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Pregame Shootaround 12.31.12: Loaded slate for New Year’s Eve

Keith Appling, Julien Lewis

Michigan State’s Keith Appling, left, drives against Texas’ Julien Lewis during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 67-56. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

AP

Game of the Day: 2:00 p.m.: No. 19 Michigan State at No. 11 Minnesota (ESPN2)

How good are the Gophers this year? Well, they’re ranked in the top 15. And they’re 12-1 on the season. And they’ve beaten ... Memphis? Stanford? Florida State? South Dakota State without Nate Wolters? You can only play who is on the schedule, and the Gophers have beaten everyone they’ve lined up against with the exception of the No. 1 team in the country, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Gophers’ ranking is a bit inflated due to the struggles of some of their opponents.

Michigan State is legit. They are big, they have athletic, they have a veteran ball-club and they’re coached by Tom Izzo. Keeping in mind that this game is played in Minneapolis, this may be our best chance to truly gauge how good Minnesota is this season.

Who’s Getting Upset?: 4:00 p.m.: No. 5 Indiana at Iowa (ESPN2)

You want to know how to make some money in Vegas? Bet on ranked teams playing solid unranked teams on the road. Especially in league play. Iowa is better than you think this season, and while they are a young team that is still getting better, I think they have the pieces to give Indiana some trouble. Roy Devyn Marble has been on fire of late, and Hawkeye fans will be hoping that a nine day layoff won’t change that.

Mid-Major Matchup of the Day: 8:00 p.m.: Harvard at St. Mary’s (ESPN2)

Harvard is coming off of a win at Cal in which their star point guard, freshman Siyani Chambers, struggled. St. Mary’s is better than Cal, but Chambers should put on a better performance than he did on Saturday night. Seeing the freshman go up against Matthew Dellavedova should be great entertainment for all those watching.

Five Things to Watch

1. 12:00 p.m.: No. 8 Cincinnati at No. 24 Pitt (ESPN2): Outside of a game against Michigan in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT, Pitt has been wholly untested in the non-conference portion of their schedule. They’ll be hosting a Cincinnati team that is coming off of their first loss of the season, which came at home against New Mexico. Are the Panthers for real? (And don’t call it an upset if they win.)

2. 6:00 p.m.: No. 13 Gonzaga at No. 22 Oklahoma State (ESPN2): Hard to believe that this could end up being the fourth-best game of the day, but that’s the truth. This should be a terrific gauge for both the Zags and the Pokes. Gonzaga finally has a tough road test while Oklahoma State will be playing their best opponent of the season.

3. 7:30 p.m.: New Mexico at St. Louis (CBS Sports Net): We know how good New Mexico is, but St. Louis is still a question mark. A lot of people picked them to win the A-10 this season, but they just got their star point guard Kwamaine Mitchell over the weekend. He had four points, five assists, three turnovers and shot 2-7 from the field in 19 minutes in his season-debut.

4. 4:00 p.m.: St. Joseph’s at Drexel: An intra-city battle between two schools from Philly that both need to prove themselves. Drexel has been a massive disappointment this season, while the Hawks have been far too inconsistent to be considered a threat for an at-large bid.

5. 2:00 p.m.: Bowling Green at Temple: The last time Temple played, they beat Syracuse at Madison Square Garden. The last time Temple played at home, they lost to Canisius. Which team shows up against Bowling Green?

The Rest of the Top 25


  • 2:00 p.m.: South Dakota at No. 25 Kansas State
  • 3:00 p.m.: Central Connecticut State at No. 9 Syracuse (ESPNU)
  • 5:00 p.m.: UNC Greensboro at No. 23 NC State (ESPNU)

Other Notable Games


  • 5:00 p.m.: Utah State at Texas State
  • 7:00 p.m.: Nevada at Oregon (Pac-12)
  • 8:00 p.m.: North Texas at Middle Tennessee State (ESPNU)

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.