FAST BREAK (November 29): ACC/Big Ten Challenge Intesifies

For this week, I will be trying something different from the usual "Games to Watch" articles that have been posted for the past two weeks.  Each day, an article titled "Fast Break" will be posted, giving you a quick recap of the action that you may have missed from the previous night.  Since it is Wednesday, this article will feature games from Tuesday night.  In addition, the bottom of the article will feature games to watch for the following day.  So in this case, there will be highlighted games for Wednesday.  Without further ado, here is your...

FAST BREAK

Michigan State (4-4)
#5 Duke (7-1) W
69-78

Duke's Amile Jefferson (Photo by Gerry Broome/AP)

Despite a close game through the first half that ended in a 35-35 tie, Coack K and the Duke Blue Devils were able to pull away in the second half due largely in part to the tremendous play out of junior forward Grayson Allen.  Allen finished the game 24 points and 4 assists, stroking 5-11 from deep.  Senior forward Amile Jefferson also came to play, posting a double-double with 17 points and 13 boards.  Coach Izzo came out last week and apologized to his team for such a difficult schedule to begin the season.  Whether it's been a tough schedule, an extremely young team, a lack of talent or all of the above, Michigan State needs to figure things out.  Looking ahead, they hit a bit of lull in their schedule before conference play begins at the end of the month.

Notable Players:

DUKE - Grayson Allen (37 minutes, 24 points, 4 assists, 5-11 from three)
DUKE - Amile Jefferson (35 minutes, 17 points, 13 rebounds, 7-12 from field)
MICH ST - Miles Bridges (34 minutes, 11 points, 9 rebounds, 4-13 from field, fouled out)

Buffalo (4-3)
#10 Creighton (7-0) W
72-93

This was another contest that featured a tight first half lead turn into a Bluejays second half stomping.  It's been a bit of a tale of two halves for the top-10 ranked Bluejays this season.  Greg McDermott's squad has often struggled through the first half, drawing doubt that they're as good as their ranking suggests.  Yet, they have found a way to come out of the break and blow teams out, suggesting that they can be much better than their ranking.  One thing's for certain: this team likes to run and they like to score lots of points.

Notable Players:

CREIGH - Marcus Foster (33 minutes, 22 points, 3 rebounds, 8-16 from field)
CREIGH - Justin Patton (32 minutes, 21 points, 10 rebounds, 9-10 from field)
BUFF - Blake Hamilton (35 minutes, 21 points, 3 rebounds, 8-23 from field)

#22 Syracuse (4-2)
#17 Wisconsin (6-2) W
60-77

A 4 point difference at the half turned into an 17 point Wisconsin lead just 5:35 into the second half.  The Badgers almost got a triple-double out of senior forward Nigel Hayes, who finished the game with 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.  Syracuse doesn't have a clear playmaker at this point in the season.  Andrew White III, who leads the team in PPG with 15.5, finished this one with 14 points on 5-15 shooting.

Notable Players:

WISC - Nigel Hayes (32 minutes, 9 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 4-11 from field)
WISC - Ethan Happ (32 minutes, 24 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 10-12 from field)
WISC - Bronson Koenig (27 minutes, 20 points, 1 assist, 6-9 from three)

#21 Rhode Island (5-2)
Valparaiso (7-1) W
62-65

Valparaiso's Alec Peters, #25 (Photo by Joe Raymond/AP)

Upset of the night!  Head Coach Matt Lottich and company defeated Rhode Island, who, if you weren't aware of, is ranked #21 in the country.  This is the first Valparaiso win against a ranked opponent since 1998, when the Crusaders knocked off Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament on a Bryce Drew three pointer at the buzzer. Since 1998, Valpo had lost 40 straight games to ranked opponents.  Senior forward Alec Peters helped secure the enormous win by blocking Jarvis Garrett's potential game-tying three with under 2 seconds left.

Notable Players:

VALPO - Alec Peters (38 minutes, 27 points, 9 rebounds, 8-17 from field)
VALPO - Tevonn Walker (34 minutes, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5-6 from field)
RHODE - Hassan Martin (38 minutes, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6-10 from field)

Pittsburgh (6-1) W
Maryland (7-1) 
73-59

Pittsburgh's Michael Young, #2 (Photo by Tommy Gilligan/USA Today)

The "sleeper" game of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge was dominated from the jump by Pittsburgh, who is off to a rather impressive start this season.  So was Maryland though, who takes their first loss of the season after giving up 45 first half points to the Panthers.  Pittsburgh once again got major scoring out of their senior forwards Michael Young and Jamel Artis.  While this game may seem like just another Tuesday night college basketball game, it could hold a lot of weight come March.

Notable Players:

PITT - Michael Young (33 minutes, 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7-17 from field)
PITT - Jamel Artis (38 minutes, 22 points, 6 rebounds, 8-15 from field)
MARY - Melo Trimble (35 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4-13 from field)

UT-Arlington (5-3) W
Texas (3-3) 
72-61

Maybe not as flashy as some of the other games Tuesday night, UT-Arlington quietly got an upset win against fellow Texans.  After starting the year 3-0 and reaching #22 last week on the AP Top 25, Texas has struggled mightily, dropping three straight.  This one may be the worst of the three.  I understand that the Longhorns are young and that they still have a chance to compete this season.  However, they must find an answer now after getting roughed up by UT-Arlington.

Notable Players:

UTA - Kevin Hervey (31 minutes, 18 points, 10 rebounds, 6-15 from field)
TEXAS - Tevin Mack (30 minutes, 19 points, 7 rebounds, 8-14 from field)
TEXAS - Jarrett Allen (33 minutes, 13 points, 12 rebounds, 4-10 from field)

Houston (5-1)
LSU (5-2) W
65-84

What became a theme Tuesday night was a close halftime score leading into a second half blowout.  This was the case once again.  With a one point LSU lead to begin the second half, the Tigers quickly jumped out to an 11 point advantage just 4:08 into the half.  Houston cut the lead to 9 shortly after but a three by LSU's Wayde Sims extended the lead to 12 and it was all Tigers from there.  Houston receives their first loss of the season with #21 Rhode Island lurking a week from Saturday.

Notable Players:

LSU - Antonio Blakeney (34 minutes, 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 10-23 from field)
LSU - Brandon Sampson (30 minutes, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4-7 from three)
HOU - Rob Gray Jr. (29 minutes, 19 points, 6-11 from field, 6-6 from free throw)

NC State (5-2)
Illinois (5-3) W
74-88

Illinois' Malcolm Hill (Photo by Illinois Athletics)

Coming off of three straight losses after a 4-0 start to the year, the Illinois Illini hosted NC State as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.  The Wolfpack feature one of the best players in the country in freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr., but he failed to impress Tuesday night, scoring 12 points on 4-11 shooting.  On the other side, Illinois' Malcolm Hill finished the night with 22 points and 9 rebounds.  It was the Fighting Illini's bench though that made the difference in this one.  They outscored NC State 39-22.

Notable Players:

ILLINOIS - Malcolm Hill (35 minutes, 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists)
ILLINOIS - Leron Black (26 minutes, 15 points, 8 rebounds, 7-14 from field)
NC STATE - Dennis Smith Jr. (38 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4-11 from field)
NC STATE - Torin Dorn (31 minutes, 17 points, 7 rebounds, 7-11 from field)

Iowa (3-4)
Notre Dame (7-0) W
78-92

Notre Dame's Bonzie Colson, #35 (Photo by Matt Cashore/USA Today)

Finishing the night was another ACC-Big Ten matchup between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  This was a tight one for the majority of the game, with Iowa leading by 2 points five minutes into the second half.  Notre Dame took over from there, thanks in large part to junior forward Bonzie Colson and the free throw line.  The Fighting Irish finished 30-33 from the charity stripe, with Colson going a perfect 12-12 from there.

Notable Players:

ND - Bonzie Colson (37 minutes, 24 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks, 12-12 from free throw)
ND - Steve Vasturia (38 minutes, 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7-7 from free throw)
IOWA - Peter Jok (36 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4-20 from field, 2-11 from three)
IOWA - Jordan Bohannon (32 minutes, 23 points, 7 assists, 7-15 from three)

Games to Watch Today (Wednesday, November 30)

Note: All times are Central Standard Time

6:00pm - ESPN

#15 Purdue (5-1)
#14 Louisville (5-1)


6:00pm

Washington (4-2)
TCU (6-0)


8:15pm - ESPN

#3 North Carolina (7-0)
#13 Indiana (4-1)


8:00pm - ESPN2

Ohio State (6-0)
#6 Virginia (6-0)


10:00pm

#12 Saint Mary's (5-0)
Stanford (6-1)


That's all for today.  Be sure to check back tomorrow for recaps of the action from Wednesday night!

Stats from ESPN.com

NCAA Hoops Games to Watch This Week (Nov. 21 - Nov. 27)

Last week gave us some exciting games in the college basketball world and a good look at what to expect this season.  With Thanksgiving break this week, a number of schools are traveling for tournament play.  Here are some of the matchups (and potential ones) to watch for.

Note: All times are Central Standard Time

Note: Games italicized are not confirmed, rather potential games in later rounds of tournament play

Monday, November 21

3:30pm - ESPN2

Oregon's Dillon Brooks, #24. (Photo by Kyle Terada/USA Today)

Georgetown (1-2)
(13) Oregon (2-1)

Starting us off this week is an exciting matchup on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Maui between Georgetown and Oregon.  Both schools had a less than desirable start to their season last week, as the Hoyas went 1-2, dropping two straight to Maryland and Arkansas State, while Oregon, still without star forward Dillon Brooks, got bullied by Baylor.  However, Brooks has been cleared to play this week and Head Coach Dana Altman told ESPN that he will give the Junior forward some minutes Monday night.  The return of Brooks is a major boost for a Ducks squad that was ranked #4 in the nation last week.  We'll see how big of an impact Brooks has on Oregon as he is eased back into the rotation this week or if the Hoyas can play spoiler to the Ducks out in The Aloha State.

8:30pm - LHN/ESPN3

(22) Texas (3-0)
Northwestern (2-1)

Aside from a 5 point win over Incarnate Word, Texas has looked dominate thus far.  The Longhorns stay in the top 25 after a 3-0 start the year.  While Texas doesn't have a clear #1 option three games into the season, Freshman guard Andrew Jones might seize that role this week.  He's averaging 13.0 ppg and 5.3 rpg on 52.2% shooting from the field.  On the other side of the floor are the Northwestern Wildcats.  Northwestern is coming off of a heartbreaking loss at Butler, which saw the Wildcats blow a 6-point lead with under 6 minutes to play.  This collapse was topped off with a clutch step-back jumper by Butler Freshman Kamar Baldwin.  Northwestern, led by forward Vic Law (20.3 ppg and 5.3 apg) and guard Bryant McIntosh (13.7 ppg and 5.3 apg) look to rebound and take down the Longhorns in the Barclays Center.

11:00pm

Valparaiso (3-1)
Alabama (2-1)

We get a fun matchup late Monday night between the Valparaiso Crusaders and the Alabama Crimson Tide.  Looking back at Valpo's past week, the Crusaders took care of business early, trouncing Coppin State, only to be thrashed by Oregon.  Senior forward Alec Peters has led the charge, as was expected, posting averages of 25.8 ppg and 8.5 rpg through four games.  Alabama, sporting a 2-1 record through the first week, doesn't have a single player averaging over 11.0 ppg.  Instead, the Crimson Tide have six players averaging between 8.7 ppg and 11.0 ppg.  Freshman guard Dazon Ingram has been most impressive, averaging 11.0 ppg to go along with 4.7 apg and 4.0 rpg.  With this game taking place on a neutral court in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand, there is no clear cut favorite.  Nevertheless, a win for either team could be the ignitor to get the season going.

Tuesday, November 22

6:00pm - ACCN

Pittsburgh's Michael Young, #2. (Photo by Robert Franklin/AP)

Yale (2-1)
Pittsburgh (3-1)

With neither Yale nor Pittsburgh traveling for a tournament, we get a good, old-fashioned campus game.  After starting the season with a 98-90 shootout win over Markelle Fultz and Washington, Yale put up 89 later that week against Lehigh.  However, the Bulldogs fell flat on Sunday when squaring off against Virginia, losing 62-38.  Bulldogs' Head Coach James Jones stated after the game, "Averaging 94 points a game, that's not us."  While Yale will be without Cinderella star Makai Mason this season after he suffered a broken foot in a scrimmage against Boston U, the Bulldogs will turn to Senior forward Sam Downey (14.3 ppg and 4.7 rpg) and freshman Miye Oni (13.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg) for their production.  Pittsburgh is coming off of a come-from-behind win against Marquette in the Madison Square Garden.  The Panthers are led by senior forward Michael Young, who has been a scoring machine this season (24.0 ppg and 8.3 rpg) and senior forward Jamel Artis (19.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg).  Young had a career-high on Friday in New York with a 30 point performance.  We'll see if he can expand on that performance Tuesday.

8:00pm - ESPN2

(16) Wisconsin (2-1)
(13) Oregon (2-1)

Scenario: Wisconsin beats Tennessee Monday afternoon and Oregon beats Georgetown Monday afternoon.

While this game is not set in stone, there is a good chance that we could see the Badgers take on the Ducks Tuesday night in Maui.  Wisconsin, led by the Senior duo of Bronson Koenig (15.7 ppg and 3.0 rpg) and Nigel Hayes (11.0 ppg and 4.3 rpg) took an L last week at Creighton, losing 79-67.  As the Badgers look to get back on track, consistency is key from both Koenig and Hayes.  6' 10" Sophomore Ethan Happ (7.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg) will also be called on produce more.  It's also important to note that if Oregon forward Dillon Brooks does not hit the floor Monday afternoon against Georgetown, we could see him play his first game of the season against #16 ranked Wisconsin.

Wednesday, November 23

11:00am - ESPN2

Wichita State (4-0)
LSU (3-0)

A jam-packed Wednesday gets under way with the Wichita State Shockers taking on the LSU Tigers.  The Shockers cruised through their first week of action, winning by an average of 36.8 points.  Sophomore forward Markis McDuffie (11.5 ppg and 5.3 rpg in 18.3 mpg) is the guy to watch for Wichita State.  He came off the bench last season for the Shockers and provided a spark.  While still coming off the bench this season, McDuffie has earned more minutes as of late and could force his way into the rotation for Gregg Marshall's Shockers by season's end.  LSU, also undefeated, has been led by sophomore guard Antonio Blakeney (18.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg) and junior forward Duop Reath (16.7 ppg and 6.7 rpg).
 
1:30pm - ESPN2

Baylor's Johnathan Motley, #5. (Photo by Tony Gutierrez/AP)

VCU (3-0)
(20) Baylor (3-0)

After an impressive opening week from the Baylor Bears which featured a huge win over then #4 ranked Oregon, Baylor hops into the top 25 at #20.  The Bears will face their toughest test of the season when they take on Virginia Commonwealth in the Bahamas.  VCU has been led by senior guard JeQuan Lewis (10.7 ppg) and senior forward Mo Alie-Cox (9.0 ppg and 4.7 rpg).  For Baylor, Johnathan Motley, a 
6' 10" junior, had himself a game against Oregon, scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 boards.  His play, coupled with Belgium guard Manu Lecomte (16.7 ppg and 7.0 apg) will give VCU fits on Wednesday and make Baylor a legitimate threat in the Big 12.

6:00pm 

(24) Michigan State (2-2)
St. John's (2-1)

Later in the Bahamas, we will see Michigan State, sitting at 2-2 on the young season, take on St. John's.  If we were to ask Coach Tom Izzo what his expectations were for their first 4 games a week ago, I almost guarantee it didn't play out the way he would have expected.  Michigan State took care of business against Mississippi Valley State and Florida Gulf Coast, albeit a nail-biter against FGCU in a 78-77 win.  However, they dropped the two important ones to #10 Arizona and #2 Kentucky.  A date with #6 Duke is still a week away, but Coach Izzo has to get things straight now.  Freshman sensation Miles Bridges has been the bright spot for Michigan State, averaging 16.0 ppg and 9.3 rpg.  St. John's has a star of their own.  Marcus LoVett, a freshman guard, has made his presence known so far, averaging 24.3 ppg and 5.3 apg.

9:30pm - ESPN2

(13) Oregon (2-1)
(4) North Carolina (4-0)

Scenario: Oregon advances past Monday afternoon's game (Georgetown) and Tuesday evening's semifinals.  North Carolina advances past Monday evening's game (Chaminade) and Tuesday evening's semifinals.

This time slot will feature a championship game based on tournament play, so it is difficult to say exactly who we'll see, but if schools win based on their AP Ranking, we will see a Maui Jim Invitational Championship featuring Oregon and North Carolina.  UNC dominated everything in its way last week, with a total margin of victory of 81 points.  Despite an off shooting night against Hawaii, Joel Berry II is leading the team in scoring, averaging 16.5 ppg.  This would be an excellent matchup, especially if Dillon Brooks is back in action for Oregon.

Thursday, November 24

11:00am - ESPN
 
(24) Michigan State (2-2)
(20) Baylor (3-0)

Scenario: Michigan State beats St. John's Wednesday evening and Baylor beats VCU Wednesday afternoon.

If Michigan State and Baylor can take of business of Wednesday, we are in for a treat Thanksgiving morning.  Michigan State, led by big play freshman Miles Bridges and coached by the legendary Tom Izzo, are coming off of two wins against non-ranked opponents after dropping two games to ranked opponents  Despite sliding down in the AP Poll, Michigan State is gaining momentum, and a win against the red hot Baylor Bears would be nice to add to the resume. 

1:30pm - ESPN

Wichita State (4-0)
(10) Louisville (3-0)

Scenario: Wichita State beats LSU Wednesday morning and Louisville beats Old Dominion Wednesday evening.

While not a big time, ranked-team versus ranked-team matchup that could precede it with Michigan State potentially taking on Baylor, Wichita State and Louisville has promise to be a game to look out for.  Rick Pitino has received some impressive play out of junior forward Jaylen Johnson.  Johnson, who is only averaging 22.3 mpg, is scoring 15.3 ppg to go with 11.3 rpg. 

1:30pm - ESPNU

Illinois (4-0)
(19) West Virginia (3-0)

Thursday afternoon gives us a battle of the undefeated's with Illinois and West Virginia.  The Fighting Illini feature senior guard Malcolm Hill, who is averaging a team-high 22.3 ppg to go along with 7.5 rpg.  Hill put on a scoring display Sunday night against Northern Kentucky, putting up 40 points on 13-23 shooting.  He also gathered 12 rebounds.  Hill and the Illini will have to face Coach Huggins' Mountaineers.  Nathan Adrian (the senior forward, not the U.S. Olympic swimmer) leads the team in points-per-game, averaging 13.3 ppg and 8.0 rpg.  Junior guard Jevon Carter, who had some big games last year, offers 10.7 ppg and 4.3 apg.

7:00pm - FS1

Butler's Kamar Baldwin, #3. (Photo by Jimmy Lafakis)

Butler (3-0)
Vanderbilt (2-1)

If you forgot, Butler likes to win, and they like to win in exciting, buzzer-beating fashion.  That's exactly what Hinkle Fieldhouse saw Wednesday evening, when the Bulldogs' freshman Kamar Baldwin sank a step-back jumper with 0.4 seconds left, giving Butler the 70-68 win over Northwestern.  Baldwin, who is a guy to watch moving forward, is averaging 10.7 ppg.  Junior forward Kelan Martin (18.7 ppg and 5.3 rpg) as well as senior forward Andrew Chrabascz (8.7 ppg and 4.7 rpg) control a large portion of Butler's success.  Vanderbilt, with first year Head Coach Bryce Drew, started out slow but have picked things up as of late.  Junior forward Jeff Roberson is averaging 10.0 ppg and 9.7 rpg despite being ineffective from the field.  If he can raise his 33.3% clip from the field, watch out for this guy.

10:00pm - ESPN2

Portland (3-0)
(14) UCLA (4-0)

The next showing of the Lonzo Ball spectacle takes place Thursday night when #14 UCLA takes on the 3-0 Portland Pilots.  The Freshman guard has been stellar, averaging 16.3 ppg, 9.0 apg, and 6.3 rpg.  He's also produced a number of SportsCenter Top 10 highlights in the young season, throwing down ferocious dunks left and right.  We can't go without mentioning Freshman forward T.J. Leaf, who's averaging a double-double (20.3 ppg and 10.0 rpg).  This UCLA team will be fun to track this season.  Portland, who is also undefeated, is led by senior guard Alec Wintering (19.0 ppg and 8.0 apg) and junior forward Gabe Taylor (17.3 ppg and 8.0 rpg).  We'll see if Portland can get an upset win against UCLA Thursday night.

Friday, November 25

 2:30pm - ESPN

(20) Baylor (3-0)
(10) Louisville (3-0)

Scenario: Baylor advances past Wednesday afternoon's game (VCU) and Thursday morning's semifinals.  Louisville advances past Wednesday evening's game (Old Dominion) and Thursday afternoon's semifinals.

Once again, we have a potential championship matchup between two ranked teams.  However, this time we're in the Bahamas.  Baylor will most likely face the tough test of getting past Coach Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans, but this team is scrappy.  Big boy Johnathan Motley (14.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg) is one to watch.  For Coach Pitino's Cardinals, Jaylen Johnson has been key (15.3 ppg and 11.3 rpg).

5:00pm - CBSSN

Virginia's London Perrantes, #32. (Photo by Charles LeClaire/USA Today)

(7) Virginia (3-0)
Iowa (3-1)

In some Black Friday semifinal action from Florida, we get the Virginia Cavaliers and the Iowa Hawkeyes.  Virginia moved up a spot this week in the AP Poll, with Tony Bennett once again having his squad poised for another solid season.  The Cavaliers are led by senior point guard London Perrantes, who is averaging 8.7 ppg and 4.3 apg in 27.0 mpg.  Perrantes' stats may not reflect the level of leadership that the senior brings to this team though.  Coach Bennett reinforced this prior to the season, saying, "There’s a built-in trust with London now.  He’s earned my respect in so many ways.  I don’t think people would realize or recognize this, but so many times in games, in the huddle, in practice, it’s, ‘London, what do you see, what do you suggest, what do you think out there?"  With Perrantes leading Virginia, Iowa has their own senior guard.  Peter Jok, a 6' 6" scorer, has been averaging 24.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg through four games.  He is the driving force for Iowa.

6:00pm

SMU (3-1)
USC (3-0)

SMU received a nice win Thursday against Pittsburgh but lost to Michigan 76-54 the very next night.  While we do not know where SMU fits into the college basketball world yet, Friday evening's date with USC should give us a clearer understanding.  The Mustang's leading scorer, Semi Ojeleye is having quite the start to his junior year.  After all, this is his first season with SMU, having transferred from Duke.  So far, Ojeleye is averaging 20.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg.  The Trojans, who picked up a big win Friday night in College Station over Texas A&M, come into this week led by junior Elijah Stewart (17.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg).  Neither school is ranked, but a win Friday night could put one of these schools on the radar.

8:30pm - CBSSN

Providence's Kyron Cartwright, #24. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Providence (2-1)
Memphis (3-0)

The other side of the Emerald Coast Classic features Providence and Memphis.  Providence's come-from-behind bid fell short last week at Ohio State.  However, with the leadership of Head Coach Ed Cooley, now in his sixth season with Providence, the Friars are in good hands and can still strike this season.  Just as expected, Junior forward Rodney Bullock has been stuffing the stat sheet, scoring 21.0 ppg and collecting 6.0 rpg.  Junior point guard Kyron Cartwright, filling the void left by Kris Dunn, has been spectacular in facilitating the offense, dishing out 9.3 apg to go with 7.7 ppg.  For Memphis, the scoring duo of Dedric Lawson (21.0 ppg and 13.0 rpg) and K.J. Lawson (16.7 ppg and 9.7 rpg) complements the play of Sophomore point guard Jeremiah Martin (8.7 ppg and 7.3 apg).  With Bullock most likely matching up against Lawson and Cartwright squaring off with Martin, this one should be fun.  The winner gets a matchup with either #7 Virginia or Iowa.

Saturday, November 26

6:00pm - CBSSN

(7) Virginia (3-0)
Providence (2-1)

Scenario: Virginia beats Iowa Friday evening and Providence beats Memphis Friday evening.

The Championship of the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida, will most likely feature #7 ranked Virginia.  However, on the other side, it will be the winner of Providence and Memphis.  I personally believe Providence will come out on top.  Virginia has looked solid thus far.  This tournament will be their first test of the season.  Providence, if able to get to this point, could make some serious noise by knocking off a top 10 team and throw their name into the conversation next week when it comes to ranking the top 25.

Sunday, November 27

None

That's all for this week.  Be sure to check back next Monday for next week's action! 
Happy Thanksgiving!

Stats from ESPN.com