The Panel is back to review a busy week, and to preview an even busier week! Purdue won a big one at Alabama earlier this week to reclaim the top spot in both polls. Houston also won a big game against Auburn in Birmingham in a game that came down to the wire. Arizona and UConn also managed really big wins this week, and Florida and Michigan had to sweat in a couple of games, but they both held on. We run through all the major conferences and preview the key teams in games in each league.
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
For our Hoops HD Report In Season Tournament Special where we run through all of the upcoming tournaments –CLICK HERE
-Neither Auburn or Houston had been tested coming into yesterday’s game, and Auburn had nearly blown their opener against Bethune Cookman, but both played at a high level in an exciting game that was close throughout and that came down to the final possession. Houston came up with a huge stop and held on for a 73-72 win in Birmingham. This series has been great for both teams. Auburn won it last year and both teams went on to go to the Final Four. Both look to be positioned to have big seasons again this year.
-Ohio State and Notre Dame played a close game that also came down to the last possession with Notre Dame missing what would have been a game winning shot at the buzzer. Ohio State held on to win 64-63. It was the first real test for either team and both still have a lot of work to do.
-Florida pulled away from Miami FL in the final ten minutes or so to go on to win 82-68. It’s been a good start for the Gators with wins over Florida State and now Miami FL. The early loss to Arizona will not end up being damaging.
-UNLV, who hadn’t looked good at all in their first few games, looked really good yesterday as they went into Memphis and won 92-78. they basically had a comfortable lead from tip to buzzer. Memphis now falls to just 1-2 on the year and even though it’s early you get the sense that they are falling behind.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-VCU AT NC STATE. VCU is one of the expected frontrunners in the A10, but has so far only managed to win home buy games. They’ve got a major test tonight against an NC State team that I think is a solid top 25 team despite them not being in the rankings (yet). Having said that, VCU is probably the best team NC State has faced so far this season, so we should learn a little more about them.
-TULSA AT KANSAS STATE. Both teams are unbeaten and while the preseason expectations weren’t all that high for either one of them, there is some reason for optimism and the winner tonight will have some early season momentum built up. Tulsa has a decisive win against Rhode Island under their belts, and K State won an exciting game against California their last time out.
-LMU AT UC SANTA BARBARA. LMU flew under the radar in the preseason, but they come into this one undefeated and looking for their 2nd true road win of the season. This is their biggest test of the year as UCSB is also unbeaten and will likely be one of the better teams in the Big West.
-OERGON STATE AT OREGON. The Civil War!!!! Both teams are unbeaten, and while neither has passed a major test yet, they’ve both managed to beat a few UTR teams that are at least decent. Oregon has battled injuries early on, but has managed to avoid any slipups and is starting to get healthier. This one is always fun and tonight likely will be as well.
-Saint Joseph’s @ Penn (Big 5) – Joe’s is still looking for their first road game, and I think can advance to the championship game with a win tonight.
-Southern Illinois @ North Dakota State – these are two solid UTR teams that are off to decent starts this season
-Florida A&M @ Georgia -Carolina (nonD1) @ Liberty -Oakland @ UCF -Lafayette @ West Virginia -Canisius @ High Point -Bucknell @ Pittsburgh -Stonehill @ Iowa State -SIUE @ Wisconsin – SIUE is off to a solid 3-1 start, but will likely get clobbered tonight -Prairie View A&M @ Missouri -Rice @ Tennessee -Southern Utah @ Gonzaga -Alabama State @ Colorado -Georgia State @ Arizona State -North Alabama @ Clemson
IT IS NOVEMBER MADNESS!!! Chad is joined by a full panel and they run through every single upcoming in-season tournament. The biggest event is the Players-Era Event that has multiple teams that are likely to end up not just in the NCAA Tournament, but end up with protected seeds. Other big events are the Maui Invitational, the Charleston Classic which features Clemson, Georgia, and West Virginia, the Battle 4 Atlantis where nearly all the teams are off to great starts, and much more.
For all the In-Season Tournament Brackets – CLICK HERE
And, for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
-In Boston, UConn jumped out to a big early lead against BYU and appeared to be cruising, but the Cougars just kept chipping away, and chipping away, and chipping away. They it down to 2pts, but could not quite get completely over the top and the Huskies held on to win 86-84. It’s hard to not be impressed with BYU despite the loss. They were without a key player, and while it wasn’t a true road game, it was a crowd that was very partial to UConn, and they were able to come back after a very rough start and almost pull off the win.
-Georgetown is off to a great start and the voters better take notice! They defeated Clemson 79-74 to remain unbeaten on the season. They’ve now racked up wins against Clemson and Maryland. Speaking of Maryland…
-The Terps went on the road and got a big 89-82 win at Marquette. This was a nice bounce back after the loss to Georgetown and was their first real meaningful win of the year. I liked this Marquette team in the preseason, but they’ve struggled early. They were also blown out by Indiana and have lost their only two games that weren’t home buy games.
-Yale struggled some with Stony Brook, but got the 86-79 win to remain unbeaten. I think Yale is one of the top UTR teams and may be good enough to make a run at the bubble.
-SMU got a huge battle from Butler, but held on to win 87-85. Butler had a shot to win it at the end of the game, but the 3-pointer did not go down. It was a nice win for SMU and a strong showing from a Butler team that has struggled in recent years, but may have some signs of life this year.
-Boise State escaped another upset loss as they got a battle from Montana State, but were able to hold them off 62-58. I don’t want to beat up on Boise State too much for this one. Montana State played a great game.
-Saint Bonaventure held on to beat Youngstown State 84-80. The game seesawed back and forth all throughout, and Youngstown had a chance to tie or win on their last possession, but air-balled what would have been a game-winning 3 and the Bonnies iced it with two late freethrows. Saint Bonaventure remains unbeaten, and Youngstown State falls to 2-2, but has played well in some pretty tough games this year and is showing signs of being one of the top ten UTR teams.
-Nebraska trailed Oklahoma at the half, but came back and picked up the 105-99 win over the Sooners in the Sanford Pentegon. This was a fun game to watch. It was two former rivals and two potential tournament caliber teams playing in a venue that was both packed and intimate.
-Santa Clara had no trouble with Nevada and picked up the 98-83 win. Santa Clara now has decisive wins at Xavier and at home against Nevada in back-to-back games. Those aren’t exactly top-ten caliber opponents, but those aren’t home buy games either. Santa Clara is looking really good.
-Grand Canyon fell to 2-2 and Saint Louis remains unbeaten after SLU picked up the win at home 78-64. At no point in the second half did it feel like SLU was not in complete control.
-New Mexico and New Mexico State was a battle, which it almost always is, but New Mexico State pulled away late in the game (it was very late, actually) and picked up the 76-68 win at home to remain unbeaten on the year.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-HOUSTON VS AUBURN (Birmingham, AL). The two faced each other last year early in the season, and both were in the Final Four a year ago. This year Houston comes into this one as the top ranked team, and while Auburn is also ranked in the top 25 they really haven’t shown that they deserve it yet. They’ve only played three home buy games and nearly lost the first one to Bethune Cookman. Having said that, it’s the first real test for Houston as well, so we should learn quite a bit about these two teams today.
-MIAMI FL VS FLORIDA (Jacksonville FL). Florida is high in the rankings, but they’re coming off a near upset loss to rival Florida State in a game where they didn’t exactly look like a top ten team. Still, the Gators have at least tested themselves so far this season. Miami comes into this one at 3-0, but has only played home buy games and has not been tested at all.
–Notre Dame @ Ohio State – Both teams are unbeaten, but have only played home buy games, so this is their first real test today.
-South Florida @ Kennesaw State – South Florida is looking for their first road win of the year
-Charlotte @ Virginia Tech – VA Tech is 3-0 with a win over Providence. They should get a bit of a test today, but it’s a winnable game for them
-Tennessee State @ Western Kentucky – WKU had a nice win at Eastern Kentucky earlier in the week and can stay unbeaten with a win today
-UNLV @ Memphis – UNLV has really struggled this year. Memphis is just 1-1, but both of their games have been tests. They won at home against San Francisco and lost on the road to Ole Miss. This is arguably the easiest game they’ve played all season up to this point.
-Colorado State @ Loyola Chicago – Colorado State comes in at 3-0 and is looking for their first road win.
-Akron @ Purdue – Akron comes in unbeaten and will likely have a big year in the MAC, but they are swinging way over their heads in this one
-Umass Lowell @ Wake Forest -TAMUCC @ Oklahoma State -Incarnate Word @ Indiana -Mount Saint Mary’s @ Cincinnati
HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the upcoming months covering several Georgetown basketball home games, with (hopefully) a very special reward coming in March. He was in attendance Saturday afternoon for the Hoyas’ game at Capital 1 Arena and prepared this photo essay about their matchup against Clemson.
My pregame birthday lunch was…underwhelming: lukewarm chicken strips/fries/toast from Raising Cane’s. The biggest non-conference home game in 2 years = the biggest flag they could find for the national anthem:
I was hoping for a huge turnout, and props to the student section which was at full-capacity…but the rest of the arena did not make it in time for the 12PM tip-off:
Let’s tip off the battle of the unbeatens:
I was not the only person in the house celebrating his big day, as it was also Clemson coach Brad Brownell’s birthday!
1 person I was surprised to NOT see (which is why he is not pictured) was Georgetown G Kayvaun Mulready: he has been a poor shooter this season (4-16 FG), but since he was tied for the conference lead with 7 STL, I assumed (incorrectly) that he would at least get some quality minutes on the defensive end. Speaking of poor shooting, the Hoyas are 1 of the worst shooting teams in the country from behind the arc (20 3P%), but F Caleb Williams knocked down a 3 on their opening possession and then another 3 later in the half:
His teammate Malik Mack went scoreless during the opening stanza of their game vs. Binghamton last Wednesday, but got off to a strong start today with a 3 and a pull-up J in the lane:
In contrast, the Tigers relied on their Twin Towers early on. 6’10” Nick Davidson (left) made a lefty layup off the glass, a baseline jumper, and a 3, while 6’11” Carter Welling (right) made a pair of layups, a lefty hook in the lane, and a 3 from the top of the key to help give the team in orange a 36-33 halftime lead:
Davidson showcased his entire array of offense around the rim in the 2nd half with a scoop, a put-back, and then backed down his opponent for a baby hook in the lane. 1 reason for his low-post success was that both of Georgetown’s big men were in serious foul trouble. 7’1″ Vince Iwuchukwu picked up his 4th foul with 16 minutes left, while 7-footer Julius Halaifonua fouled out with 14 minutes left. However, Iwuchukwu was able to play smart and made 2 key baskets down the stretch: an alleyoop dunk from Mack to give his team a 72-68 lead with 3 minutes left, and a jump shot in the lane with 14 seconds left to seal the deal:
The hero of the day was Georgetown G KJ Lewis. I did not think he could improve on his performance from the previous game (20 PTS/10 REB for his 1st career double-double)…but somehow he did. He made a STL that he turned into a dunk, then made a jumper from the FT line, a drive/scoop, and a 3-PT play that brought the crowd to its feet as the Hoyas hung on to win it 79-74. The stats of the Arizona transfer were simply spectacular: a career-high 26 PTS, a career-high 11-14 FTM, and tied a career-high with 5 STL while not committing a single turnover despite playing 37 minutes:
In the postgame press conference, I asked Coach Brownell whether seeing his family tonight after he heads home could still save his big day or if he would just be in a bad mood for the rest of the night (he entered today 6-1 as a head coach in the 7 career games that took place on his birthday). He said it would challenge him for sure: the 1 he lost was on his 40th birthday when he was head coach at Wright State. His wife had scheduled a party for him that night…and it ended up getting canceled(!), “but hopefully I am a little more mature for my 57th”:
With the win Geogetown became 1 of just 13 power-conference teams in the country with a 4-0 record, so I wondered if Coach Ed Cooley felt that his team deserved to be ranked in the top-25 when the next poll came out. He explained that polls do not mean much to him and that a high ranking is not his goal. If the voters feel his team is worthy then he certainly appreciates their vote, but he thinks we should get rid of preseason rankings and follow the example of college football where the playoff committee waits several weeks before announcing their picks. Of course they want to be ranked, but their focus is on their next game. That being said, “if you look at our body of work, we have some flaws…but I think that we are 1 of the best teams in America”:
That is a wrap for now, but check back next weekend when winless Wagner visits undefeated Georgetown!
-Arizona now has two major wins on their profile and the season isn’t even two full weeks old. They knocked off UCLA in an exciting 69-65 game that was close all throughout. It was UCLA’s first real test, and while they didn’t win it, and while it can take some time for the bad taste of a hard fought loss to a rival to wash out of your mouth, I think the Bruins are going to be fine. If anything I feel they’re better about how good they can be this year than I did before the game.
-Michigan, for the second game in a row, struggled to beat a team that I would have expected them to beat easily. They hung on to win at TCU 67-63. It was a road win, but it came down to the final seconds against a TCU team that has struggled this year. Michigan has not looked anything like the 6th best team despite still being unbeaten.
-I was expecting High Point to win at UAB and then sail through the rest of their schedule. They did not win at UAB. In fact, UAB pulled away late and the final score wasn’t even close. The 91-74 win for the Blazers makes me think UAB is better than I thought after they lost to Alabama State, and while High Point is good, they’re not quite as good as I thought prior to yesterday. This was a game High Point sort of needed because there aren’t really any other notable games remaining on their schedule. They could blow through the rest of the season and still not have any top 100 wins.
-UCF pulled away from Texas A&M in the second half to win 86-74. TAMU is off to a very rough start with two double digit home losses to Oklahoma State (who blew them out) and now UCF last night.
-One of the most exciting games of the night was Northwestern’s 81-79 win at DePaul. Northwestern is now 4-0 with a true road win on their resume. I don’t think they’ll be anywhere close to the bubble come March, but for now they’re off to a good start.
-Georgia got a battle from rival Georgia Tech at home, but finally pulled away in the final couple of minutes for the 92-87 win.
-Saint Mary’s absolutely destroyed North Texas 80-49. It was over about five minutes in. I had praised UNT for how well they had played against Oregon State prior to the boneheaded ending to that game, but they were absolutely dump-trucked last night.
-Last, but not least, Utah Tech knocked off Mississippi Valley State in a double overtime thriiller out in the Rainbow Classic. It was exciting! It was intense! But it was also NOT ON TV!!!!!!!!! WHY WASN’T THIS GAME STREAMED???!!!!!
(Bonus Note from Stalica)
-If we’re highlighting the Duke-West Virginia women’s game in the Greenbrier Classic from yesterday, either a) something good happened; b) something bad happened; c) something incredible happened. All of the above were correct – West Virginia upset #15 Duke 57-49 despite only having 5 players available for the second half. That would be because of a fight between the teams at halftime; most of the WVU players were ejected for leaving the bench to participate in said fight.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-BYU VS UCONN (Boston, MA) (***SPOTLIGHT GAME***). We learned on Friday that BYU will likely be without a key player due to an off the court incident. Everyone reading this knows what that is and who that is, so I’ll just leave it at that. That aside (and I know it’s a lot to set aside) it is a fantastic early season match-up between two top ten teams that are likely protected seeds and a chance for each to pick up a high caliber win that will undoubtedly boost the resume of whoever pulls this off. BYU did get a challenge from Villanova on opening night, which was a bit of a surprise, and UConn really hasn’t been tested at all yet, so it’s clearly the biggest gaem either team has played so far.
-CLEMSON AT GEORGETOWN. Both are unbeaten and Georgetown already has a big road win on their resume at Maryland, so they have proven they can play. Clemson has won three buy games and this is their first real test. Both are potential tournament teams, so this is a chance for an early season notable win. The energy around this game is more than what we’ve seen from Georgetown fans in a while. Are the Hoyas back??
-MARYLAND AT MARQUETTE. Even though it’s early there seems to be a sense of urgency to this game. Maryland lost at home to Georgetown and Marquette was beaten handily by Indiana. Both teams have potential, but neither has passed a real test yet.
-BUTLER AT SMU. I’m not yet sold on either team, but both are unbeaten and while they’ve only played buy games, they’ve both looked decent. SMU beat a fairly sold Murray State team the other night and Butler has blown out their opponents. We’ll learn something about both of them today.
-YOUNGSTOWNS TATE AT SAINT BONAVENTURE. I’m very excited about this one. In the young season, both teams have already managed statement wins. Youngstown went to Grand Canyon and won on the road, and Saint Bonaventure managed a good win against Bradley in the Field of 68 game. Both are unbeaten and it’s a chance to continue the early season momentum. If Youngstown wins this one, everyone will have to acknowledge that they’ve got a damn good early season resume!
-OKLAHOMA VS NEBRASKA (Sioux Falls SD). Big Red vs Big Red!!! Hello?? Anybody?? Oklahoma was beaten soundly by Gonzaga, but they still have the potential to have a good year, and I think Nebraska may be able to surprise some people as well. I know there isn’t much of a spotlight on this game and it just doesn’t feel right that they’re playing it at the Sanford Pentagon (nothing against that place, but Big Red vs Big Red should be a campus game), but this game could prove to be more important than what anyone realizes right now. It’s a neutral floor game between two potential tournament teams that could both end up near the bubble, and the outcome of this game could be a deciding factor as to whether or not these teams get in.
-NEVADA AT SANTA CLARA. I like both of these teams this year and am starting to think that Santa Clara may be a tournament caliber team. If they are then they need to show they can beat good teams at home, which is why this game feels so important even though it’s early. Both teams are 3-0, Santa Clara had the blowout win at Xavier a few nights ago, whereas Nevada has really had to sweat to win their last two games. If the Wolfpack don’t play better tonight they may get run over.
-GRAND CANYON AT SAINT LOUIS. If either team is going to make a run at the bubble, then this is the kind of game they both need to be able to win. It’s pretty much as simple as that.
-NEW MEXICO AT NEW MEXICO STATE. It’s the Rio Grande Rivalry!!! This is not the biggest rivalry in the country. Far from it. But, in terms of just how bitter it is, few are more bitter. If you know the history, you know it has gotten out of hand at times. It should be exciting this year as both teams come in with perfect records, but neither has been tested and New Mexico State hasn’t even played a D1 game yet. So, on top of everything else, it’s the first time we really get to learn anything about either team.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Ohio U @ Louisville – I think Ohio U can make some noise in the MAC this year, but they’re probably overmatched today
-Marshall @ Virginia – both teams are unbeaten and Marshall has already won two games away from home, but this is by far their toughest test so far
-Vermont @ Northeastern – Vermont is looking for their second road win and trying to stay unbeaten
-Penn State vs La Salle – Penn State is 3-0 and trying to pick up their second win away from home, although neither game will get them all that much credit. The other was at New Haven
-Stony Brook @ Yale – both teams are unbeaten and Yale is really good this year
-Saint Thomas @ SEMO – this is highlighted because these are two solid UTR teams. The Tommies are favored to win the Summit League and SEMO nearly knocked off Missouri the other night and looks to be one of the better teams in the OVC
-Sacred Heart @ Queens – another really good UTR matchup
-Syracuse @ Drexel – an odd road trip for Syracuse, but an effective way to pick up wins away from home
-UTEP @ Utah State – first road game for UTEP. Utah State should hold serve
-Montana State @ Boise State – Montana State is off to a bit of a slow start, but should still be one of the better teams in the Big Sky. Boise State’s resume is still reeling from the loss to Hawaii Pacific and their margin for error is much smaller now.
-Idaho @ UC San Diego – Idaho has a win at Wazzu, and UCSD is trying to stay unbeaten
-William & Mary @ Saint John’s – W&M will be fun to watch this year, but they are likely way too overmatched today
-Bowling Green @ Davidson – not sure what to make of either team yet, but both come in 3-0
-Old Dominion @ George Washington – GW is unbeaten and I think they’re good enough to make a run at the bubble. I think Old Dominion can make some noise in the Sun Belt, so this game does have some appeal to it
-James Madison @ Long Island – two solid UTR programs, both of whom are among the favorites to win their conferences. JMU is looking to bounce back from a tough loss at Longwood and could be in for another tough game tonight
-Duquesne @ Villanova – Duquesne comes in 3-0 and Nova has exceeded expectations. Their only loss was a hard fought game against BYU
-Portland @ Wyoming – I’m not big on either team, but both are 3-0 coming in, so I could be wrong
-Bradley @ San Francisco – Bradley is a good team despite being just 1-2, but this is probably their biggest test so far. San Francisco is a team that I think will land inside the bubble come March and they should be able to hold serve at home in this one.
BUY GAMES/CRAP GAMES:
-RIT (nonD1) @ Buffalo – Buffalo is unbeaten -South Alabama vs Coppin State (Showdown in Saint Pete) – Coppin State trying to stay unbeaten -Kansas City @ Texas -Princeton @ Kansas -New Hampshire @ George Mason -Miami OH @ Air Force – it’s a road game, but Miami should win as if it were a home buy game -Boston College @ Temple – Temple can get to 3-0 -Arkansas Pine Bluff @ Vanderbilt -SELA @ Mississippi State -Bethune Cookman @ Dayton – Dayton better not overlook them -Belmont @ Oral Roberts – Belmont can get to 3-0 and pick up their first road win -Northern Colorado @ Pepperdine – NOCO can get to 3-0 and pick up their first road win -Sam Houston @ Utah -Utah Valley @ Fresno State – this is a game UVU can win
