at Xavier 4:00 PM ET
Long Beach State looks to avenge a 23-point loss to Xavier earlier this month when the teams meet in the third-place game of the Wooden Legacy in Anaheim on Sunday. Both squads opened with impressive first-round wins before Xavier fell 77-73 to UTEP and Long Beach State lost by 10 to Washington. Musketeers’ freshman forward Trevon Bluiett, averaging a team-high 17.2 points, scored 20 on 7-of-12 shooting in a 97-74 win over the visiting 49ers on Nov. 18.
Delaware at Villanova 4:30 PM ET
Fresh off a championship in the Legends Classic earlier this week, No. 11 Villanova hosts Delaware on Sunday while looking to move to 6-0 out of the gate for the second consecutive season. Coach Jay Wright knows that with his program now an established contender, he has to have his team prepared for everyone's best effort. "Last year, we kind of snuck up on some people," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "This year, we can tell by the way teams play us that we're not sneaking up on anybody."
Bethune-Cookman at Central Florida 6:00 PM ET
UCF hopes to shake off its first loss of the season when it hosts Bethune-Cookman on Sunday. The Knights were dusted by Davidson 95-69 last time out, snapping a three-game win streak, but coach Donnie Jones remained optimistic about his team's long-term outlook. "I still like this team," he told reporters. "I know this team is better than how we played (Wednesday). We will bounce back, that's for sure."
California at Fresno St. 6:00 PM ET
California has been tough to score on this season and the Golden Bears will bring their stifling defense to Fresno State when the teams meet Sunday afternoon in a nonconference game. California has allowed fewer than 60 points in four of its five games this season, most recently 52 in a 20-point win Friday against Cal Poly. Offensively, the Golden Bears feature two premier scorers in Jordan Mathews and Tyrone Wallace, both of whom average just under 17 points a game.
VMI at Maryland 6:00 PM ET
Maryland looks to continue its best start since 2006-2007 without its leader when it hosts Virginia Military Institute on Sunday. Senior guard Dez Wells, averaging 16.2 points over the first five games, underwent surgery on his right wrist Friday and is out at least four weeks as the Terrapins prepare for their first Big Ten season. Maryland struggled in its first game without Wells, shooting 37.8 percent before pulling out a 61-56 victory over Monmouth on Friday.
Georgia Tech at Rhode Island 6:30 PM ET
The season may only be two weeks old, but Georgia Tech is already a seasoned veteran when it comes to winning late. The Yellow Jackets may be in for another tight contest on Sunday when they meet Rhode Island in the fifth-place game of the Orlando Classic. Georgia Tech has opened 4-1 for the third straight season after its 61-54 consolation-game victory Friday over Rider – the fourth time in five games in which the Yellow Jackets were in a contest that wasn’t decided until the final minutes.
Monmouth-NJ at Southern Methodist 7:00 PM ET
Southern Methodist looks to move over the .500 mark when it hosts Monmouth on Sunday in the fourth contest of a seven-game homestand. A loss to Arkansas on Tuesday dropped the Mustangs below the break-even mark but they rebounded with a 72-59 victory over Texas Southern the following night. The Hawks have lost two straight games, but figure to be a pesky foe after giving Maryland a battle before succumbing 61-56 on Friday.
Portland St. at Oregon 8:00 PM ET
Oregon attempts to end a two-game losing streak when it hosts Portland State on Sunday. The Ducks opened the season with three straight wins but losses to Michigan and VCU derailed the winning ways and they aim to get back on track against the undefeated Vikings. “We’re going to have to change our pregame routine,” Ducks coach Dana Altman told reporters after the loss to VCU. “We haven’t had very good starts.”
Washington at Texas-El Paso 10:00 PM ET
UTEP entered the Wooden Legacy as one of many quality teams bubbling under the national radar, but the Miners’ stock is rising following two impressive wins. The Miners look to remain unbeaten on Sunday as they face Washington in the championship game of the tournament in Anaheim. The Huskies routed San Jose State in the first round before rallying for a 10-point win over Long Beach State, while UTEP dominated the boards in triumphs over Princeton and Xavier.