Preview Roundups
November 21, 2018
Saint Louis at Pittsburgh 12:00 PM ET
Pittsburgh coach Jeff Capel began the season having his team playing five games in 12 days to prepare it for the grind of conference play. After taking three days off, the Panthers take to the road for the first time, seeking a sixth straight win when they play Saint Louis on Wednesday in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Oklahoma at Florida 12:00 PM ET
Florida hopes to find its top form this week as the Gators begin a difficult stretch Wednesday afternoon against unbeaten Oklahoma in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas. Florida was routed by Florida State in its season opener before beating Charleston Southern and LaSalle, leading into the eight-team event that includes teams that have combined for just three losses.
Winthrop at Kentucky 1:00 PM ET
John Calipari considers his 10th-ranked Kentucky team a work in progress, but he hopes it can survive its next lesson without suffering a loss. The youthful Wildcats face a potentially challenging non-conference test when they host Winthrop on Wednesday as part of the Ohio Valley Hardwood Showcase.
Stanford at Wisconsin 2:30 PM ET
Senior forward Ethan Happ hopes to continue his torrid start when Wisconsin battles Stanford on Wednesday afternoon in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas. Happ boasts a triple-double and a pair of double-doubles in the first three games of the season, including a 30-point, 13-rebound performance in Wisconsin's 77-68 victory over Xavier.
San Diego St. at Iowa State 2:30 PM ET
Iowa State will be loaded with momentum when it meets San Diego State on Wednesday for fifth place in the Maui Invitational with transfer Michael Jacobson leading the way. The 6-9 junior forward, who never scored more than 13 points in 65 games at Nebraska, has recorded at least 15 in his first five contests with Iowa State after going for a career-high 23 and grabbing eight rebounds in Tuesday's 84-68 victory over Illinois.
Louisville at Tennessee 5:00 PM ET
Fifth-ranked Tennessee enters the NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Wednesday against Louisville with an opportunity to further build its case as a serious championship contender. The Volunteers will face either No. 2 Kansas or Marquette on Friday after meeting the Cardinals, and will look to stay unbeaten by relying on a defense that ranks third nationally in field-goal percentage, 15th in points allowed per game and 18th in defending the 3-point shot.
UL Lafayette at Tulane 5:00 PM ET
Tulane and Louisiana Lafayette meet in Fort Myers, Fla. on Wednesday in the third-place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase. Tulane dropped to the losers bracket with a 12-point loss to UC Irvine on Tuesday, while Louisiana ended up on the wrong side of the bracket by falling to Toledo.
Georgia St. at Georgia 5:00 PM ET
Georgia sophomores Rayshaun Hammonds and Nicolas Claxton made quick work of Illinois State in its first-round game at the Cayman Islands Classic, combining for 53 points and 18 rebounds in the 80-68 victory. However, after getting outplayed by No. 23 Clemson in the semifinals, the duo will look to bounce back when the Bulldogs face Georgia State in the consolation game on Wednesday.
Duke at Gonzaga 5:00 PM ET
Duke's freshman recruiting class that includes future NBA lottery picks R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish has drawn comparisons to Michigan's famed Fab Five for its talent. But it was unheralded junior center Marques Bolden who stole the spotlight in a 78-72 semifinal victory over No. 8 Auburn and helped move the top-ranked Blue Devils into Wednesday's dream championship game matchup with No. 3 Gonzaga in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
Wright St. at Southern Methodist 6:00 PM ET
SMU looks to snap a two-game losing streak when it faces Wright State in Wednesday's third-place game of the Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The Mustangs were held to a season-low 62 points in Tuesday's loss to Bradley in the Riviera Division.
Washington at Minnesota 6:30 PM ET
One team will leave Canada with its winning streak intact while Minnesota aims to remain undefeated on the season when it plays its final game of the Vancouver Showcase against Washington on Wednesday. The Huskies showed resiliency in their second game at the Vancouver Convention Centre, overcoming a 13-point deficit to pull out a 71-67 victory over Texas A&M.
Colgate at Syracuse 7:00 PM ET
Syracuse went tumbling out of the top 25 after a rough week, and now it is time to rebuild its reputation. The Orange try to avoid a three-game slide Wednesday night when they host Colgate.
Prairie View A&M at East Carolina 7:00 PM ET
Turnovers continue to plaque East Carolina, which will be in search of its first winning streak this season when it does battle with visiting Prairie View A&M on Wednesday. The Pirates are averaging 19.6 turnovers per game after committing a season-high 26 in Monday's triumph over Texas-Rio Grande Valley, a team that handed the Panthers a 70-57 defeat earlier this season.
Florida A&M at South Florida 7:00 PM ET
Florida A&M continues its seven-game road swing Wednesday night in Tampa as it battles in-state foe South Florida. Both schools look to rebound from losses at the Jamaica Classic in Montego Bay, where the Rattlers fell 89-75 to Central Connecticut and USF suffered a heartbreaker in overtime 76-73 against Georgetown.
Dayton at Butler 7:00 PM ET
The productive backcourt duo of senior Kamar Baldwin and junior Paul Jorgensen will test itself against several talented guards this week as Butler starts play Wednesday in the eight-team Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas against Dayton. Baldwin has posted 23.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in three wins and Jorgensen is averaging 18.3 points after scoring a career-high 27 versus Ole Miss on Friday.
Marquette at Kansas 7:00 PM ET
Kansas is ranked second in the nation and undefeated through three games entering Thursday’s matchup with Marquette in the NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn, N.Y., but coach Bill Self wants to see more from his squad. The Jayhawks have allowed 77 points per contest so far and needed 33 points from Lagerald Vick Friday to hold off Louisiana 89-76, and Self noted Monday the need for improvement on defense.
Dartmouth at Buffalo 7:00 PM ET
The true indication of a good team is winning when your best player doesn't perform well, a test No. 25 Buffalo, which plays visiting Dartmouth on Wednesday, passed with flying colors. With leading scorer CJ Massinburg limited to seven points, the Bulls eked out a victory last week on the road against Southern Illinois.
Texas Rio Grande Valley at Georgia Tech 7:30 PM ET
Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner says his team’s success is tied directly to how well the Yellow Jackets defend and how well they shoot from 3-point range, and both elements worked in a 79-54 victory Friday over East Carolina. The Yellow Jackets host UT-Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday seeking a repeat performance after holding the Pirates to 35.6 percent shooting from the field while knocking down 9-of-17 attempts from beyond the arc.
Loyola-Chicago at Boston College 7:30 PM ET
Duke and North Carolina have their share of freshman superstars, but Ky Bowman just might be the best player in the ACC. The Boston College guard hopes to continue his great start to the season Wednesday against Loyola Chicago in the championship game of the Fort Myers Tipoff.
Creighton at Clemson 7:30 PM ET
Solid guard play and defense always seems to be a good recipe for success come NCAA Tournament time. No. 16 Clemson has shown both at the Cayman Islands Classic and will attempt to take home the championship when it faces hot-shooting Creighton on Wednesday.
Montana St. at Arkansas 8:00 PM ET
Arkansas looks to win its third straight when it hosts Montana State on Wednesday in a non-conference contest. The Razorbacks edged Indiana by a point in their last outing, while the Bobcats have dropped their last two games.
Alabama St. at Iowa 8:30 PM ET
After knocking off nationally ranked Oregon and Connecticut last week to win the 2K Empire Classic, Iowa broke into the Top 25 at No. 22 ahead of a home game against Alabama State on Wednesday night. The Hawkeyes are ranked for the first time since the end of the 2015-16 season.
St. Mary's at Mississippi State 8:30 PM ET
Mississippi State and Saint Mary’s meet on Wednesday evening in Las Vegas in the consolation game of the MGM Main Event heavyweight bracket. The Bulldogs lost to Arizona State 72-67 on Monday, while the Gaels fell to Utah State 80-63.
Penn St. at Bradley 8:30 PM ET
Penn State will try to ride junior forward Lamar Stevens' hot start to an in-season tournament title on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions face Bradley in the championship game of the Riviera Division at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico.
Xavier at Illinois 9:00 PM ET
Being a No. 1 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament seems like years ago - not months - as Xavier prepares to meet Illinois on Wednesday for seventh place in the Maui Invitational. With no double-figure scorers back from last season's team that lost to Florida State in the second round of the West Region, it could take time for the Musketeers to experience significant success under first-year coach Travis Steele.
Middle Tennessee St. at Virginia 9:30 PM ET
Fourth-ranked Virginia rolled to three straight victories to open the season and the competition will be stiffer this week as it starts play Wednesday in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas against Middle Tennessee. The Cavaliers received contributions from several players to score double-figure wins over Towson and George Washington before routing Coppin State 97-40 last Friday.
Arizona State at Utah St. 11:00 PM ET
Arizona State takes on Utah State from Las Vegas on Wednesday night in the championship game of the MGM Main Event heavyweight bracket. The Sun Devils got here by knocking off No. 15 Mississippi State in one semifinal, while the Aggies were able to cruise past Saint Mary’s in the other.
Auburn at Arizona 11:30 PM ET
Ninth-ranked Auburn gave No. 1 Duke all it could handle in the semifinals of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational before dropping a 78-72 decision. But Tigers coach Bruce Pearl made it clear immediately afterward that he still believes it will be a successful tournament for his squad if they can bounce back to win Wednesday's third-place consolation game against Arizona.