Today we have a double dose of Syracuse as Kris Joseph and the men take on Florida in the Big East/SEC Challenge while Kayla Alexander and the women take on Arizona in Hawaii plus a whole lot more right here ...
Marquee Match Up
Remember that you can find the full list of players playing in Division 1 right here.
7:00pm Florida @ Syracuse
This will be a big game for both these teams. Both are Top 25 teams and they both know how to play a high scoring game so this should be exciting. Syracuse star senior Kris Joseph had been playing great ball in the NIT Tip-Off Classic averaging 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds but kinda fell of a little in the win against a lesser Eastern Michigan team three nights ago but that has been the pattern for him. Joseph seems to play up to the competition and these Gators will be some competition. I’m not sure who’ll be defending Kris since Florida plays four guards , small ones might I add, heavy minutes so there may be a mismatch somewhere either in quickness or height. Let’s see what he can do against what should be the best team the Orange have faced up to this point. A side note, the Gators are top ten in the NCAAs in scoring (3rd at 90.8) and rebounds per game (6th at 42.7) as well as top 30th in assists (11th at 18.3) and field goal percentage (28th at .448). Syracuse counters with 18th in scoring (83.1). 53rd in rebounds (39.4), 13th in assists (18.0) and 27th in field goal percentage (.489). This should be a dogfight making it must watch TV.
And here are where the rest of the men are playing …
7:00pm Fairfield @ Niagara
7:00pm Iona @ Canisius
7:00pm Manhattan @ Rider
8:00pm Northwestern @ Missouri – Missouri is playing incredible basketball and are a Top 25 team and though Canadian Kadeem Green is not a star on the team, he’s playing minutes and has had a few highlight reel dunks so far. This could be a night for one of those games where he has one. Green did go for 8 points and 5 rebounds in 15 minutes in the win over Binghamton this past Sunday.
And here is where the ladies are playing …
6:00pm Niagara @ Colgate
7:00pm Pennsylvania @ Notre Dame- The return of Natalie Achonwa to the Notre Dame lineup for her third game back is cause to watch one of the best teams in women’s basketball.
8:00pm Syracuse vs. Arizona – Syracuse’s Kayla Alexander will be playing against a tough Arizona team tonight after having walked over every squad they played thus far. In the last win for the Orange, a 70-47 win over Boise State, she had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in 26 minutes. The big thing for the ‘Cuse will be that his game will be in Hawaii in the Hukilau Invitational and the time difference. Will they be able to overcome this and ‘Zona?
8:00pm North Dakota State @ Western Illinois
8:00pm Marquette @ Green Bay – Here is another big game on the women’s side – a battle of Wisconsin. Katherine Plouffe had been playing very well for Marquette and had a 16 point, 14 rebound, 4 assist, 3 steal game against New Orleans three nights ago. She’s the team’s leading scorer and rebounder right now also. For Green Bay, freshman Megan Lukan is averaging 2.6 points and 3 boards in an efficient 13 minutes a game so she should see some action here.
10:00pm San Diego State @ Washington State
10:00pm San Francisco @ UC Santa Barbara
10:00pm Long Beach State @ Seattle U.