Archives: Previews

Washington State coach Kyle Smith hoped his team’s trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off last weekend in Uncasville, Conn., would provide a good approximation of what the Cougars will face in Pacific-12 Conference play. Despite a 76-64 loss to Mississippi State in their tourney opener, the Cougars rebounded with a 78-57 victory against Rhode Island on Sunday. “That’s what the top of our league looks like and we need to get there,” Smith

Too many awkward stretches have been costly for Wake Forest, marking the perfect time to get on track after disappointing results. The Demon Deacons return home for a Friday afternoon game against Charleston Southern in Winston-Salem, N.C. Wake Forest (2-3) lost two of three games in the Charleston Classic, including Sunday’s 86-80 overtime setback to LSU. Turnovers and opponents’ offensive rebounds have come at an alarming for the Demon Deacons. “We can’t win like that

After an inconsistent start to the season, Xavier will attempt to steady itself on Friday when it faces the Bryant Bulldogs in Cincinnati to open a six-game homestand. The Musketeers (3-2) split their first four games of the campaign before picking up a 66-49 victory over Saint Mary’s on Sunday in the consolation game of the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas. Dayvion McKnight led the way with 14 points and five rebounds, while

No. 16 Kentucky aims for its third straight win on Friday when it hosts Marshall in Lexington, Ky. Tre Mitchell and D.J. Wagner each scored a season-high 22 points and Antonio Reeves added 20 on his 23rd birthday in the Wildcats’ 96-88 overtime win over Saint Joseph’s on Monday. Kentucky had five players score in double figures, marking the third time that has occurred this season for coach John Calipari’s club. The Wildcats shot a

Alabama and Ohio State are anxious for their next challenges when they meet at the Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Fla., on Friday. For the No. 17 Crimson Tide (4-0), wins against Morehead State, Indiana State, South Alabama and Mercer were precursors to a stretch ahead against six Power 5 teams in seven games, beginning with the Buckeyes (3-1). “We’ve got some tough ones, so we need to be ready to go,” Alabama coach Nate

Duke continues to find offensive production from new sources early in the season. In the last four games, the No. 9 Blue Devils have had a different leading scorer each night. Duke (4-1) carries a three-game winning streak into Friday night’s game against Southern Indiana in Durham, N.C. “We have so many guys,” Duke guard Jeremy Roach said. “One night it can be my night, one night it can be (Tyrese Proctor’s) night, one night

No. 25 Mississippi State looks to stay unbeaten when it hosts Nicholls on Friday afternoon in Starkville, Miss. The Bulldogs (5-0) are coming off a 66-57 win over Northwestern in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament in Uncasville, Conn. Mississippi State received a huge effort from freshman Josh Hubbard, who poured in a career-high 29 points off the bench in the win. He made 9 of 14 shots from the floor — including 4 of

The first few weeks of the college basketball season have shaped up nicely for No. 6 Houston. For coach Kelvin Sampson, the best part might be that it could become even better for the Cougars. “It’s so early in the season you can tell we have a newness to this team,” he said. Houston meets visiting Montana on Friday afternoon. The Cougars (6-0) are fresh off winning three games to capture first place in the

Dug McDaniel was missing early and Olivier Nkamhoua was missing late. With Michigan unable to get the best out of its two best players, the Wolverines dropped an opening-round 71-67 loss to Memphis in the Battle 4 Atlantis and fell to the consolation round. The Wolverines (3-2) will hope for more from their top two scorers on Thursday when they face Stanford (3-2) in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Stanford fell 77-74 in double overtime against No.

Memphis and No. 20 Arkansas aren’t located far from each other on the map, but these teams had to go all the way to the Bahamas to create their first matchup since Jan. 2, 2003. The Tigers (4-0) and the Razorbacks (4-1) will duel in the second semifinal of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Memphis advanced to the semis with a 71-67 win over Michigan on Wednesday afternoon, while Arkansas