Preview Roundups
November 16, 2018
Wake Forest at Cal St. Fullerton 11:00 AM ET
Wake Forest meets Cal State Fullerton in the losers' bracket of the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Friday in Conway, S.C., and hopes to avoid another second-half collapse. The Demon Deacons were tied at intermission with Saint Joseph's before getting outscored 43-23 after the break en route to an 89-69 setback.
Virginia Tech at Northeastern 11:00 AM ET
No. 17 Virginia Tech held off a challenge in the first round and looks to advance to the championship game when it takes on preseason Colonial Athletic Association favorite Northeastern in the Charleston (S.C.) Classic semifinals on Friday. The Hokies saw a big lead cut to five in the second half before securing a 73-64 victory over Ball State in the first round Thursday with 54 points coming from three players.
Nicholls State at Baylor 12:00 PM ET
Freshman guard Jared Butler is trying to make the most of his early-season playing time while Baylor integrates lots of new faces. The work-in-progress Bears host Nicholls on Friday in the second campus-site game of the Emerald Coast Classic.
California Baptist at Tulsa 1:00 PM ET
Teams looking to stay undefeated clash as Tulsa hosts Cal Baptist on Friday afternoon. The Lancers of the WAC are coming off a one-point win at Oral Roberts on Tuesday, while the Golden Hurricane of the American Athletic Conference have a pair of easy home victories over Alcorn State and South Carolina State to their credit.
Old Dominion at Oregon St. 1:00 PM ET
Tres Tinkle is already known as one of the best all-around players in the country, but one of his top priorities entering his junior campaign was improving his career 32.1 percent 3-point accuracy entering this season. The junior forward is off to a solid start in that regard and will attempt to continue his impressive double-digit scoring streak Friday when Oregon State meets Old Dominion in the opening game of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
St. Joseph's at Central Florida 1:30 PM ET
Central Florida has brought its stingy defense to the Myrtle Beach Invitational and will play for a spot in the championship game when it meets Saint Joseph's on Friday in Conway, S.C. The Knights, who finished third in the country at 61.7 points allowed last season, put the clamps on Cal State Fullerton 68-52 on Thursday after allowing 150 points in their first two contests.
Ball St. at Alabama 1:30 PM ET
Alabama showed some maturity by rallying to win its second game of the season, but did not have the fight required to battle back in the first round of the Charleston (S.C.) Classic against Northeastern on Thursday afternoon. The Crimson Tide will look to rebound from their first loss of the campaign when they take on Ball State in the consolation round of the event Friday afternoon.
Kennesaw St. at Missouri 3:00 PM ET
Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin isn't showing any signs of panic when it comes to his team's early turnover woes, and he believes the problem is rooted more in the team's youth and inexperience. Coming off a sloppy loss, the Tigers hope to start proving their second-year coach right Friday when they face Kennesaw State in first-round action of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Ohio at South Florida 4:30 PM ET
South Florida will get a chance to find out if it is ready to ascend from the depths of the college basketball world when it plays Ohio on Friday in the Jamaica Classic at Montego Bay. The Bulls can run their record to 3-0 with a victory over the Bobcats before having to face Georgetown.
Appalachian St. at Wichita St. 4:30 PM ET
Wichita State will be looking for a much better shooting performance when it takes on Appalachian State on Friday in the consolation round of the Charleston (S.C.) Classic. The Shockers led most of the way, controlled the backboards and limited Davidson to 36.5 percent shooting in the first round but struggled on the offensive end enough to suffer a 57-53 setback on Thursday.
Syracuse at Oregon 4:30 PM ET
No. 14 Syracuse and 16th-ranked Oregon were expected to square off during the 2K Empire Classic, but the forecast wasn't calling for a matchup in Friday's consolation game at New York's Madison Square Garden. But that is where the Orange and Ducks will meet after the former was outclassed by Connecticut and the latter was stunned by Iowa in Thursday's first round.
Purdue at Davidson 6:30 PM ET
No. 22 Purdue left nothing in doubt during a first-round victory and hopes to continue its hot start when it meets Davidson in the semifinals of the Charleston (S.C.) Classic on Friday. Carsen Edwards scored 25 points - 17 in the first half - as the Boilermakers pulled away from Appalachian State for a 92-70 victory in Thursday’s first round and is averaging 88.7 in three wins to open the season.
Connecticut at Iowa 6:30 PM ET
Connecticut has notched its first impressive victory of the Dan Hurley era and now looks to win the 2K Empire Classic when it faces Iowa in Friday's championship game at New York's Madison Square Garden. The Huskies posted an 83-76 victory over No. 14 Syracuse in Thursday's opening round, while Iowa also recorded an upset with a 77-69 triumph over No. 16 Oregon.
Coppin St. at Virginia 7:00 PM ET
Virginia aims for its third straight win to open the season as it hosts Coppin State on campus as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The fifth-ranked Cavaliers have breezed through their first two games of 2018-19 with double-digit wins over George Washington and Towson.
Tennessee Tech at North Carolina 7:00 PM ET
Seventh-ranked North Carolina looks to continue its undefeated start - but work on its frustrating play at the defensive end - when it hosts Tennessee Tech on Friday. The second all-time meeting between the teams is part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Invitational.
Vermont at Louisville 7:00 PM ET
Louisville will try to make it three straight wins to begin the Chris Mack era as it welcomes Vermont to campus as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Mack was much happier with what he saw from the Cardinals in a 104-54 win over Southern on Tuesday as compared to their season opener against Nicholls.
Loyola-Maryland at Temple 7:00 PM ET
Not every team has multiple players who can create offense in the final minutes of a tight game, but Temple is one of the exceptions. Coach Fran Dunphy hopes his Owls stay unbeaten Friday when they host Loyola Maryland in non-league action.
Hofstra at Maryland 7:00 PM ET
Maryland looks to continue its winning ways when it hosts Hofstra on Friday evening. The Terrapins have started the season with three consecutive victories, including an 82-59 triumph against North Carolina A&T on Monday, and hope to stay on the right track by extending their non-conference home winning streak to 14 games.
Binghamton at Northwestern 7:00 PM ET
Northwestern goes for its third straight victory at home to open the season in its first meeting with Binghamton on Friday night. The Wildcats have clamped own on their first two opponents on the defensive end of the floor, holding each to fewer than 53 points.
St. John's at Rutgers 7:00 PM ET
It's a battle of unbeatens as Rutgers hosts St. John's Friday evening in the Gavitt Tipoff Games, which annually pits the Big East against the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights are 1-1 in the Gavitt Games, with their last appearance coming in Nov. 2016, while the Red Storm own a record of 2-1, including a victory over Rutgers at home in the inaugural event during Chris Mullin's first season as head coach in 2015-16.
Sam Houston St. at Georgia 7:00 PM ET
Tom Crean believes his first Georgia team is a work in progress, and coming into Friday’s home game against Sam Houston State the new coach has witnessed both the potential and the need for improvement. Georgia fell 81-77 Tuesday at Temple, a game in which the Bulldogs trailed by 11 points at halftime after struggling to handle the Owls pressure, only to rally within three points with 1:12 to play thanks to red-hot shooting in the second half.
Loyola Marymount at Georgetown 7:00 PM ET
Fresh off his first signature win as a coach, Patrick Ewing will return to his roots when Georgetown meets Loyola Marymount on Friday in the Jamaica Classic at Montego Bay. Behind the play of their freshmen, the Hoyas held on to win on the road against a quality opponent in Illinois but now must be wary of a letdown against the fellow unbeaten Lions.
Wis.-Milwaukee at Cincinnati 7:00 PM ET
Cincinnati plays the third of four home games at newly renovated Fifth Third Arena to begin the season against winless Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Friday night. The Bearcats rebounded from an opening loss to Ohio State to overwhelm North Carolina Central on Tuesday.
East Carolina at Georgia Tech 7:30 PM ET
It would be unfair to expect rebuilding Georgia Tech to upset the sixth-ranked team in the nation on the road in the second game of the season, but coach Josh Pastner remains upbeat after his team fell at Tennessee Tuesday. Entering Friday’s home contest against East Carolina, the Yellow Jackets will need to shoot far better than the 27.6 percent from the floor they registered against the Volunteers, but Pastner chalked up the performance to a learning experience.
Eastern Kentucky at Kansas State 7:30 PM ET
Kansas State has built a reputation as a strong defensive squad under seventh-year coach Bruce Weber, and it's a good thing because the offense - specifically the team's perimeter shooting - has been unable to get much of anything going in 2018-19. After struggling with a pair of mid-major teams, the 11th-ranked Wildcats hope they can begin complementing their defense a bit more starting Friday when they face Eastern Kentucky in first-round action of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Alcorn St. at Vanderbilt 8:00 PM ET
Vanderbilt and its highly touted rookie class returns home to play Alcorn State on Friday night after an impressive win against USC on Sunday. Freshman guard Darius Garland led the Commodores in scoring in his first two collegiate games with 19 against the Trojans and 24 in Vanderbilt’s season opening win versus Winthrop.
The Citadel at Texas 8:00 PM ET
The Texas offense has sputtered at times this season, but freshman forward Jaxson Hayes has shown flashes of potential in his limited minutes. Hayes will try to continue his impressive play when the Longhorns host high-scoring The Citadel on Friday in another game of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational regional round.
UL Lafayette at Kansas 8:00 PM ET
Lagerald Vick toyed with the idea of turning pro after a junior season in which he averaged 12.1 points on 49 percent shooting and helped Kansas reach the Final Four. His teammates are glad he returned and can’t wait to see what the 6-5 wing does for an encore after the best long-range shooting night in school history when the Jayhawks host Louisiana on Friday in the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Mississippi at Butler 8:00 PM ET
Ole Miss will look for its second consecutive victory to open the coach Kermit Davis era as the Rebels play their first road game of the season Saturday against Butler. The Bulldogs play the final contest of their three-game homestand to start their schedule after coming away with convincing wins over Miami (Ohio) and Detroit Mercy.
Louisiana Tech at Louisiana State 8:00 PM ET
A pair of undefeated squads match up Friday when Louisiana Tech travels to take on LSU in a non-conference contest. The Bulldogs are coming off an easy home victory over Harding on Tuesday, while the Tigers stayed perfect with a win over visiting Memphis on Tuesday.
Long Beach St. at Mississippi State 9:00 PM ET
No. 19 Mississippi State, led by forward Quinndary Weatherspoon, really hasn’t been tested in its first two games in 2018-19. The Bulldogs seek a 17th consecutive non-conference victory as they conclude a three-game homestead to start the season when Long Beach State comes to town Friday.
Arizona State at San Francisco 9:00 PM ET
Coming off what Bobby Hurley called the best defensive performance in his three-plus seasons as head coach, Arizona State hits the road for the first time this season when they travel to unbeaten San Francisco on Friday night. The Sun Devils, who have won 16 straight non-conference regular season games, will be facing a squad that has won its first three games by 34 or more points - the first time in school history the Dons have accomplished that feat.
Nebraska Omaha at Colorado 9:00 PM ET
Colorado is relying heavily on a young cast this
season, but it was the team’s lone senior, guard Namon Wright, who led the way
in Tuesday’s season-opening win over Drake. Wright and the Buffaloes now will
look to carry over that momentum into Friday night’s home game against Omaha of
the Summit League.
Western Kentucky at West Virginia 9:00 PM ET
No. 13 West Virginia suffered a disappointing home loss in its season opener but has begun the process of moving on from that defeat. The Mountaineers can reach the finals of the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Friday if they are able to top Western Kentucky when the teams meet in Conway, S.C.
Wofford at Stanford 10:00 PM ET
After playing two games in the state of North Carolina with mixed results, Stanford returns home Friday to face Wofford of the Southern Conference. The Cardinal opened their recent road trip with a 13-point win over UNC Wilmington before allowing 52 points in the first half of last Monday’s 90-72 loss to North Carolina.
St. Francis (PA) at UCLA 11:00 PM ET
Just one week into the season, No. 20 UCLA has already discovered that its best route to the Pac-12 title goes through freshman center Moses Brown. The five-star recruit looks to build on his impressive start on Friday against visiting St. Francis, whose daunting road trip concludes with games next week against North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
Little Rock at Nevada 11:00 PM ET
Ninth-ranked Nevada has started the season 2-0 despite the fact Mountain West Player of the Year Caleb Martin has a failed to score a point yet in the first half of a game this season heading into Friday night's contest with visiting Little Rock. But the 6-7 Martin has more than made up for it after intermission.