Men's College Basketball National Preview
Conference basketball is in full swing now, meaning many marquee matchups nationwide.
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) dunks the ball during the NCAA men s basketball game against the Xavier Musketeers, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue Boilermakers won 83-71.
#22 Ole Miss at #5 Tennessee
Big 12 fans know all too well about Chris Beard, and right now, he has the Rebels as the talk of college basketball. Keeping up with their hot start will be challenging, traveling to Tennessee, where the Vol's margin score of victory at home is 14 points. Ole Miss has been shooting nearly 50% from the field this season, but many questions remain around the team, as their schedule has been relatively easy to start the season. Tennessee has become a juggernaut in the SEC and looks to retain that title and get their first win in conference play.
Harvard at Princeton
In what could come down to a key game regarding seeding for the Ivy League tournament after conference play, the two foes matchup early. While Princeton is the better team-handedly on paper, Malik Mack for the Crimson will keep this game tight, averaging 20 points per game and shooting nearly 50% from the field. Princeton is one of the top-scoring teams in the country, averaging about 80 points a game and winning their last ten games by an average of 17 points per game.
Texas Tech at #20 Texas
This might be the best game this weekend between Big 12 teams. Texas has been struggling based on pre-season expectations, and the Red Raiders are looking to have bounced back from last year's disappointing results. Tech is a deadly team from beyond the arc, averaging nearly ten three-pointers made a game, while the Longhorns only surrender around six a game. For the Red Raiders, Warren Washington emerged as the star on the team, averaging nearly a double-double a game and playing well in tandem with Pop Issacs. Texas will look to keep their win streak at home intact behind the performance of Tyrese Hunter and Max Abmas.
Utah at #10 Arizona
Utah has been a surprise team this year in the Pac-12, finding themselves fourth in the conference in points per game at 80. Traveling to Arizona will not be easy; however, the Wildcats have cemented themselves as one of the top teams in the country year after year, and this season will be no different. The Wildcats will look to slow down Branden Carlson and Gabe Madsen for the Utes, who have accounted for nearly 33% of the team's points this season.
#9 Illinois at #1 Purdue
This game is a Friday night matchup but should be included regardless. A top-ten matchup deserves a lot of eyes on it, especially when it will already play a significant role in conference standings. Purdue, the nation's number one team, is not in first in the Big 10 after being upset by Northwestern to start their conference matchups. Zach Edey, the unanimous best player in the country, is averaging nearly 21 points and ten rebounds per game and has only gotten better as the season has progressed. Both teams have been tested already to start the season, with Illinois losing a close one to Tennessee and the Boilermakers beating the then-at-the-time number-one team, Arizona. There will be fireworks in Lafayette for this one, and if you are looking for prime college basketball, this one starts at 7:30 on Friday night.
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