In what is the first of the many Super Saturday's of NC-Double-Eh action, we have plenty of games for you including some very big ones that include Gonzaga, Texas and St. Bonaventure. Find out where all the men and women are playing today right here ...
Marquee Match Ups
Remember that you can find the full list of players playing in Division 1 right here.
3:15pm Gonzaga @ Illinois
5-0 Gonzaga takes on 7-0 Illinois. This should be fun. The Zags are coming off a sound drubbing of Notre Dame and even though they were a pre season All American short, a win over the Fighting Irish is still a big win. In that win, Rob Sacre and Kevin Pangos combined for 25 points and looked very good on the floor. Now this is not an Illinois team of the past but they are still very good. Sacre will likely have to tangle with Illini center Meyers Leonard who, at 7-foot and 245 lbs, can match up equally to him physically and should make this an interesting matchup in the post. Pangos on the other hand will have to contend with one of the three wily guards who can both score and pass. This game has the makings of a classic Gonzaga game that could go to the wire, if someone isn’t blown out early.
4:30pm Texas @ UCLA – Last week was tough for freshman point man Myck Kabongo but he started this week off a lot better. He netted 16 points, 7 assists, 4 rebs and a steal in 30 very productive minutes in Texas’ win over North Texas looking a lot like the player that most people tabbed as a possible All Conference selection. But the Bruins are definitely not North Texas. UCLA will be sending Jerime Anderson and Lazeric Jones, two very good guards, at Kabongo. Like the game the Longhorns played against NC State earlier in November, this is another test of his young talent and maybe more of his basketball character. Will Myck be able to play up to these two upperclassmen in hostile territory? We think so but this could be an ugly one overall, for Texas and Kabongo.
7:00pm St. Bonaventure @ Buffalo
Andrew Nicholson is coming off back-to-back games where he was held to single digit scoring which is uncommon for him. It seems to be no coincidence also that those two games resulted in close losses including a 9 point loss to Virginia Tech. What was a little surprising was that in the loss to Arkansas State this past Thursday, Nicholson only took eight shots making two. The upside is that he did also averaged 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1.5 assists in those losses which showed he was still active. This game against Buffalo could be the game that Nicholson needs to really get back on track with his scoring. He’s managed to play through defensive collapses in the past and this could just be an adjustment period so look for a monster game to come out here. Also to note is that Matthew Wright has been steady coming off the bench leading the team in assists and scoring when needed. This could also be a big game for him and if so we could expect a bigger role for Wright as the conference half of the season kicks in.
And here is where the rest of the men are playing today …
12:00pm North Carolina @ Kentucky – This will be a titanic game between two damn good squads. It should be a tight one throughout so playing time may be limited to the stars. Regardless, I think if Kyle Wiltjer gets in this game for more than 10 minutes Kentucky, it will show how much confidence Coach Cal has in him but that’s just my opinion.
12:00pm Iowa State @ Michigan – It will just be fun to watch Iowa State’s Melvin Ejim lock up Michigan’s Tim Hardaway, Jr. in this game. I’m not sure how or if he even can but Ejim is a great defender and it should be a personal challenge to him to keep him suffocated.
1:00pm Old Dominion @ Northeastern
1:00pm Richmond @ Wake Forest
2:00pm Cleveland State @ Detroit – I’ve always liked Detroit’s Jason Calliste’s game and not just because I’ve played against him when he was in my high school gym a few years ago. He carried the scoring load early last season before Ray McCallum and Eli Holman settled in and he can score in bunches. With a tough team like Cleveland State, I would expect he should get some looks that lead to buckets here.
2:00pm Navy @ Elon
2:15pm USC @ Minnesota
3:00pm St. Thomas (TX) @ Rice
3:00pm Ball State @ Tennessee-Martin – Tennessee-Martin’s Dane Smith has been playing some great ball over the last two weeks. He had earned more minutes towards the end of last season and this season he’s playing a lot more. In his last three games, Smith’s averaging 9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.5 minutes. His team may not win this contest but he’s going to play some good ball.
3:15pm Arkansas @ Connecticut
4:00pm Drexel @ Delaware
4:00pm Arizona State @ Tulsa
4:00pm West Virginia Tech @ Coppin State
4:00pm Bucknell @ La Salle – It had been over a year that Bucknell’s Bryson Johnson was held scoreless but that’s what he had against George Mason this past Wednesday. Are we in for another bust out type game tonight from him? If he’s hot, Johnson is unstoppable from deep.
4:00pm Delaware State @ Maryland-Eastern Shore
4:30pm Marquette @ Wisconsin – If for no other reason you watch this game of two very good in state rivals that should be a shootout, you need to watch Junior Cadougan and pre season All American Jordan Taylor go at it. Cadougan is a good defender, has great strength and is deceptively quick. Watch him look to lockdown Taylor, who can score with the best of them, will be a treat particularly since Taylor should have the taste of a close loss in Chapel Hill fresh in his mouth.
4:30pm UNC Greensboro @ Western Carolina
5:00pm Oregon vs. BYU – Olu Ashaolu is playing better in his last two games for Oregon and we think it’s due to comfort. He’s averaged 12.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and an assist in 26 minutes of action off the bench in those two contests including a filthy poster dunk on what was the entire Nebraska frontcourt. He should continue his improved play this afternoon.
5:00pm Idaho @ UC Davis
5:15pm Pittsburgh @ Tennessee – Khem Birch didn’t have a great game for Pitt in the battle of Pittsburgh this past Wednesday posting 2 points, 5 rebs and a block in 13 minutes that included three fouls. Maybe against a rugged Tennessee team that may be looking to steal a win, he could come out again.
7:00pm Long Island @ Mount St. Mary’s
7:00pm Furman @ Davidson
7:00pm Tennessee Tech @ Duquesne
7:00pm Brescia @ Eastern Kentucky
7:00pm St. Francis (NY) @ Wagner – Wagner’s Tyler Murray was a rebound shy of his third career double-double going for 19 points and 9 boards in the tight 78-73 loss to conference rivals Long Island. Murray started off December with a bang so let’s see if it continues tonight.
7:00pm Lehigh @ Cornell
7:00pm Army @ Binghamton
7:00pm Furman @ Davidson
7:30pm South Dakota @ IPFW
8:00pm Portland @ Saint Louis – Portland’s Nem Mitrovic’s shooting has been hot and cold all season so far and it’s seems a little odd. Against Kentucky a week ago, he hung 20 points on them including 6 threes. In 28 minutes but then followed up this past Tuesday by going 1-of-8 from the floor for 4 points against DIII Lewis & Clark College in 22 minutes. He seems to come out for the big teams and with Saint Louis having been named to the AP’s Top 25 this week he might come alive in this game.
8:00pm Air Force @ Drake
8:00pm South Dakota State @ Western Illinois
9:05pm North Dakota @ Idaho State
9:05pm Johnson & Wales (Den) @ Northern Colorado
10:00pm San Diego @ UC Irvine
10:00pm Cal Northridge @ Santa Clara
10:00pm Bradley @ Wyoming
And here is where the ladies are playing today …
12:00pm Bryant @ Quinnipiac
1:05pm Lehigh @ Valparaiso
2:00pm Coppin State @ Howard
2:00pm Rhode Island @ Brown
2:00pm St. Peter’s @ Akron
2:00pm St. Bonaventure @ Binghamton
2:00pm Ohio @ Duquesne – Wumi Agunbiade has led Duquesne in scoring in three of the Dukes six games including a career high 32 points two games ago. This has the makings of a good game for her.
2:00pm Princeton @ UMBC
3:00pm Penn State @ Texas Tech – Guard Christine Hyde had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists in 29 minutes in Texas Tech’s romp over Texas State this past Wednesday.
3:00pm Long Island @ Mount St. Mary’s
3:05pm Southern Utah @ Oral Roberts
4:00pm Talledega @ Mississippi Valley State
4:00pm Monmouth @ Robert Morris
4:00pm Albany @ Siena
4:00pm Fairleigh Dickinson @ St. Francis (PA)
4:00pm St. Francis (NY) @ Wagner
5:00pm Northwestern @ Missouri – Karly Roser may be a fresh(wo)man but she’s playing like anything but one. She’s leading Northwestern in assists (8.0) and steals (3.0) and had already had two double-doubles in assists and scoring. This game against Missouri could be a tough one and we’re sure rookie Roser will be up to the challenge.
6:00pm Syracuse vs. BYU – Kayla Alexander was held to 6-of-16 shooting yesterday as Syracuse fell to Arizona 80-74 in their first game of the Hukilau Tournament in Hawaii. Alexander still managed a double-double though posting 13 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Today they face BYU and we think that the bitter taste of defeat from 20 hours prior will still be fresh in her mouth. Expect a big outing here.
7:00pm Hawaii @ Columbia
7:00pm Montana @ Weber State