Preview Roundups
January 06, 2018
Louisville at Clemson 12:00 PM ET
Clemson's hot start is carrying over into ACC play, and the team is just beginning to gain some national recognition. The 25th-ranked Tigers will try to stay perfect in conference play and run their overall winning streak to 10 straight when they host Louisville on Saturday.
Illinois at Michigan 12:00 PM ET
Michigan looks to extend its winning streak to a season-high seven games when it hosts Illinois on Saturday. The Wolverines jumped out to a big lead and never looked back in the 75-68 win against Iowa on Tuesday, which was their first road victory against the Hawkeyes since 2013-14, and they hope to keep climbing towards a Top 25 spot by improving to 9-0 at home this season.
Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech 12:00 PM ET
Teams desperate for a win in ACC play meet Saturday when Pittsburgh visits Virginia Tech. The Panthers were never in Tuesday’s 77-51 loss at Louisville, being held to a season low in points for the second straight game, while the Hokies were throttled 78-52 by in-state rival No. 8 Virginia on Wednesday.
Alabama at Georgia 12:00 PM ET
There is an important Alabama vs. Georgia matchup coming up, and while the Crimson Tide visiting the Bulldogs on Saturday pales in comparison to the college football national championship game, the basketball contest is important for both programs. Alabama started its SEC schedule with a bang in upsetting No. 13 Texas A&M but stumbled in falling at Vanderbilt on Wednesday, while Georgia narrowly fell at No. 14 Kentucky in its league opener before downing Ole Miss.
East Carolina at Connecticut 12:00 PM ET
Connecticut looks to get on the winning track Saturday as East Carolina comes to town looking to build on its first American Athletic Conference victory of the season. UConn enters on a four-game losing streak while the Pirates picked up their first conference victory last time out at South Florida.
Creighton at Georgetown 12:00 PM ET
It is not often that Marcus Foster is held in check for No. 24 Creighton, which will be seeking its first Big East road win of the season Saturday at Georgetown. The senior has gone 33 games since he was last held to fewer than 10 points for the Bluejays, who will need their star to shine to have a chance to earn their first win over the Hoyas in Washington, D.C.
Xavier at Providence 12:00 PM ET
After suggesting his team may have spent too much time congratulating themselves following a school-record 15-1 start two years ago, Xavier senior guard J.P. Macura doesn't expect a repeat with this season's squad. With a showdown at No. 3 Villanova looming next week, the fourth-ranked Musketeers eye an 11th consecutive victory Saturday when they visit Providence.
North Carolina at Virginia 1:00 PM ET
Eighth-ranked Virginia hopes to build off one of its best performances of the season and remain unbeaten in ACC play when it hosts No. 11 North Carolina on Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers, who lead the nation in scoring defense (52.7 per game), held host Virginia Tech to just 36.2 percent shooting from the field and forced 16 turnovers in a 78-52 rout Wednesday night.
Florida at Missouri 1:00 PM ET
Florida seems to be back on track after an ugly stretch in December and will try to extend its winning streak to five games when it visits Missouri on Saturday. The Tigers are 7-0 at home – their best start at Mizzou Arena since winning their first eight in 2013-14 – and aiming for a 2-0 start to SEC play, which would match its win total in league competition from last season.
Arizona at Colorado 2:00 PM ET
Colorado has gained the reputation of a
giant-killer with 16 wins over ranked foes in seven-plus seasons under coach
Tad Boyle. Arizona is out to avoid becoming the next victim when the 16th-ranked
Wildcats visit Boulder on Saturday afternoon.
DePaul at St. John's 2:00 PM ET
The good news for St. John's and DePaul is that someone is about to break into the Big East win column. The league's two winless teams meet Saturday on the Red Storm's homecourt, where both squads will be aiming to snap a three-game skid.
Texas at Baylor 2:00 PM ET
Baylor hosts Texas on Saturday in a battle of bigs as Big 12 Conference play continues. The teams, battling injuries and illness, are led by strong frontcourt play.
Nebraska at Purdue 2:15 PM ET
Leaving for the Bahamas during the week of Thanksgiving is about the only thing that has rattled No. 12 Purdue, as the defending Big Ten champions have yet to lose in the continental United States this season. Boasting the second-best scoring margin in Division I, the Boilermakers eye their 11th straight victory Saturday when they host surging Nebraska.
Louisiana State at Texas A&M 2:15 PM ET
Reinforcements are on the way for No. 13 Texas A&M, which hopes to avoid an 0-3 start to SEC play when it hosts LSU on Saturday. Leading scorer DJ Hogg is expected to return from a three-game suspension for violating school policy, but the Aggies again could be without guards Admon Gilder and Duane Wilson due to knee injuries.
Seton Hall at Butler 2:30 PM ET
Butler will face its third straight ranked opponent when it plays host to No. 21 Seton Hall Saturday in a Big East game. The Bulldogs split the first two games - beating then-No. 1 Villanova and losing to No. 4 Xavier - and have dropped just two of the nine meetings with the Pirates.
Notre Dame at Syracuse 3:15 PM ET
Notre Dame looks to move to 3-0 in ACC play as it visits Syracuse in a nationally televised game on Saturday afternoon. The Orange, 1-1 in conference action, are coming off a tough loss at Wake Forest on Jan. 3.
Wake Forest at Boston College 4:00 PM ET
After knocking off top-ranked Duke in its ACC opener, Boston College has fallen just short against two other top 25 conference foes. The Eagles hope to get back to .500 in league play against an unranked ACC opponent when they host Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon.
Tulsa at Memphis 4:00 PM ET
Memphis will try to reverse course when it hosts red-hot Tulsa on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers have lost three straight and are struggling on offense while the Golden Hurricane are off to a 3-0 start in American Athletic Conference play.
Washington at Washington St. 4:00 PM ET
Washington looks to match its conference win total from last season on Saturday as the Huskies conclude a three-game road trip against Washington State, which has stumbled following a 6-0 start. One season after finishing 9-22 with two conference wins, Washington opened Pac-12 play last week by splitting games against USC and UCLA.
Iowa State at Oklahoma State 4:00 PM ET
Coming off a wire-to-wire thrashing at the hands of its arch-rival, Oklahoma State, if it wants to break into the win column in Big 12 play, will have to break a long losing skid to Iowa State when it hosts the Cyclones on Saturday. The Cowboys were blown out 109-89 by Oklahoma on Thursday, as fabulous freshman Trae Young posted 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Kansas State at Texas Tech 4:00 PM ET
With seven straight wins, a 13-1 record and a
share of the early Big 12 Conference lead, Texas Tech appears to have found the
right formula in coach Chris Beard’s second season in Lubbock. The 18th-ranked
Red Raiders now will try to maintain the momentum Saturday when they host
Kansas State.
Mississippi State at Mississippi 4:30 PM ET
Mississippi State has been one of the SEC’s biggest surprises thus far, and it will try to continue its hot start when it visits Ole Miss on Saturday. The Bulldogs have lost six straight road meetings with the Rebels and seven of the last eight matchups overall.
Indiana at Minnesota 5:15 PM ET
Minnesota looks to continue its winning ways when it hosts Indiana on Saturday. The Gophers have won five consecutive games, including a 77-67 victory against Illinois in Big Ten play on Wednesday, to improve to 10-1 at home and hopes to beat the Hoosiers in back-to-back meetings for the first time since 2013-14 following a 75-74 triumph last season.
Arkansas at Auburn 6:00 PM ET
Auburn seeks its 12th straight victory - and second straight over a ranked opponent - when it hosts No. 23 Arkansas on Saturday in its first Southeastern Conference contest at home. The Tigers defeated host Tennessee in its league opener last Saturday, while the Razorbacks had their six-game winning streak snapped by Mississippi State on Tuesday.
UCLA at California 6:30 PM ET
Just when it appeared UCLA was finding some much-needed momentum, the Bruins took a step back with Thursday’s 107-99 double-overtime loss at Stanford. Coach Steve Alford’s squad looks to bounce back and salvage a split of its Bay Area swing on Saturday against California, which is coming off an ugly 18-point loss to USC.
Vanderbilt at South Carolina 6:45 PM ET
South Carolina looks to snap a two-game losing streak and record its first league win when it hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference contest. The Commodores are coming off a narrow victory over Alabama on Tuesday, while the Gamecocks have lost three of four - including a home setback against Missouri on Wednesday.
Yale at Georgia Tech 7:00 PM ET
It has been a difficult season for Georgia Tech, marred by several upset losses during non-conference play, but the Yellow Jackets enter Saturday’s home contest against Yale off their biggest victory of 2017-18. Josh Okogie scored a season-high 30 points in Wednesday’s 64-54 home upset of No. 17 Miami, the fourth time in the past two seasons the Yellow Jackets have knocked off a ranked opponent at home in ACC play.
Oklahoma at West Virginia 7:15 PM ET
Fifth-ranked West Virginia will put its 13-game winning streak -- the school's longest since the 1988-89 team won 22 in a row -- on the line Saturday night when it hosts No. 7 Oklahoma, winners of 10 in a row, with a share of first place in the Big 12 Conference at stake. Normally that would be the main story heading into the contest, just the sixth time the Mountaineers have hosted a game that has featured two top-10 teams, but the matchup takes a back seat to the amazing season being compiled
Duke at NC State 8:00 PM ET
Second-ranked Duke hopes to put a week of rest to good use as it begins a stretch of three ACC road games in the next four outings Saturday night at struggling North Carolina State. The Blue Devils reached the century mark for the third time in four games, surrounding their lone loss at Boston College, last time out when they outlasted Florida State 100-93 at home on Dec. 30.
Marquette at Villanova 8:00 PM ET
Villanova has not lost back-to-back games since March 2013, but that streak will be on the line Saturday. The third-ranked Wildcats host Marquette seeking to bounce back from a Big East defeat at Butler one week earlier.
Kentucky at Tennessee 9:00 PM ET
Kentucky has shown an ability to outlast opponents in the second half early in the SEC schedule. The 14th-ranked Wildcats will look for a more complete effort when they put a three-game winning streak on the line at No. 22 Tennessee on Saturday night.
Kansas at Texas Christian 9:15 PM ET
Tenth-ranked Kansas has won the Big 12 regular-season title an amazing 13 straight years. But the Jayhawks, who travel to No. 15 TCU on Saturday, find themselves in the middle of the conference standings looking up after their first-ever home loss to Texas Tech on Tuesday night.
Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount 10:00 PM ET
Gonzaga is off to a strong start in West Coast Conference play and looks to defeat host Loyola Marymount for the 17th consecutive time on Saturday. The No. 19 Bulldogs won their first three WCC games by an average of 37.3 points with the largest margin being a 49-point win over Santa Clara.