Random thought for the Stanford-Yale game: Which team’s starting five has the higher SAT score? And would the combined scores be higher than the Duke-Princeton matchup earlier this season?
Anyway. Onto the slate.
Purdue at Michigan: The Boilermakers’ defense is in its usual nasty form, while the offense hasn’t stagnated quite like I thought it would without Robbie Hummel. Credit goes to JaJuan Johnson, D.J.Byrd and especially E’Twaun Moore for picking up the slack. They open their conference slate against an average Michigan team, but expect a fairly close game because neither team is going to push the pace.
Providence at Syracuse: Friars excel on offense. ‘Cuse has a formidable defense and a fine offense. But mostly I’m curious what’s in store for Fab Melo, the Orange’s touted freshman who finally seemed to figure out D-I hoops before the Christmas break. Now he’s in Big East play? Methinks more struggles are on the way.
Long Beach State at UC Santa Barbara: Dan Monson’s 49ers played the toughest non-conference schedule in the country. Maybe that’s why they’re 5-8. Too bad their conference slate opens against the Big West’s best team, too. Next time Monson needs a Centenary or Chicago State on the schedule.
(All times ET)
EAST
Oberlin at Bryant, 7 p.m.
Niagara at Drexel, 7 p.m.
Saint Joseph’s at Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Bucknell at Loyola, Md., 7 p.m.
Long Island U. at N.J. Tech, 7 p.m.
South Florida at Seton Hall, 7 p.m.
Siena at St. Bonaventure, 7 p.m.
North Carolina vs. Rutgers at Madison Square Garden, 9 p.m.
Providence at Syracuse, 9 p.m.
SOUTH
Alabama A&M at N.C. State, 4 p.m.
Fairfield at Florida, 7 p.m.
Charleston Southern at Georgia, 7 p.m.
Rider at Howard, 7 p.m.
Coppin St. at Kentucky, 7 p.m.
Union, Ky. at Liberty, 7 p.m.
Binghamton at Marshall, 7 p.m.
Kent St. at Morehead St., 7 p.m.
Dickinson at Radford, 7 p.m.
W. Carolina at UNC Asheville, 7 p.m.
Brescia at Austin Peay, 8 p.m.
Oakland, Mich. at Centenary, 8 p.m.
Pepperdine at Alabama, 9 p.m.
MIDWEST
Purdue at Michigan, 2 p.m.
DePaul at Cincinnati, 6 p.m.
Minnesota at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.
Albany, N.Y. at Xavier, 7 p.m.
Midland Lutheran at South Dakota, 8 p.m.
N. Dakota St. at UMKC, 8:05 p.m.
Ball St. at Valparaiso, 8:05 p.m.
SOUTHWEST
Okla. Panhandle St. at North Texas, 8 p.m.
Chicago St. at TCU, 8 p.m.
Central Baptist at Arkansas St., 8:05 p.m.
IPFW at Oral Roberts, 8:05 p.m.
W. New Mexico at UTEP, 9 p.m.
Sam Houston St. vs. Air Force at the Don Haskins Center, El Paso, Texas, 11 p.m.
FAR WEST
Fla. International at Utah Valley, 9 p.m.
Kennesaw St. at Wyoming, 9 p.m.
Colorado St. at San Francisco, 10 p.m.
Yale at Stanford, 10 p.m.
UC Riverside at UC Irvine, 10 p.m.
Pacific at CS Northridge, 10:05 p.m.
UC Davis at Cal St.-Fullerton, 10:05 p.m.
Hartford at California, 10:30 p.m.
Long Beach St. at UC Santa Barbara, 11 p.m..
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