9:00 pm: No. 14 Georgetown vs. No. 8 Missouri in Kansas City (ESPN U): Talk about your intriguing matchup of styles. We get the guard-centric Georgetown Hoyas running John Thompson III's Princeton-style against the Missouri Tigers, who press for 40 minutes. I like this matchup for Georgetown. They have three, experienced back court players that are not going to get rattled against the Missouri press, and Missouri doesn't have the kind of front court that is going to out-muscle Georgetown. The Hoyas are no where near as deep as Missouri is, however. This is quite an obvious statement, but whoever can control the pace of the game will win. And regardless of the pace this game is played at, we should be expecting a dandy. Its too bad that the ACC/Big Ten Challenge banished this game to ESPN U.
7:30 pm: No. 2 Ohio State @ Florida State (ESPN): The Seminoles may just have the best defense in the country. The problem, however, is that they don't necessarily have the most efficient offense, and that is a bit of an understatement. According to Kenpom, they rank 94th in the country in offensive efficiency against mostly cupcakes. They only managed 51 points against a Florida team that allowed 93 points to ... Ohio State. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have looked as good as anyone in the country. They have a big front line, they have a talented perimeter, and their freshman point guard Aaron Craft seems ready to be an impact player. This game is in Tallahassee, but I have a tough time seeing FSU pulling off the upset.
9:30 pm: UNC @ No. 21 Illinois (ESPN): The biggest weakness in the Illini's attack is their interior defense. Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis aren't exactly the epitome of a power front court. But North Carolina doesn't have any burly post scorers, either. Demetri McCamey has to be put into the conversation for the best point guard in the country, and he is playing some of his best basketball right now. When he is under control, getting his teammates involved early before looking for his own shot -- which he has been able to get almost at will in this young season -- Illinois is tough to beat. For UNC, it will be interesting to see if Roy Williams sticks with Larry Drew at the point. The kid looks like he has completely lost his confidence, and Kendall Marshall may not be ready to handle the point full time just yet. I am excited, however, to get another look at Harrison Barnes -- who has underperformed his expectations -- tonight.
The Rest of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge
7:00 pm: Georgia Tech @ Northwestern (ESPN2): The Yellow Jackets have talent on their roster, especially along their perimeter, where Iman Shumpert and Brian Oliver are both scoring well. But Northwestern runs a disciplined system offensively, led by John Shurna, Drew Crawford, and Michael Thompson. Can Tech defend well for long enough stretches to slow down the Wildcats? I don't think they can.
7:00 pm: Iowa @ Wake Forest (ESPN U): The is one of the uglier games of the challenge. Wake Forest has struggled starting the season, and with Tony Chennault and Melvin Tabb are out, the Demon Deacons will rarely be considered a favorite this season. Unless, of course, they are playing Iowa, who has been one of the worst major conference teams the last few seasons.
9:00 pm: Michigan @ Clemson (ESPN 2): Clemson looks like they may be flying a bit under the radar in the ACC. They have a talented back court and a couple of big, athletic kids in the front court. Michigan simply cannot matchup with that talent level. John Beilein teams have never had a ton of talent, however. They win as a result of the system they run. Thus far, however, is doesn't seem like they have pieces that buy into his system.
Other Notable Games:
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday's Pregame Beat: A lot of excitement for a Tuesday |
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1 comment:
Georgetown and Missouri certainly lived up to the hype! What a game... Georgetown looks like they could be the best team in the Big East to me.
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