High-Major Men’s Basketball Game Breakdowns Nov. 11-13
Welcome to the first installment of the men’s basketball previews for high-major conference schools. Like Football Championship Subdivision in football (to use as an example), these are schools that may not be big enough to earn trips to the NCAA tournament on a regular basis but they may be schools you recognize. We have nine conferences that classify as high majors: The Atlantic 10, the Colonial Athletic Association, Conference USA, the Horizon League, Mid-American Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Mountain West Conference, Western Athletic Conference and West Coast Conference. Not all of these leagues will be featured each week, but look for big games involving these nine leagues here.
BRIGHAM YOUNG AT UTAH STATE (9:05 p.m. Friday at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah)
This is a new era for Brigham Young, which joins the West Coast Conference after all these years spent as an independent school. What better way to start your basketball season off than with a game against an in-state rival? Brigham Young holds a 136-91 edge in the all-time series, and Utah State holds a 59-51 margin in games played at Logan. Brigham Young has won five of its six openers under head coach Dave Rose, so this could be a great game if you’re a BYU fan. Oh, speaking of season openers… someone could be disappointed. Did you know Utah State has won 16 of its last 17 openers dating back to the 1993-94 season? Did you also know Utah State has won 23 straight home games against in-state competition? What a way to tip things off.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT PURDUE (7 p.m. Friday at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana)
Northern Illinois comes across the border for an Illinois/Indiana showdown against a Big Ten Conference foe, which marks the rededication of venerable Mackey Arena. Purdue comes off a 26-8 season and runner-up position in the Big Ten, and the game marks the return of scoring sensation Robbie Hummel to the lineup. Hummel suffered two right ACL tears that cost him over a year on the sidelines. This is the first meeting for the teams in nearly 40 years; in the first and only meeting on December 7, 1971, Purdue beat Northern Illinois 112-85. It may be hard for Northern Illinois to win here; Purdue has won all six of its openers under Coach Matt Painter and is 86-12 under their coach at home.
RHODE ISLAND AT GEORGE MASON (7:30 p.m. Friday at Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia)
A non-conference contest pitting members of the A-10 and the CAA, this game marks the debut of Paul Hewitt on the George Mason sidelines. Hewitt, the former coach at Georgia Tech, took the George Mason job when Jim Larranaga left to take the open Miami job. Rhode Island is coming off a 20-14 season and a 9-7 mark in A-10 play, and returning scorer Nikola Malesevic’s 10.2 points per game leads Rhode Island into battle. George Mason has won 14 games in a row at the Patriot Center dating back to March 2010; the all-time record for consecutive home wins is 29, set in 1974 and 1975. George Mason was 27-7 last year and 16-2 in the CAA. The team is coming off a 90-62 win over Lycoming in exhibition play, led by Bryon Allen and Erik Copes with 13 points each.
BUTLER AT EVANSVILLE (3:05 p.m. Saturday at Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana)
Separated by over two hours of driving time but not far away in terms of basketball and spirit, Butler and Evansville square off in what should be a good contest between members of the Horizon League and Missouri Valley Conference. It is a good high-major crossover game and a nice rivalry game between two Indiana universities. The two-time consecutive NCAA runners-up have title-game losses to Duke and Connecticut under their belts and won’t fly under the radar much longer. This is the first game at the new Ford facility, which replaces venerable Roberts Stadium as Evansville’s new home. Butler went 28-10 last year but lost most of its experience; only two seniors, Ronald Nored and Garrett Butcher, are on the roster. Butler has picked up victories in its last three trips to Evansville, which comes off a 16-16 season and should improve from there.
WILLIAM & MARY AT HAMPTON (7 p.m. Saturday at the HU Convocation Center in Hampton, Virginia)
This battle between a CAA foe and the champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is also a battle of teams from the southeast Virginia area. Hampton is 5-9 against William and Mary, as the Tribe has won four of the last five meetings, including a 62-61 victory in November 2009. Hampton is 13-31 against members of the CAA as a whole, but the Pirates won two of their three CAA games last year. Hampton was 8-3 at home last year, so could this be a year where things change? William and Mary is coming off a 74-59 loss to St. John’s in the 2K Coaches vs. Cancer Classic despite 20 points by standout shooter Quinn McDowell.
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