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Pregame Shootaround 11.29.12: A preview of Thursday’s action

Mike Brey

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey points during action with Monmouth Monday Nov. 12, 2012 in South Bend, Ind. (Associated Press Photo/Joe Raymond)

AP

Each day, CollegeBasketballTalk brings you the “Pregame Shootaround,” which will be posted at 2 p.m. ET and lay out a preview for the slate of games that night. We’ll take a look at some key match-ups and important games, as well as make some predictions and point out what you need to watch for. Take a look below at today’s edition:

Game of the Night: No. 8 Kentucky at Notre Dame (7 PM)
The young Wildcats will play a team from the state of Indiana this season, as they visit South Bend to take on the Fighting Irish. Ryan Harrow has returned to the program but it remains to be seen how much playing time he’ll get as John Calipari has hitched his wagon to Archie Goodwin at the point.

Notre Dame’s got a talented and experienced backcourt led by Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant with both posting double-doubles in a 92-65 win over Chicago State. The individual match-up most will be focused on: Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel and Notre Dame’s Jack Cooley. If one of these two ends up in early foul trouble that will shift momentum in the opposite direction.

Who’s getting upset? No. 7 Florida against Marquette (9 PM)
Given the fact that there are only three games involving Top 25 teams (Lewis & Clark State visits No. 12 Gonzaga) this is the obvious selection. If the Golden Eagles are to win they’ll need big men Chris Otule and Davante Gardner to hold their own against Florida junior Patric Young. Jamil Wilson (Marquette) and Erik Murphy (Florida) should be a good individual battle, and it remains to be seen if Marquette guard Vander Blue (questionable due to a knee injury) is able to go. Both teams have perimeter depth, but is Buzz Williams’ team ready for the “Rowdy Reptiles?”

Mid-Major Match-Up of the Night: Long Beach State at Loyola Marymount (10 PM)
The overall schedule is a bit light but two of the better guards out west will be on display in this one. Senior wing James Ennis is expected to lead the way for Long Beach State and point guard Mike Caffey isn’t too shabby himself. They visit LMU point guard Anthony Ireland, who may be the best point guard in the country that fans don’t get to see on television on a regular basis. The Beach has just nine available players (Tony Freeland, Edgar Garibay and Keala King become eligible at the end of the semester) so guys such as Ennis and Dan Jennings can’t afford to land in early foul trouble.

Five Things to Watch For:

1) Tarik Black out for Memphis. Black won’t play tonight against UT-Martin in a game the Tigers should win. The big questions for Memphis: will they be focused enough to take care of business immediately, and what happens with Black on Friday?

2) How good is LSU? Johnny Jones’ Tigers are 4-0 on the season but those wins have come at the expense of UCSB, McNeese State, Northwestern State and Mississippi Valley State. Junior wing Shavon Coleman (17.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg) has been highly productive thus far and Memphis transfer Charles Carmouche is averaging 10.0 ppg, but we’ll learn more about this team as they host Seton Hall.

3) Ramon Galloway and Tyreek Duren (La Salle) take on Nurideen Lindsey and Anthony Myles (Rider). Galloway and Duren are averaging a combined 30.8 ppg while Lindsey and Myles aren’t far behind with a combined average of 29.9 ppg.

4) Conference play begins in the Sun Belt. Last night the MAAC (Iona beat Niagara) played the first official conference game (Oklahoma/West Virginia doesn’t count in the Big 12 standings) of the season and the Sun Belt will follow suit with five league games tonight. That includes East Division favorite Middle Tennessee opening at Louisiana-Lafayette and reigning Sun Belt tourney champ Western Kentucky taking on Louisiana-Monroe.

5) The return of Bruce Ellington. South Carolina’s best guard will be with the team tonight as they take on St. John’s in the SEC/Big East Challenge. Ellington, also a productive member of Steve Spurrier’s football team, will be with Frank Martin’s squad until the football team begins preparation for its bowl game.

The Rest of the Top 25:

Lewis & Clark State at No. 12 Gonzaga (9 PM)

Other Notable Games:

La Salle at Rider (7 PM)

South Carolina at St. John’s (7:30 PM)

UT-Martin at Memphis (8 PM)

Seton Hall at LSU (9:30 PM)

UTSA at Oregon (10 PM)

Raphielle also writes for the NBE Basketball Report and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.