Holiday Hoops Weekend Preview

The holiday rush has hit the home stretch and there are only a handful of days left to purchase those last few gifts, decorate the tree, and make plans to see the family (in-laws included…ugh).

But if you’re a college hoops fan, this Saturday is the day to avoid long lines at the mall, forget fighting over parking spaces, delay gift wrapping marathons, and duck the annoying Salvation Army bell (sorry, but it does leave a ringing in your head).

Instead, glue your eyes to the tube, grab some egg nog, and feast on these matchups.

No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 8 Gonzaga

In arguably the biggest game of the weekend, UConn ventures to the Great Northwest to battle Gonzaga in a matchup of Final Four contenders.  The Huskies barely survived a trip to Buffalo two weeks ago and are sure to receive their toughest test to date. 

As usual, the Zags don’t duck anyone in non-conference games.  Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye will have their hands full trying to keep Hasheem Thabeet, Stanley Robinson, and Jeff Adrien off the back boards.  How well Jeremy Pargo deals with pressure from the UConn guards will go a long way in determining the outcome.

No. 19 Michigan State at No. 5 Texas

Forgive the Spartans for a lackluster performance in a victory over the Citadel on Wednesday but with a date against the Longhorns next up, it’s easy to understand.  Tom Izzo’s teams have long been known for their ability to play defense and rebound the basketball.  This year’s squad is cut from that same mold. 

The return of Goran Suton bolsters a frontline of Raymar Morgan, Marquise Gray, and super frosh Delvon Roe.  Point guard Kailin Lucas does a great job of involving his teammates by averaging nearly seven assists per game. 

For a school and state that thinks football first, second, and third, Rick Barnes has done a remarkable job of building Texas into a national power.  Justin Mason has taken over the point guard position since D. J. Augustin took his skill set to the NBA after last season.  Mason has averaged close to six assists and a little over four boards per game.  Damion James and Gary Johnson clean the glass to the tune of 14 rebounds per contest while James, Connor Atchley, and A.J. Abrams can all fill it up from three.

No. 6 Duke vs. No. 7 Xavier

Based on their 43 point thrashing of UNC-Asheville on Wednesday, it’s fair to say Duke was a bit perturbed about losing to Michigan their last time out.  The Blue Devils have plenty of depth and shooters, and sophomore Nolan Smith is doing a good job of running the point after taking the starting job from senior Greg Paulus.  But Duke’s biggest weakness still remains their lack of a legitimate low post scoring threat. 

Xavier, after beating Cincinnati last Saturday to run their record to 9-0, will have to deal with Duke’s on the ball pressure.  That task should be made easier now that freshman point guard Terrell Holloway has returned from a stress fracture in his left foot.  Xavier needs to gang rebound the ball though as no player averages more than 6.4 boards per game.  Led by junior Derrick Brown, the Musketeers, known for their relentless defense, won’t give Duke an inch.  Don’t be surprised if this game is decided in the last few seconds.

No. 9 Louisville vs. Minnesota

Much like he did at Kentucky, Rick Pitino has stocked his Louisville team with athletes that can run, jump, shoot, score, press, play defense, and sell concessions at half time.  Samardo Samuels, a contender for National Freshman of the Year, leads the team with 17 points per game while Earl Clark and Terrence Williams are also double figure scorers. 

The Cardinals don’t lack for three point shooters either as Jerry Smith, Preston Knowles, and Will Scott are all dialing long distance at better than 40 percent.  Add in the fact that Williams, Clark, and Samuels haul down 23 boards per game and it’s easy to see why many feel Louisville has a great chance to reach their second Final Four under Pitino. 

If anyone had any doubts about Tubby Smith’s ability to coach, don’t give them another thought.  Smith, who has the Gophers off to a 9-0 start, is silencing the critics who felt he couldn’t get it done anymore at Kentucky.  The Gophers currently have only five players from the state of Minnesota on the roster. Given Smith's ability to recruit, that will change drastically. 

It won’t be long before Minnesota mixes it up for conference titles especially since they play at Williams Arena, which is one of the more vastly underrated home court advantages in the Big Ten if not the country.

No. 11 Syracuse at No. 23 Memphis

Both teams really need this win in a clash between the Big East and Conference USA.  Memphis has struggled to replace point guard Derrick Rose, the overall number one pick in last year’s NBA draft.  The Tigers must find a way to neutralize the inside presence of physical specimen Arinze Onuaku.  And given the lack of a consistent perimeter shot for John Calipari’s team, expect Syracuse to employ their vaunted 2-3 zone. 

For the Orange, they’ll be looking to regain their mojo after a stunning home loss earlier this week to Cleveland State.  Thanks in large part to Onuaku and Paul Harris, Syracuse averages 15 more rebounds per game than Memphis.  Super soph Jonny Flynn gives the Orange a significant edge at point guard.  Syracuse will need Flynn’s poise to counter the tremendous home court advantage the Tigers enjoy.  Who says Syracuse doesn’t play out of conference road games?

No. 22 Davidson at No. 13 Purdue

Any talk about Davidson has to start with Stephen Curry.  This kid is in range as soon as he steps into the gym.  Curry tickles the twine at 32 points per game while hitting 85 percent of his free throws and just under 40 percent of his threes.  Throw in a hair under seven assists per game and you’ve got the makings of a National Player of the Year candidate.  How does Curry get so many touches to score all those points?  Simple.  Andrew Lovedale and Stephen Rossiter corral 18 rebounds per game between them. 

The turnaround at Purdue is in full force thanks to head coach Matt Painter.  Of course, when you have players like Robbie Hummel, JaJuan Jackson, Gordon Watt, and E’Twaun Moore, it’s easy to win games.  Those four all average double figures while Nemanja Calasan is right behind them at 9.9 points per game.  The atmosphere at Mackey Arena should be electric.

No. 20 Arizona State vs. Brigham Young

You like shooting guards?  Look no further because this is your game.  James Harden isn’t just one of the best sophomores in the country.  He’s one of the best players in the country, lock, stock, and barrel.  So if you haven’t seen this hardwood maestro, pay attention because Mr. Harden will be in the NBA a lot sooner than later. 

Dick Vitale would refer to Harden as a stat sheet stuffer.  Here’s why:  23.7 points per game, 80.3 percent from the foul line, and a mind blowing 51.3 percent from behind the arc.  That’s right, don’t adjust your eyes.  He’s made 20 of 39 triples.  And just for good measure, Harden grabs 6.9 rebounds per game and dishes out 4.9 assists.  Does Herb Sendeck let him diagram plays during timeouts too? 

Not to be outdone, but BYU’s Lee Cummard is almost as effective.  Through 10 games, the junior nets 18.2 points per game, shoots 85.7 percent on foul shots, and rains trifectas at a clip of 48.3 percent.  Like Harden, Cummard isn’t just a one dimensional talent as he logs 6.2 rebounds and drops 3.2 dimes per contest. 

On the surface, this appears to be one of those games that will be decided by the supporting casts, namely, Jimmer Fredette and Jonathan Tavernari for BYU and Jeff Pendergraph, Ty Abbott, and Rihards Kuksiks for the Sun Devils.  This game screams barn burner.

Three other games of note:

No. 16 Tennessee vs. Belmont

OK, I know, Tennessee has the athletes to treat the Bruins like an intramural scrub team from Fraternity Row.  But, keep in mind that this Belmont team has four seniors scoring in double figures and more importantly, these guys, as a 15 seed, came within a Gerald Henderson layup of sending two seed Duke packing in the first round of last year’s NCAA tourney.  Throw in the fact that Belmont is located in Nashville and this has the makings of a nice in-state tussle.

Arizona at UNLV

Yes, the Wildcats are a program in disarray.  Lute Olson called it a career, Arizona lost a great recruiting class for 2009 because of Olson’s departure, frosh Jeff Withey is transferring at the end of the semester, and Jerryd Bayless is playing for the Portland Trailblazers.  But the Cats still have a strong nucleus in NBA prospects Chase Buddinger and Jordan Hill and a solid point guard in Nic Wise.  Lon Kruger’s Rebels, with Wink Adams and Rene Rougeau, should give Arizona a game.

Louisiana State at Texas A&M

Many thought first year head coach Trent Johnson was crazy to leave Stanford for the bayou but so far, that move has translated to an 8-0 start.  Tasmin Mitchell, Marcus Thornton, and Garrett Temple are all playing well for the Tigers.  Mark Turgeon hasn’t quite tasted the success that the Aggies enjoyed under Billie Gillespie but he still has Josh Carter and Donald Sloan plus a couple of nice wins over Arizona and on the road at Alabama.