Feast Week continues today with a mix of early season tourney games and a few Big Ten programs hosting mid-majors throughout the day. Let’s take a look at the upcoming action.
East Carolina vs #11 Michigan State Spartans
- Time/TV: 1:00 PM ET FS2
- Line: Michigan State -22.5
- Fort Myers Tip-Off
In the first game of the day Michigan State will host East Carolina. The Spartans enter at 5-0 with wins over Arkansas and Kentucky. Their opponent is an East Carolina team outside of the top 200 per KenPom and entering on back-to-back losses against UNC-Wilmington and Charleston Southern. The Pirates are shooting 41.5% from
the field and 20.8% from three while committing 13.2 turnovers per game. The Fort Myers Tip-Off is an interesting event here as both Michigan State and North Carolina are essentially handed tune-ups before their marquee showdown on Thanksgiving.
Pick: Michigan State
Notre Dame vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Time/TV: 1:00 PM ET TNT
- Line: Notre Dame -5.5
- Players Era Festival
Rutgers had a rough season last year and if November is any indication this season isn’t going to go any better. Last weekend the Scarlet Knights were blown out by Central Connecticut State after struggling with a laundry list of mid-majors. In the first game of the Players Era Festival yesterday Rutgers was once again blown out by Tennessee in a snoozer. Now they face a Notre Dame team that lost by 10 to Kansas and almost won at Ohio State a little over a week ago.
Rutgers offense has been stagnant so far and Notre Dame has actually shown a bit of life the past week or so. If Rutgers wants to get things turned around they desperately need a win today but the roster has largely been a mess so far this season.
Pick: Notre Dame
Seton Hall vs USC Trojans
- Time/TV: 5:00 PM ET ESPN
- Maui Invitational
The Trojans improved to 5-0 yesterday with a three point win over Boise State. Now they’ll face a surprising Seton Hall program that upset North Carolina State in Maui. Seton Hall is 6-0 so far this season and will look to make it 7-0 in the second round of the Maui Invitational. Seton Hall has a rough offense, currently ranked 130th per KenPom. Averaging only 73 points per game and not being particularly great at shooting the ball, the Pirates offense has been pretty bad the past several seasons. Of course USC has been playing everyone close, including an overtime win against Troy before yesterday’s three point win over Boise. The Trojans are thriving offensively so far this season though and likely will be too much on that side of the ball to get knocked off by Seton Hall.
Pick: USC
Mount St. Mary’s at Ohio State Buckeyes
- Time/TV: 6:30 PM ET BTN
Ohio State will look to improve to 6-0 today against Mount St. Mary’s. Last time out the Buckeyes beatdown Western Michigan 91-58. The Mountaineers are ranked 281st per KenPom and in their last game lost to that same Western Michigan program by 23 points. They’re only averaging 65.8 points and committing a whopping 17.7 turnovers per game. Look for the Buckeyes to coast to a seventh win this evening.
Pick: Ohio State
Boston University at Penn State Nittany Lions
- Time/TV: 7:00 PM ET Peacock
Penn State hosts Boston University on Peacock tonight. The Nittany Lions suffered their first loss this weekend against Providence, though the Friars are a much more competent opponent than a Boston program outside of the top 250. The Terriers are 3-3, with one of those losses being a 24 point loss at Northwestern. The Nittany Lions are shooting almost 50% from the field and committing only 7.8 turnovers per game. As long as Penn State continues to take care of the ball they should be set for another victory.
Pick: Penn State
Kansas State at #25 Indiana Hoosiers
- Time/TV: 8:00 PM ET FS1
Indiana snuck into the top 25 this week after a 5-0 start and will look to remain ranked if they can knock off Kansas State. They haven’t played particularly great the last two games, but against Incarnate Word and Lindenwood it hasn’t mattered. Kansas State enters at 5-1, coming in off a loss to Nebraska. P.J. Haggerty has been feasting this season with 28 points per game and the Hoosiers will need to slow him down if they want to remain undefeated. Kansas State has four guards averaging double figures and shooting better than 40% from three, so the Hoosiers will also need to rediscover their offensive footing tonight. If this game was on a neutral court Kansas State would probably be able to land a victory tonight, but the home court advantage in Bloomington should give the Hoosiers a slight edge.
Pick: Indiana
#21 Auburn vs #7 Michigan Wolverines
- Time/TV: 8:30 PM ET TNT
- Line: Michigan -3.5
- Players Era Festival
Michigan and Auburn will square off in the second night of the Players Era Festival. Like a few of these games, this preview was written before the conclusion of both teams opening round games. Michigan entered the fest at 4-0, with their best win being a one point overtime win at home against Wake Forest. Michigan defensively has been locked in but their 15 turnovers per game and 32.7% from three hasn’t been great. Auburn was 4-1 heading into Monday night with their lone loss being a one point loss to then top ranked Houston. Auburn isn’t a great three point shooting team but are hitting 50.2% of their field goals and is averaging six less turnovers per game than the Wolverines. If Michigan can’t keep control of the ball it’s going to be hard to knock off Auburn tonight.
Pick: Auburn
Winthrop at Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Time/TV: 8:30 PM ET BTN
Nebraska will try to improve to 7-0 tonight. The Cornhuskers have won their past three games against Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas State and will get a slightly easier foe tonight. Nebraska is averaging 50.1% from the field while forwards Pryce Sandfort and Rienk Mask are both averaging north of 16 points per game. Winthrop did almost upset Arkansas but they’ve also lost to George Mason and Coastal Carolina. With Nebraska currently rolling this would be a major slip up if they were to get upset at home. Look for Nebraska’s frontcourt to carry them to another win.
Pick: Nebraska
#12 Gonzaga vs Maryland Terrapins
- Time/TV: 9:30 PM ET truTV
- Line: Gonzaga -13.5
- Players Era Festival
Maryland will face Gonzaga tonight in their second game of the Players Era Festival (this preview is being written before their midnight tipoff against UNLV). Maryland has been an adventure this season with a loss to Georgetown and barely beating lowly Mount St. Mary’s in overtime last week. Turnover prone and struggling from three, the offense has been inconsistent from game to game even with three players averaging north of 18 points per game. Against a Gonzaga squad in the top 10 both offensively and defensively per KenPom that could prove to be problematic. The Bulldogs have won all five games by double figures (pre-Alabama game late night Monday), including a 27 point win over a ranked Creighton. Shooting 53.1% from the field Gonzaga will likely be too much for Maryland to handle.
Pick: Gonzaga
Ole Miss vs Iowa Hawkeyes
- Time/TV: 9:30 PM ET CBSSN
- Acrisure Classic
Iowa faces Ole Miss in the Acrisure Classic late night on CBS Sports Network. The Hawkeyes enter at 5-0, though their schedule has been a bit lacking so far. Shooting 57.6% from the field and 40% from three and only featuring four players averaging more than 20 minutes per game, it’s been a strength in numbers approach for the Hawkeyes so far this season. Ole Miss has also had a similar 5-0 start against so-so opposition. The Rebels have limited turnovers and looked decent enough offensively, though their 46.8% shooting is considerably lower than the Hawkeyes. Iowa has had a much improved defense compared to when they were coached by Fran McCaffery. As long as Iowa’s defense can keep up they should find a way to remain undefeated.
Pick: Iowa
California vs #18 UCLA Bruins
- Time/TV: 10:00 PM ET ESPN
- Mizzen + Main Empire Classic
Late night California and UCLA will take it back to when they were conference foes in the Mizzen + Main Empire Classic. UCLA enters ranked in the top 20 with their only loss being a narrow four point defeat to second ranked Arizona. The Bruins defense has been stifling, holding their last two opponents to 48 and 46 points respectively. Even against Arizona the Bruins defense gave up only 69 points. Cal defensively has been alright but they’ve been turnover prone and probably don’t have a strong enough offense to get past the Bruins.
Pick: UCLA
San Diego State vs Oregon Ducks
- Time/TV: 11:00 PM ET TNT
- Line: Oregon -1.5
- Players Era Festival
Oregon and San Diego State close out the night out west in the Players Era Festival. San Diego State has only played three games before their late night game against Michigan on Monday night, with two easy wins over Long Beach State and Idaho State followed by a surprising double overtime loss to Troy. It hasn’t helped that the team has committed 15.7 turnovers per game. Oregon won their first four non-conference games, though they struggled with Hawaii (60-59) and Rice (67-63). The Ducks had a similar start last season before a few ranked upsets catapulted them into the national spotlight. With both Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad playing there’s really no excuse for the Ducks to continue looking so lifeless on the court.
In their game last night the Ducks hung around with Auburn but shooting 38% from the field and committing 18 turnovers was too much to over come. The Ducks haven’t fully clicked so far this season and that doesn’t bode well against a San Diego State team trying to overcome a sluggish start to the season.
Pick: San Diego State
