Preview Roundups
November 17, 2017
South Carolina at Texas-El Paso 10:30 AM ET
Coming off its Final Four appearance a season ago, South Carolina seemed like a heavy favorite to win the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, especially after the event was moved less than three hours away to Myrtle Beach following the devastation on the island following Hurricane Maria. The Gamecocks failed to bring much aggressiveness with them in their opening-round loss, however, and the result will be a consolation-bracket game Friday morning against UTEP in Conway, S.C.
Auburn at Temple 11:00 AM ET
Fast starts were the key for Auburn and Temple in their first-round wins in the Gildan Charleston Classic. The team that can start quickly in Friday's early-morning tip-off in South Carolina might be headed to the tournament championship game on Sunday.
Tulane at Colorado St. 2:00 PM ET
Tulane and Colorado State take their perfect 2-0 records on the road Friday for their opening matchup of the 2017 Jamaica Classic in Montego Bay. The Rams come in after a thrilling 80-76 victory over defending Big South Conference champion Winthrop, while the Green Wave soundly defeated Southeastern Louisiana 89-66 Monday for their first 2-0 home start since 2013.
Houston at Drexel 2:30 PM ET
Rob Gray is expected back just in time to help Houston face Drexel on Friday in the opening round of Paradise Jam in Lynchburg, Va. Gray was suspended for the season opener for an NCAA violation, but is now free to pursue his 33rd straight game in double figures.
Virginia at VCU 4:00 PM ET
With the graduation of steady point guard London Perrantes and the transfer of three others, Virginia knew heading into the season that it had a bit of a rebuilding project ahead for a club that that won 23 games a season ago and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A pair of freshmen stepped forward Monday against Austin Peay, and the Cavaliers will see if De’Andre Hunter and Jay Huff can keep the mojo flowing when they visit unbeaten VCU on Thursday.
Virginia Tech at Washington 5:00 PM ET
Virginia Tech's offense disappeared on college basketball's biggest stage Thursday. The Hokies return to Madison Square Garden in New York City one day later aiming for a better offensive effort as they face Washington in the consolation game of the 2K Classic.
Fordham at Florida State 6:00 PM ET
Florida State and Fordham travel to Montego Bay to face off in a 2017 Jamaica Classic matchup on Friday night. The Seminoles got their season off to an impressive start with an 87-67 win over George Washington on Tuesday, while Fordham rebounded from an opening loss and evened its record at 1-1 with an 81-68 victory over LIU.
Quinnipiac at Colorado 6:00 PM ET
After taking care of a pair of instate rivals, Colorado will head east to take part in the Paradise Jam in Lynchburg, Va., where they will tip off Friday against Quinnipiac. The Buffaloes used strong defense to thwart Northern Colorado and Denver and should be able to make easy work of the Bobcats.
Northeastern at Stanford 6:00 PM ET
The injury bug has wasted no time finding Stanford, which was missing three key players in Tuesday’s 67-61 surprising loss to Eastern Washington. The Cardinal hope to have the trio back in the lineup Friday when they face visiting Northeastern as part of the PK80 Invitational.
Georgia St at Mississippi 7:00 PM ET
Ole Miss guard Deandre Burnett started 27 games in 2016-17, but the senior has settled into serving as a spark off the bench through both of the Rebels victories this season. Ole Miss hosts Georgia State on Friday and looks for another boost from Burnett, last season’s leading scorer who has recorded 17 points in victories over Louisiana and Eastern Kentucky while helping coach Andy Kennedy alleviate a crowded backcourt.
East Tennessee St. at Kentucky 7:00 PM ET
John Calipari's one-and-done model at Kentucky offers unique challenges that few other coaches face and he'll continue to tinker with the country's youngest team when the No. 4 Wildcats host East Tennessee State on Friday. Kentucky is coming off its first loss of the season -- 65-61 to No. 3 Kansas on Tuesday in the Champions Classic in Chicago -- as the coach ponders whether to employ a zone defense again.
Alabama A&M at Alabama 7:00 PM ET
No. 25 Alabama desperately needed a go-to scorer coming into the season - and it appears they might just have their man. Sensational freshman Collin Sexton looks to build off an impressive debut as the Crimson Tide host Alabama A&M on Friday night to kick off the Barclays Center Classic.
Southern at Duke 7:00 PM ET
Duke confirmed its No. 1 ranking last time out with an impressive victory and hopes to stay alert when it returns home to face winless Southern on Friday night. The Blue Devils won two games by an average of almost 30 points before being tested against second-ranked Michigan State on Tuesday, and came away with an 88-81 victory in Chicago as senior guard Grayson Allen poured in a career-high 37 points.
Nebraska Omaha at Louisville 7:00 PM ET
Louisville survived its season opener after a tumultuous few months off the court and the 16th-ranked Cardinals look to forge ahead with a talented lineup when they host Omaha on Friday night. Louisville rallied from a three-point halftime deficit by scoring 48 points in the final 20 minutes of a 72-61 victory over George Mason on Sunday as interim coach David Padgett made his debut after Rick Pitino was let go.
Columbia at Penn St. 7:00 PM ET
Penn State last started a season 4-0 in 2011, also the last time the team played in the NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions seek a fourth victory to begin a season again Friday when they host Columbia in the Legends Classic, but they may have to do so without their leader.
Central Conn. St. at East Carolina 7:00 PM ET
East Carolina looks to rebound from its first loss of the season when it hosts Central Connecticut State in a non-conference game Friday night. The Pirates dropped a 73-66 decision at home to Radford on Wednesday.
Iowa State at Tulsa 7:00 PM ET
After a pair of losses that had many wondering just how long Iowa State was going to be in rebuilding mode, a simple switch in the backcourt gave its fans some hope this season may not be so bad after all. The Cyclones attempt to build upon their first win of the season Friday when they face Tulsa in the semifinals of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in Conway, S.C.
Providence at Saint Louis 7:00 PM ET
After playing sparingly for Michigan State as a freshman and sophomore, Javon Bess is ready to make a name for himself. The junior guard, now at Saint Louis, aims for another strong effort Friday when the Billikens match up with Providence in the championship game of the 2K Classic in New York City.
UC Santa Barbara at Texas A&M 8:00 PM ET
Short-handed Texas A&M is back in action Friday against visiting UC Santa Barbara one week after opening the season in Germany. Sophomore forward Robert Williams and freshman point guard JJ Caldwell were suspended for the win against West Virginia and also won't play against the Gauchos.
Fresno St. at Arkansas 8:00 PM ET
Senior-laden Arkansas is off to one of the most
impressive starts in the program’s recent history. The Razorbacks will look to
add to that Friday night when they wrap up their season-opening three-game
homestand by hosting Fresno State.
N.C. Asheville at Vanderbilt 8:00 PM ET
Vanderbilt looks to put an upset loss to Belmont behind it Friday night when it hosts UNC Asheville, the first of two weekend games for the Commodores before next week’s NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Commodores got a second consecutive double-double from Jeff Roberson in Monday’s 69-60 defeat, but Vanderbilt never could quite catch up in the second half in what the senior forward described as a frustrating experience.
Northern Arizona at Arizona State 8:00 PM ET
So far, so good for Arizona State which has
scored at least 90 points in winning its opening two games of the season. The
Sun Devils continue their four-game homestand Friday night by hosting winless
in-state rival Northern Arizona.
Lafayette at Villanova 8:00 PM ET
With six players averaging double-digit points, Villanova looks like it will once again be a handful for opponents this season. The sixth-ranked Wildcats host Lafayette on Friday seeking to mimic their offensive effort from Tuesday's resounding win.
South Dakota State at Kansas 8:00 PM ET
Third-ranked Kansas is off to its first 2-0 start since the 2013-14 season thanks in part to Tuesday night's 65-61 battle of the bluebloods victory over No. 4 Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Chicago. Now comes a potential trap game against Summit League-favorite South Dakota State, which is off to a 3-0 start, on Friday night at famed Allen Fieldhouse.
Wake Forest at Drake 8:30 PM ET
A good team on paper, Wake Forest has been anything but on the court during the lead up to the Paradise Jam in Lynchburg, Va., where it will play Drake on Friday in the opening round. The Demon Deacons have started 0-2 for the first time since 1979 and won't be getting any sympathy from the Bulldogs, who themselves are starved for wins.
DePaul at Illinois 8:30 PM ET
Illinois looks to stay perfect under new coach Brad Underwood when it hosts DePaul in the final game of the Gavitt Tipoff Games on Friday night. The Gavitt Tipoff Games are a series of eight games between schools from the Big East and Big Ten Conferences, currently in its third year of existence.
South Carolina State at UCLA 9:00 PM ET
UCLA’s shorthanded squad begins a stretch of three games in five days on Friday with a matchup against visiting South Carolina State, which has lost its first three games by an average of 27 points. The 18th-ranked Bruins are essentially down to eight players after freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were suspended indefinitely for shoplifting during the team’s trip to China last week.
Alcorn St. at Baylor 9:00 PM ET
Baylor's big men will likely continue to collect big rebounds when the No. 24 Bears host Alcorn State on Friday night. Seniors Terry Maston and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. have combined for 39 boards through two games while the winless Braves are being outrebounded by 15.
UC Irvine at Kansas State 9:00 PM ET
For most upper-level NCAA teams, early-season games are designed to send messages - and Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber has already had to deliver one as his team prepares to host UC Irvine on Friday night to kick off the on-campus portion of the Las Vegas Invitational. Weber's inspirational message to one of his promising young forwards paid off in Tuesday's win over Missouri-Kansas City.
Clemson at Hofstra 9:30 PM ET
After surviving a pair of close first-round games, Clemson and Hofstra hook up in South Carolina on Friday with a trip to the Gildan Charleston Classic championship game hanging in the balance. The Tigers are trying to reach the final for the third time in as many appearances in the tournament.
Alabama St. at Oregon 11:00 PM ET
Normally an early nonconference game between Oregon and a winless Southwestern Athletic Conference team would generate little interest on the national level. But it figures be a historic evening for the Ducks and head coach Dana Altman on Friday night when they host Alabama State.