Ed. Note: This post was written before the new polls were released. All times EST.
CBE Classic
7:30 pm: No. 1 Duke vs. Marquette: Marquette is a team I think will surprise some people before season's end. They have a very good back court with Junior Cadougan, Vander Blue, Dwight Buycks, and Darius Johnson-Odom. Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder are both difficult matchups at the forward spots, and the Golden Eagles haves a couple of bigs on their roster for a change. The problem? They play Duke tonight. Tonight, "surprising" people may just mean keeping the game close.
9:30 pm: No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 12 Gonzaga: The Zags are coming off of a disappointing loss to San Diego State at home, but the good news is that they should get Elias Harris back. Kansas State will have Curtis Kelly available tonight as well, meaning that both teams will be at or near full strength for one of the most anticipated early season games of the year. One thing to look for -- Stephen Gray and Jacob Pullen. Pullen had all the preseason accolades, Gray has been much better this season.
Maui Invitational
3:00 pm: Wichita State vs. UConn: This game will be one of the most important games of the day. Both Wichita State and UConn figure to be somewhere around the bubble come March. The winner of this game, in all likelihood, will play Michigan State next and then get the loser of Kentucky-Washington. The loser? They get Chaminade in the second round and will probably finish up with the winner of Virginia-Oklahoma. That's a huge difference for non-conference strength of schedule
5:30 pm: Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Kentucky: I'm excited to get my first glimpse of the young Wildcats, but this matchup doesn't appear to be much of a challenge.
9:30 pm: No. 2 Michigan State vs. Chaminade: Chaminade is 5-71 all-time in the Maui Invitational. 5-71.
12:00 am: Virginia vs. No. 15 Washington: The Cavs had a promising start to the season with a couple of convincing wins over solid mid-major competition. Then they traveled out west and took a whooping from Pac-10 cellar dweller Stanford. Now, they are traveling even farther west and open the Maui against the favorite in the Pac-10. Of note: Venoy Overton should be back in the lineup for Washington.
Paradise Jam
2:00 pm: Alabama vs. St. Peter's: Talk about a disappointing tournament performance. After losing to Seton Hall to open the tournament, Alabama got knocked off by Iowa -- Iowa! -- on Sunday. The Tide lose 55-47 after leading 11-1 at one point. The SEC West is looking weaker and weaker by the day.
4:30 pm: Long Beach State vs. Iowa: Is there a basketball revival in Iowa on our hands? On Sunday, the Hawkeyes beat Alabama while the Cyclones "beat" Creighton. Let's just hope that the good folks of the Virgin Islands play the right fight song tonight and announce the right starting lineup.
6:00 pm: Seton Hall vs. Clemson: This is an important game for both teams, as the bubble implications come March will likely be significant. Seton Hall may be in some trouble, however, as their 52 point, 37% FG performance against Xavier on Sunday with the injured Jeremy Hazell was pretty ugly. Is there enough scoring on this roster?
8:30 pm: Xavier vs. Old Dominion: The title game for the Paradise Jam pits two of the best teams from outside the power conferences. Xavier is 4-0, but they have yet to really look all that impressive. They had to rally late to beat Western Michigan, they were taken to overtime by IPFW, and without Hazell, Seton Hall only lost by five. The Muskies are not deep at all right now, and are relying on Tu Holloway -- who is averaging 27.0 ppg through four games. Old Dominion, on the other hand, has looked pretty tough this season, but thanks to a late barrage of three pointers in their home loss to Georgetown, the Monarchs are 3-1 without a real statement win -- beating Clemson by one isn't a statement. This game will absolutely be worth the watch.
Other Notable Games
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday's Pregame Beat: The Maui Invitational and CBE Classic kick off tonight |
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