Today, like the last many Saturdays, we have a whole lot of games for your viewing pleasure so chose wisely ... or not and watch them all. Find the complete list of games right here ...
Marquee Match Up(s)
2:00pm Syracuse @ South Florida
After snapping their four game losing skid in dramatic fashion against UConn three days ago, you can bet they the Orange are not trying to let this game get away from them. Though brilliant in during the losing streak, Kris Joseph only had 11 points (on 3-of-11 from the floor) and 4 rebounds in 32 minutes. I’m pretty sure that these numbers and the winning do not have anything in common but it seems a little too easy to suspect that Joseph will defer the responsibility of winning to others in close games. Or is it that Joseph not being the main cannon the reason for the win? With this game against South Florida a win, at least on paper, let’s observe Joseph here who seems to be in a no win situation if that is the knock on him for the moment. This may be a very telling game, more so than any big numbers he might get here.
4:00pm Memphis @ Gonzaga
Gonzaga dodged a big bullet Thursday night when they beat Portland. A made layup or a couple of made free throws and this game could have been the other way around. Rob Sacre was huge in the game leading all scorers with 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and getting a game saving block on fellow Canadian Nem Mitrovic in the closing seconds to seal the win. Sacre has been looking like the player Elias Harris was last season this year and is playing the best ball of his career. Even though Memphis is not the same team that is was under John Calipari it is still a tough team to beat. If Sacre can replicate the game he had against Portland, then the Zags have a very good chance at getting the W.
7:00pm Duquesne @ St. Bonaventure
Duquesne may be the surprise team of the Atlantic 10 Conference but that will not faze the Bonnies. By all accounts, St. Bonaventure is also overachieving with their 4-4 conference record and the big reason (as you should know already) is Andrew Nicholson. After a mid-January slowdown in production, Nicholson has come up with back to back double-doubles and is averaging 30 points, 11 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks in those games and is making a strong case for himself as First Team All A-10. It will be interesting to see how he does in this game since the Dukes don’t have a true frontcourt player. This shorter, quicker lineup that will try to defend Nicholson may actually work to his advantage but we’ll have to wait and see.
9:00pm Texas Tech @ Texas
Texas Tech is no Kansas but they will make it hard for Texas to get the easy win, even though the Longhorns are riding a seven game winning streak. Both Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph combined for 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and 3 blocks in the 69-49 blowout win over Texas A&M this past Monday and will look to at least put up similar numbers in this game. Expect the Horns to make a quick strike on the scoreboard and if they do, it will likely be a short game for Thompson. But if they have to grind this one out, which is a possibility, it will actually play better into Thompson’s game as well as show off Joseph’s ability to run an big time offense and maybe hit another big time shot.
11:00pm Louisiana Tech @ Fresno State
Olu Ashaolu is working on three straight double-double games while his team is on a two game winning streak. He’s averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds in that span in just over 33 minutes a game. Fresno State is a couple of notches above the Louisiana Tech in the standings and this would be a great win for them now. They look to match up well on paper and going into a home and home series on a high note could be the turnaround that Tech needs to help salvage the rest of their season.
And here is where everyone else is playing today …
12:00pm Butler @ Cleveland State
1:00pm Central Arkansas @ Texas-Arlington
1:00pm Holy Cross @ Lafayette
1:00pm Northern Iowa @ Drake
1:00pm Richmond @ Fordham
1:45pm Kansas State @ Iowa State – The enigma that is Iowa State basketball continues today. After ripping through their non-conference schedule, the Cyclones are sitting at 1-7 in the Big 12. Both Jamie Vanderbeken and Melvin Ejim seem to also have lost their steam also. Vanderbeken is only got 5 points and one rebound in his last games against Colorado and has only hit double digits scoring once since his 20 point game against Oklahoma State. Ejim on the other hand has only hit double digits once in the last seven games. These two will to get it together against Kansas State since the Cyclones will need them with their very, very short bench.
2:00pm Loyola (IL) @ Detroit
2:00pm George Washington @ Charlotte – Dwayne Smith’s numbers aren’t eye popping but they are very solid. He’s been a potential double-double guy in every game and is really adept at getting boards from the small forward spot. Smith is a guy that rarely gets spoken off so I say check him out.
2:00pm UNC-Greensboro @ Western Carolina
3:00pm Bryant @ St. Francis (PA)
3:05pm Evansville @ Creighton
4:00pm Northeastern @ Hofstra
4:00pm Sacred Heart @ St. Francis (NY)
4:30pm Coppin State @ Bethune-Cookman
4:30pm Quinnipiac @ Long Island
6:00pm Mississippi @ Arkansas
6:00pm Arizona State @ Stanford
6:00pm Columbia @ Yale
6:00pm Cornell @ Brown
6:30pm Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Alabama State
7:00pm Harvard @ Penn
7:00pm Navy @ Bucknell
7:00pm Chattanooga @ Davidson
7:00pm Central Connecticut State @ Robert Morris
7:00pm McNeese State @ Stephen F. Austin – January has been Diego Kapelan’s month as he scored in double digits in six of seven games. If you exclude the 4 point performance he had against Nicholls State, Kapelan’s averaging 16.2 points. Will he continue on his scoring binge today?
7:00pm Appalachian State @ Elon
7:00pm Belmont @ North Florida
7:00pm Monmouth @ Wagner – Tyler Murray is coming off his eleventh straight double figure scoring game and his second straight 20 point night. Could this be his third in a row?
7:00pm New Hampshire @ Binghamton
8:00pm Drexel @ Delaware
8:00pm Arizona @ Cal
8:00pm IPFW @ Western Illinois
8:05pm Ark-Little Rock @ Louisiana-Lafayette
9:00pm Tennessee-Martin @ Tennessee State
9:05pm Morehead State @ Tennessee Tech
10:00pm Hawaii @ Idaho
10:00pm Santa Clara @ San Francisco – Santa Clara is streaking to five straight wins to end last month that include wins over both Portland and Gonzaga. It just so happens that Marc Trasolini is playing great during that streak averaging over 16 points, 5 rebounds and a block but he did not play in the team’s win over D2 UC-Santa Cruz Tuesday. There was not mention on the Broncos’ site or anywhere else I could immediately find as to why but to get the win against this very formidable San Francisco team, who has toppled Portland, Gonzaga as well as Santa Clara earlier this season, Traz will need to be contributing.
10:05pm UC Irvine @Cal Northridge
10:10pm Portland @ Seattle – Some missed layups and costly turnovers have Portland coming off a very tough home loss to Gonzaga Thursday night. The Pilots should still be stinging from it and they will be looking to take out any frustrations on Seattle. Portland’s Nem Mitrovic continues to be score from the outside having made 4-of-7 threes against the Zags for 16 points on the night and is averaging 14.5 in the last two contests. Look for this game to be a blowout and if it becomes it, expect to see lots of Jasonn Hannibal and Riley Barker while regulars watch from the bench.