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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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