Preview Roundups
December 22, 2015
Virginia Tech at St. Joseph's 1:00 PM ET
Virginia Tech and Saint Joseph’s put their four-game winning streaks on the line Tuesday when they meet at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The two teams haven’t met since 2000, and both would love to enter the holiday break with nine wins on their record.
Auburn at New Mexico 2:30 PM ET
Auburn and New Mexico try to put painful losses behind them Tuesday when they meet in the opening round of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Auburn is coming off its worst defeat of the season, an 85-61 loss Saturday against No. 6 Xavier, the same day New Mexico lost by a point to visiting Rice after a timeout was called with the score tied and 0.1 seconds on the clock, though the Lobos didn't have any left, resulting in a technical foul and the game-winning free throw.
Arkansas-Little Rock at Texas Tech 3:00 PM ET
Texas Tech will put its undefeated home record up against Little Rock's undefeated start when the teams meet Tuesday afternoon. The Red Raiders have won seven straight behind a balanced offense and solid defense while the Trojans boast one of the nation's top defenses.
Stephen F. Austin at Arizona State 3:00 PM ET
Coming off a rare lopsided victory, Arizona State will try for its third straight win on Tuesday afternoon when it hosts Stephen F. Austin. The Sun Devils have won five of their last six games, including a pair of two-pointers and an impressive second-half comeback from a 14-point deficit at UNLV but cruised to a 98-79 victory over Houston Baptist in their last outing on Saturday.
Fordham at Boston College 3:30 PM ET
The inaugural Atlantic-10/ACC Challenge is capped off Tuesday afternoon when a streaking Fordham squad takes on Boston College at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Eagles have won two in a row since a six-game skid and hope to be settling down before conference play begins Jan. 2.
Troy at Mississippi 4:00 PM ET
Ole Miss guard Stefan Moody is one of the top scorers in the nation, but the Rebels know they need other offensive options to challenge in the SEC. Those options are starting to establish themselves during a six-game winning streak that has the Rebels confidence soaring as Ole Miss hosts Troy on Tuesday in its final non-conference matchup before opening league play Jan. 2 at 11th-ranked Kentucky.
Miami-Florida at La Salle 5:00 PM ET
No. 16 Miami (Fla.) faces its next-to-last test before beginning ACC play when it visits La Salle at Philadelphia's historic Palestra on Tuesday. The Hurricanes are riding a four-game winning streak while the Explorers have lost three in a row.
Clemson at Georgia 6:00 PM ET
Georgia guard J.J Frazier possesses the shooting range and mentality to take over a game when he gets hot, and the Bulldogs hope the junior’s recent play is a sign of things to come as they host Clemson on Tuesday. Frazier is averaging 21 points per game in his past four contests, highlighted by a 35-point effort in Saturday's victory against Georgia Tech during which Frazier shot 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
Kennesaw St. at Indiana 6:00 PM ET
Indiana tries to avoid a letdown in the final tune-up before Big Ten play begins when it hosts struggling Kennesaw State on Tuesday night. The Hoosiers gained plenty of much-needed confidence after rallying from 16 points down in the second half to knock off Notre Dame 80-73 on Saturday for their fourth consecutive victory.
South Florida at Seton Hall 6:30 PM ET
Seton Hall looks to continue its momentum in its final pre-conference game when it hosts struggling USF on Tuesday night. The Pirates rallied to beat talented Wichita State 80-76 in overtime on Saturday for their fourth straight victory and will try to go into Big East play with 10 or more wins for the fourth time in five years.
Iowa St. at Cincinnati 7:00 PM ET
Ninth-ranked Iowa State will try to bounce back from its first loss of the season on Tuesday when it visits 21st-ranked Cincinnati. The Cyclones are shooting 51.2 percent as a team and will be going against a Bearcats squad that prides itself on defense, limiting opponents to just 59.4 points per game which ranks 12th nationally.
Xavier at Wake Forest 7:00 PM ET
The bulk of Xavier's undefeated start has taken place either at home or on neutral courts. The sixth-ranked Musketeers look to continue their best start in school history in their second true road contest of the season on Tuesday at Wake Forest - which has won five in a row of its own - in the Skip Prosser Classic.
Southern Miss at Tulane 7:00 PM ET
Tulane had a chance to knock off Mississippi State before falling hard off the pace on Saturday and losing for the third time in four games. The Green Wave will try to jump back into the win column in their final pre-conference tilt against Southern Miss on Tuesday.
NC-Greensboro at N.C. State 7:00 PM ET
Cat Barber is on fire, and he is dragging North Carolina State along with him on a four-game winning streak. Barber and the Wolfpack will try to make it five straight when N.C. State hosts UNCG on Tuesday.
Jacksonville at Florida 7:00 PM ET
After a three-game stretch against Power 5 conference teams, including No. 1 Michigan State on the road, Florida returns home for the first time since Dec. 1 as it hosts Jacksonville on Tuesday. The Gators, 1-2 in the last three games, are still looking to get their offense going while Jacksonville is coming off a 68-66 win on Monday over Florida A&M but recently gave up 88 points to offensively-challenged USF.
East Tennessee St. at Tennessee 7:00 PM ET
Tennessee looks to turn its fortunes around when it hosts ETSU on Tuesday. The Volunteers have dropped four of their last five games following an 86-79 loss to 21st-ranked Gonzaga in the Battle for Seattle on Saturday and are in danger of falling below .500 in non-conference play for the second time in as many seasons.
Delaware at Villanova 7:00 PM ET
Villanova is still in the top 25, but the team is clearly heading in the wrong direction. Despite some tough competition of late, the 17th-ranked Wildcats have lost two of their last three games and hope to right the ship Tuesday against visiting Delaware.
Michigan St at Oakland 7:00 PM ET
Fifteen years ago, Michigan State opened its season with a victory over Oakland en route to the best start in school history. The 2015-16 Spartans will attempt to break the mark of that team without its star player when the top-ranked team in the country tries to remain perfect for the season and in their series against the Golden Grizzlies.
Montana St. at Syracuse 7:00 PM ET
Syracuse eyes back-to-back wins for the first time since Mike Hopkins took over as interim coach Tuesday against visiting Montana State. The Orange are 2-2 since Hopkins stepped in for the suspended Jim Boeheim, although they set a season low for points allowed in a 67-46 triumph over Cornell their last time out.
South Carolina State at East Carolina 7:00 PM ET
East Carolina is a different team on its homecourt than it is on the road. The Pirates, who are 6-0 at home on the season, look to extend their overall streak to a dozen home wins against non-conference foes when it meets South Carolina State on Tuesday.
Bethune-Cookman at Central Florida 7:00 PM ET
With the start of conference play around the corner, UCF gets its penultimate tune-up when Bethune-Cookman visits Tuesday. The Knights, selected to finish ninth in the 11-team American Athletic Conference, had their four-game winning streak snapped Saturday against Detroit.
Georgetown at Charlotte 7:00 PM ET
At first concerned about Georgetown's defense, head coach John Thompson III is now fully alarmed as his team looks to avoid a three-game losing streak Tuesday at Charlotte. The Hoyas surrendered 19 3-pointers on 39 attempts in back-to-back losses, including nine to UNC Asheville in Saturday's six-point defeat, which followed a 15-point loss to Monmouth.
North Dakota at Kansas St. 8:00 PM ET
Coach Bruce Weber is looking for a more patient offense when Kansas State hosts North Dakota on Tuesday. The Wildcats have struggled shooting from the 3-point line, allowing opponents to challenge Kansas State with zone defenses.
Vanderbilt at Purdue 8:00 PM ET
Despite a pair of rugged 7-footers, Purdue coach Matt Painter felt his team didn’t meet the physicality of much smaller No. 18 Butler in a 74-68 loss on Saturday. The No. 13 Boilermakers’ mettle will be tested again Tuesday when 7-footer Damian Jones and No. 25 Vanderbilt visit Mackey Arena.
Northern Arizona at Tulsa 8:00 PM ET
Tulsa looks to return to the win column when it hosts Northern Arizona on Tuesday. The Golden Hurricane had won back-to-back games against Iona and Missouri before falling 76-71 to Oregon State in the Far West Invitational in Portland on Saturday and hopes to conclude non-conference play with eight wins for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
Prairie View A&M at Nebraska 8:00 PM ET

Just when Nebraska thought it had turned the corner after earning a signature win against Rhode Island the week before, the wheels came off in a hurry at home in a 69-58 loss to Samford on Sunday. Cornhuskers coach Tim Miles said if his players continue their selfish ways then they can expect to get beat when they host a winless Prairie View A&M team on Tuesday.

American U. at Louisiana State 8:00 PM ET

LSU has endured its share of disappointing losses during the non-conference schedule, but the Tigers hope to claim their third consecutive lopsided victory when they host American on Tuesday. The Tigers are a perfect 6-0 at home with each of those victories coming by double digits and three by 20 points or more. 

North Florida at Arkansas 8:00 PM ET
Arkansas wraps up its pre-Christmas schedule hoping for a bounceback game against visiting North Florida on Tuesday night. The Razorbacks are coming off a disappointing overtime loss to visiting Mercer on Saturday, while the Ospreys come in on a four-game winning streak.
Kent St. at Southern Methodist 8:00 PM ET

SMU has not only survived, it has thrived without coach Larry Brown during his nine-game NCAA suspension. The Mustangs are one of six unbeaten Division I teams as they take their 9-0 record to Las Vegas to face Kent State on Tuesday in the Hall of Fame coach’s return. 

Indiana - Purdue at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
Memphis looks to start another winning streak after its five-game run was ended by Ole Miss over the weekend when it hosts non-conference foe IUPUI on Tuesday. The Jaguars are coming off a big victory over Southern Utah at home which snapped their three-game losing skid.
Houston at Wyoming 8:00 PM ET
Flirting with its best start in nearly a decade, Houston had its three-game winning streak halted Monday. The Cougars look to rebound from their loss to Grand Canyon when they face Wyoming in Global Sports Classic at Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Southern Utah at Butler 8:30 PM ET
Butler and its high-scoring offense host Southern Utah on Tuesday after proving it can also play well at the other end of the floor. The No. 12 Bulldogs, who entered Monday averaging 89.9 points per game - second nationally to The Citadel (93.1) - needed far fewer than that to defeat No. 13 Purdue 74-68 on Saturday, holding the Boilermakers to 14 points less than their season average.
Tennessee Tech at Iowa 8:30 PM ET
Iowa won't be looking ahead to its Big Ten opener with No. 1 Michigan State on Dec. 29, not with an eight-win Tennessee Tech team coming into Iowa City on Tuesday night. The Hawkeyes hope to improve to 6-0 at home in their final non-conference game before the start of league play.
St. John's at South Carolina 9:00 PM ET

South Carolina looks to improve upon the team's best start in 82 years when the 23rd-ranked Gamecocks take on St. John’s on Tuesday in the Hall of Fame Shootout in Uncasville, Conn. The Gamecocks are off to their hottest start since going 17-0 to begin the 1933-34 campaign. 

Long Beach St. at Arizona 9:00 PM ET
Ryan Anderson of Arizona and Roschon Prince of Long Beach State were high school teammates five years ago, but they'll face off as opponents Tuesday night when the No. 8 Wildcats host the 49ers in a nonconference game. Anderson graduated from Long Beach Poly in 2011, when Prince was still a sophomore, and they've taken divergent paths ever since, with Anderson transferring to his current school from Boston College and Prince from USC.
Delaware State at Utah 9:00 PM ET
Utah is flying high after an epic victory over then-No. 6 Duke and aims to avoid a letdown when it hosts lowly Delaware State on Tuesday. The Utes posted a 77-75 upset win over the Blue Devils on Saturday, beating the squad that ousted them in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament last March.
Mercer at Ohio St. 9:00 PM ET

Ohio State is starting to find its rhythm as it has won four of five games, including a dominating upset win Saturday of then-No. 4 Kentucky. The Buckeyes have little time to savor that victory as on Tuesday they host Mercer, which is off to the program's best start since the 1984-85 season.

George Washington at DePaul 9:00 PM ET
A streaky DePaul team will have a much tougher time ending its latest three-game losing streak when it hosts George Washington in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday night. The Blue Demons had their chances in a 78-70 overtime loss to Northwestern on Saturday, but will have their hands full with the No. 22 Colonials.
California at Virginia 9:00 PM ET
California’s final chance to bolster its nonconference resume comes Tuesday with a road test against No. 5 Virginia, which extended its winning streak to eight games with Saturday’s 86-75 win over then-No. 12 Villanova. The Golden Bears have won five straight since losing back-to-back games to San Diego State and Richmond at last month’s Las Vegas Invitational.
UMKC at Louisville 9:00 PM ET
Louisville and UMKC will invariably be linked because of Andre McGee, who resigned as an assistant from the latter before the start of this season due to his alleged role in the hiring of strippers while serving as a staffer for coach Rick Pitino at the former. With October's sex scandal serving as an unfortunate backdrop, the 16th-ranked Cardinals hope to continue their dominant play at home Tuesday when they host the Kangaroos in the Billy Minardi Classic.
Colorado at Penn St. 10:30 PM ET

Penn State and Colorado are both heading to Las Vegas on a roll. The Nittany Lions have won three straight and six of seven games while the Buffaloes have reeled off 10 straight victories heading into their Tuesday night clash in the Las Vegas Classic semifinals at the Orleans Arena.

Kansas at San Diego St. 11:00 PM ET
Two seasons ago, Kansas suffered a home loss to San Diego State and the No. 3 Jayhawks get the opportunity to atone for that defeat when they visit the Aztecs on Tuesday. The defeat remains one of four times Kansas has a lost a home nonconference game under coach Bill Self and also rates as San Diego State's most memorable victory.
McNeese St. at UCLA 11:00 PM ET
UCLA looks to return to the win column Tuesday against visiting McNeese State in its final nonconference game before opening Pac-12 play at Washington on Jan. 1. The Bruins saw their five-game winning streak come to an end Saturday with an 89-76 loss to North Carolina at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Oklahoma at Washington St. 11:00 PM ET
Two teams who score a lot of their points in vastly different ways meet Tuesday when No. 2 Oklahoma plays Washington State in the opening round of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. The Sooners are shooting 47.7 percent from 3-point range, which was tied second nationally entering Monday, while Washington State enters at 50.6 from the floor overall - 10th best in the nation, including 56.6 on two-point shots.
Seattle at Washington 11:00 PM ET
Washington looks to get back on track when it hosts crosstown rival Seattle on Tuesday after having its four-game win streak snapped over the weekend. For a second straight season, the Huskies suffered a home loss to a non-conference power team, as they were defeated 97-83 by Oakland on Saturday.