High-Major Men’s Basketball Game Breakdowns 11/25-11/27
MARSHALL AT CINCINNATI (7 p.m. Friday at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio)
Separated by about two to three hours by US Highway 52, Huntington and Cincinnati are known for being college sports hotbeds, and this one should be no exception. Marshall, from Conference USA, has a 4-0 overall record that includes the most recent 69-64 win over UNC-Wilmington. Deandre Kane’s 16.5 points has been high score, and Damier Pitts has 13 points and 4.3 assists a contest. Cincinnati should be 4-0 for all intents and purposes, but a 56-54 shocking loss to Presbyterian soiled the Bearcats’ perfect season. Cincinnati recovered in its last game for a 71-43 win over Northwestern State as Yancy Gates led the way with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
PENN STATE AT ST. JOSEPH’S (3:30 p.m. Saturday at Michael Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
The Nittany Lions travel to Philadelphia for an in-state rivalry game and a matchup between Big Ten and Atlantic-10 Conference foes. Penn State is off to a strong start with five wins in its first six games, but its lone loss was a clunker. Kentucky throttled the Nittany Lions, 85-47, as it held leading scorer Tim Frazier to 11 points. Frazier has averaged 21 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Penn State is on a two-game winning streak following victories over South Florida and Youngstown State. St. Joseph’s is off to a 3-2 start but is 13 points away from a 5-0 record. The Hawks lost 78-70 to Seton Hall and fell 104-99 in double overtime against Iona. Carl Jones led the way with 25 points and Ronald Roberts added 20.
IOWA STATE VS. RICE (7:30 p.m. Saturday at South Padre Island Convention Centre in South Padre Island, Texas)
The South Padre Island Invitational isn’t quite like a home game for Rice, which had to travel a couple hours from Houston to get there, but the Owls don’t care about the travel as long as they win. Rice has a 4-0 mark, not counting Friday’s game against Northern Iowa in this very tournament, and the Owls have victories over Southern and Florida A&M among others. Rice is second in the nation in rebounding at 45.5 boards per game and among the top 50 in other categories such as scoring, assists and shooting percentage, so this is not a fluke season for the Owls. Tamir Jackson and Arsalan Kazemi lead the way at 11.8 points per game. Iowa State is 10th in assists (18.8) and its 83.3 points per game is among the top 25, and that has helped the Cyclones to a 3-1 record. Its lone blemish was a 74-65 loss to in-state rival Drake, based out of Des Moines.
MICHIGAN STATE AT EASTERN MICHIGAN (Noon Sunday at Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan)
This should be an easier win for the Spartans than most of its tough conference contests, but don’t count out a fast improving Eastern Michigan squad for one second. Michigan State carries a 3-2 record into Sunday’s game, with its losses coming against North Carolina and Duke, and the Spartans have had trouble scoring points (67.4 per game). With Draymond Green’s 12. 4 points and 10.8 rebounds leading the way, the Spartans could have the upper hand. However, Eastern Michigan is 4-1 overall with a loss under its belt to Texas Southern. The Eagles also have a win over Arkansas Little-Rock, which is a common opponent for both schools, but everything else suggests creampuff competition. That’s changing this week with games against MSU and Syracuse.
BUTLER AT INDIANA (7 p.m. Sunday at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana)
In any other year recently, this would have been no contest. Not this time. Butler takes its 3-2 overall record to Bloomington and faces an Indiana squad that appears to have turned the corner under coach Tom Crean. Indiana is off to a 5-0 start, which may or may not hold up under the rigors of Big Ten Conference play, but the Hoosiers are at least trying. After losing two of the first three games against Evansville and Louisville, Butler has recovered for victories over Savannah State and Gardner-Webb (the latter was only a 68-66 victory, behind 22 points by Chrishawn Hopkins). Andrew Smith leads Butler with 12.6 points and 6.4 rebounds. Thanks to a sharp .554 field-goal percentage and 87 points per game, which rank a respective second and eighth in the nation for NCAA Division I schools, Indiana is off to a 5-0 start. Its last two victories are against – and no, this is not a repeat mistake – Savannah State and Gardner-Webb. Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo are Indiana’s leading scorers and rebounders, combining for 22 points and 18 rebounds per contest.
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