Games of Interest - December 18 through 25, 2017

[njhoya78]

It’s the final week of first semester exams, and the last week before an abbreviated Christmas break for college basketball. The largest drop in ranked teams was earned by the Shockers of Wichita State, which fell eight slots after losing to then un-ranked Oklahoma, and by the Pirates of Seton Hall, who fell in Piscataway to un-ranked Rutgers in the Garden State Hardwood Classic. The Big East Conference now has four teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, as Villanova remained at #1 for a second consecutive week. Xavier moved up a slot to #9, Seton Hall dropped to #15, and Creighton joined the ranks of the ranked at #25. Notre Dame (formerly #18) and Florida (formerly #22) dropped out of the Top 25, replaced by Creighton and Oklahoma (now #17).

All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.

Monday, December 18

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
Northern Illinois at Marquette, 7:00 pm (Fox Sports 1)
Texas-Arlington at #25 Creighton, 9:00 pm (Fox Sports 1)

OUT-OF-CONFERENCE
Mount St. Mary’s at American, 7:00 pm
Howard at Jacksonville State, 8:00 pm

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
Houston Baptist at #2 Michigan State, 6:00 pm (Big Ten Network)
Charleston Southern at #24 Florida State, 7:00 pm (ESPN-U)
Nebraska Omaha at #14 Kansas, 7:00 pm (ESPN 2)
Indiana Purdue Indianapolis at #12 Gonzaga, 9:00 pm
North Dakota State at #19 Arizona, 9:00 pm (Pacific 12 Network)
Texas Southern at #15 Texas Christian, 9:00 pm

Tuesday, December 19

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
Marshall at #9 Xavier, 6:30 pm (Fox Sports 1)
Morehead State at Butler, 8:30 pm (Fox Sports 1)

OUT-OF-CONFERENCE
Buffalo at Syracuse, 7:00 pm (ACC Network)
North Carolina A&T at Southern Illinois, 8:00 pm (ESPN 3)

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
Arkansas Pine Bluff at #20 Cincinnati, 7:00 pm (ESPN 3)
Northwestern State at #17 Oklahoma, 7:00 pm
Savannah State at #13 Virginia, 7:00 pm (ACC Network Extra)
Arkansas State at #11 Wichita State, 8:00 pm (ESPN 3)
Florida Atlantic at #21(T) Texas Tech, 8:00 pm
Northern Kentucky at #8 Texas A&M, 8:00 pm (SEC Network +)
Longwood at #3 Arizona State, 9:00 pm

Wednesday, December 20

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
St. John’s vs. Saint Joseph’s at Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase, Uncasville CT, 4:30 pm (ESPN-U)
North Texas at Georgetown, 7:00 pm (Fox Sports 2)
Providence vs. Houston at Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase, Uncasville CT, 7:00 pm (ESPN-U)
Wagner at #23 Seton Hall, 7:00 pm (Fox Sports 1)
South Carolina Upstate at #25 Creighton, 9:00 pm (Fox Sports 1)

OUT-OF-CONFERENCE
Coppin State at #11 West Virginia, 7:00 pm
Maine at Central Connecticut State, 7:00 pm
Maryland Eastern Shore at Iowa State, 7:00 pm
Northern Arizona at Jacksonville, 7:00 pm (ESPN 3)

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
Evansville at #4 Duke, 7:00 pm (ESPN 2)
Southern at #18 Baylor, 8:00 pm
Furman at #21(T) Tennessee, 9:00 pm (SEC Network)
Wofford at #5 North Carolina, 9:00 pm (ESPN 2)

Thursday, December 21

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
American at Marquette, 7:00 pm (Fox Sports 1)
Western Illinois at Butler, 7:00 pm (Fox Sports Network)
Miami (Ohio) at DePaul, 9:00 pm (Fox Sports 1)

OUT-OF-CONFERENCE
Alabama A&M at Michigan, 9:00 pm (ESPN-U)
Howard vs. Texas-El Paso at Sun Bowl Invitational Tournament, El Paso TX, 9:00 pm

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
Tennessee State at #16 Purdue, 6:00 pm
Cleveland State at #20 Cincinnati, 7:00 pm (ESPN 3)
Long Beach State at #2 Michigan State, 7:00 pm
Southern Mississippi at #24 Florida State, 7:00 pm (ACC Network Extra)
Buffalo at #8 Texas A&M, 9:00 pm (SEC Network)
Connecticut at #19 Arizona, 9:00 pm (ESPN 2)
#12 Gonzaga at San Diego State, 10:00 pm (CBS Sports Network)
#14 Kansas at Stanford, 11:00 pm (ESPN 2)

Friday, December 22

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
Sacred Heart at Providence, 6:30 pm (Fox Sports 1)
#1 Villanova vs. Hofstra at Uniondale NY, 8:30 pm (Fox Sports 1)
#9 Xavier at Northern Iowa, 9:00 pm (CBS Sports Network)

OUT-OF-CONFERENCE
North Carolina A&T vs. Radford at Las Vegas Classic, Las Vegas NV, 3:00 pm
Maine at Massachusetts, 4:00 pm
Howard vs. North Dakota State or North Carolina Wilmington at Sun Bowl Invitational Tournament, El Paso TX, 7:00 pm or 9:00 pm
Jacksonville at North Carolina State, 7:00 pm
Mount St. Mary’s at Coppin State, 7:00 pm
St. Bonaventure at Syracuse, 7:00 pm (ACC Network)
Maryland Eastern Shore at Drake, 8:00 pm

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
Abilene Christian at #21(T) Texas Tech, 3:00 pm
Pacific at #3 Arizona State, 3:00 pm (Pacific 12 Network)
Florida Gulf Coast at #11 Wichita State, 7:00 pm (CBS Sports Network)
Hampton at #13 Virginia, 7:00 pm (ACC Network Extra)
Northwestern at #17 Oklahoma, 7:00 pm (ESPN 2)
William & Mary at #15 Texas Christian, 9:00 pm

Saturday, December 23

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
Alabama A&M at Georgetown, 12:00 noon (Fox Sports 1)
Manhattan at #23 Seton Hall, 12:00 noon (Fox Sports Network)

OUT-OF-CONFERENCE
Davidson at Boston College, 1:00 pm (ACC Network)
North Carolina A&T vs. California Davis or Lamar at Las Vegas Classic, Las Vegas NV, 3:00 pm or 5:30 pm

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
#6 Miami (Florida) at Hawai’i, 1:00 am (ESPN-U)
Fordham at #10 West Virginia, 12:00 noon
#21(T) Tennessee at Wake Forest, 12:30 pm (ESPN 2)
#5 North Carolina vs. Ohio State at CBS Sports Classic, New Orleans LA, 1:30 pm (CBS)
#7 Kentucky vs. California Los Angeles at CBS Sports Classic, New Orleans LA, 4:00 pm (CBS)

Sunday, December 24

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
No games scheduled

OUT-OF-CONFERENCE
No games scheduled

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
No games scheduled

Monday, December 25

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
No games scheduled

OUT-OF-CONFERENCE
No games scheduled

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25
No games scheduled

[EtomicB]

Marquette is in a battle with Northern Illinois right now on FS1, they're down 47-45 with 15:10 left in the game..

[Deleted]

I don't know if anybody's interested in it... but Indiana loses by 20 to Fort Wayne.

Yikes.

IU just beat Notre Dame, too.

[iowa80]

Any game in which a frosh--Trae Young of OU--has 22 assists should qualify as "of interest." Next year's draft class should be something else.

[hoyaboya]

Providence loses by double digits to Houston.

[mfk24]

Dec 20, 2017 21:10:43 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Providence loses by double digits to Houston.

They really struggle to score the basketball. Add in a few injuries to key guys who played but were clearly not 100%, and it's gonna be an up and down season for the Friars.

[EtomicB]

Dec 20, 2017 21:18:22 GMT -5 mfk24 said:

Dec 20, 2017 21:10:43 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Providence loses by double digits to Houston.

They really struggle to score the basketball. Add in a few injuries to key guys who played but were clearly not 100%, and it's gonna be an up and down season for the Friars.

I’m still gonna ride the PC bandwagon but it’s getting to be a lonely and cold ride..

[bamahoya11]

Wofford may be about to knock off UNC in Chapel Hill.

[Deleted]

It's a wrap...

That kid is shooting 58% from 3 and making 5 a game... Unreal.

[FrazierFanatic]

Possibly the most amazing stat - Woodford had 7 or 8 blocks.

[bamahoya11]

Dec 20, 2017 23:13:51 GMT -5 FrazierFanatic said:

Possibly the most amazing stat - Woodford had 7 or 8 blocks.

I just saw them grab a ball off the fingertips of UNC. Incredible job closing out a game. Surprising strength inside. Just goes to show that no team is immune from losing to a mid major school that gets hot. Wofford is a good team, but still a win like that in Chapel Hill is something.

[SSHoya]

Tarheels were favored by 25.5!!!

[hoyazeke]

Dec 20, 2017 23:13:51 GMT -5 FrazierFanatic said:

Possibly the most amazing stat - Woodford had 7 or 8 blocks.

Most amazing fact is that UNC made a run and cut Wofford's lead to about 5/6pts with 8mins left. I figured UNC would blow them out.....

[FrazierFanatic]

Dec 21, 2017 13:29:48 GMT -5 hoyazeke said:

Dec 20, 2017 23:13:51 GMT -5 FrazierFanatic said:

Possibly the most amazing stat - Woodford had 7 or 8 blocks.

Most amazing fact is that UNC made a run and cut Wofford's lead to about 5/6pts with 8mins left. I figured UNC would blow them out.....

True. I got the sense that they thought Wofford would just fold up when it got close, so they eased off the gas just a touch.

[hoyarooter]

I'd also be willing to bet that the Wofford players don't take phony classes.

[augustusfinknottle]

St. Bonaventure 60
Syracuse 57
OT

[hoya95]

Well, it was a very similar game to a point. St. Bonaventure was up 13 on Syracuse in the 2nd half, then Syracuse pressed their way into overtime. But St. Bonaventure rallied and won, 60-57. No idea what it says about us or the game last week. It just always feels good when Syracuse loses. Especially at home.

[hoyasaxa2003]

Dec 22, 2017 21:40:36 GMT -5 hoya95 said:

Well, it was a very similar game to a point. St. Bonaventure was up 13 on Syracuse in the 2nd half, then Syracuse pressed their way into overtime. But St. Bonaventure rallied and won, 60-57. No idea what it says about us or the game last week. It just always feels good when Syracuse loses. Especially at home.

St. Bonaventure was ranked 60 on KenPom coming into today whereas Syracuse was 52 - so Syracuse was favored, especially since it’s a home game, but it wasn’t entirely shocking given how close the two teams are.

For reference, Georgetown is now ranked 103rd. The numbers on Sagarin are similar.

[Nevada Hoya]

At half time of the UCLA-Kentucky game Calipari was complaining about the freshmen mistakes. Well, Cal, if you continue to go for the one-and-dones, this is going to be your mantra forever and you can't complain.

[hoyarooter]

Dec 24, 2017 14:17:31 GMT -5 @kmdhoya said:

UConn has played 5 games this year on national television and has lost those games by a combined 104 points.

That'll teach 'em to overschedule. Next year they will play Alabama A&M 11 times.