NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 11: Josh Hart #3 of the Villanova Wildcats drives to the basket against the Creighton Bluejays during the Big East Basketball Tournament – Championship Game at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Although Christmas Day is still a week away, there are plenty of early gifts in the form of highly competitive college basketball affairs to enjoy. While there may not be any perceptible elite contests to view, the plethora of intriguing non-conference contests that will be vital in strengthening the resumes of several programs will be intense and notable in their own right. As conference play looms large, this is the crucial time for lesser-known programs to garner essential victories so as to give themselves a fighting chance of receiving an NCAA Tournament berth. While euphoria and holiday cheer will attempt to creep in, every team that competes this week will attempt to stave off these complacent emotions and compete valiantly before the holiday season officially commences.
UT Arlington Mavericks vs. Creighton Blue Jays (25)
Although the Mavericks should rightfully be considered an under the radar program to a degree, they have played well enough on offense and defense to be considered legitimate competitors. Led by two-way standout Kevin Hervey (23.6 PPG, 1.6 SPG), the Mavericks have an intriguing combination of scorers, passers, and rebounders. Despite looking inconsistent at times this season, the tenacious offense of the Blue Jays (90.2 PPG) has prevailed more often than not. While both programs have prolific shooters, the Blue Jays three opportunistic playmakers in Marcus Foster (18.6 PPG), Khyri Thomas (15.7 PPG) and Martin Krampelj (12.4 PPG) that are difficult to contain consistently. Although the Mavericks are on the rise and have some intriguing pieces on their roster, the talent and abundance of shooters on the Blue Jays roster will ultimately underwhelm an outmatched UT Arlington program.
Final Score: Mavericks 80 Blue Jays 89 Spread: Crieghton -13.5
Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Xavier Musketeers (9)
Despite having a horrific defense (83.9 PAPG), the Thundering Herd have been able to come out on top in the majority of their contests thanks to a relentless offense (90.2 PPG). With four out of their five starters averaging double-digit points per game, the Thundering Herd are the constant beneficiaries of a dynamic offense that can effectively move and shoot the basketball. While the Musketeers defense has not exactly been optimal either, they have been much more resilient during their five-game winning streak (have held their last five opponents to 76 points or less). Combined with their sharpshooting offense led by Trevon Bluiett (21.4 PPG), the Musketeers have a distinct edge over an electric albeit very predictable Thundering Herd offense.
Final Score: Thundering Herd 83 Musketeers 94 Spread:
South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Clemson Tigers
For once, there are now several SEC teams that you can point to and see immense improvements from just a year ago. Although the Gamecocks set the bar incredibly high last season when they reached their first Final Four in program history, this is a team that still has aspirations of getting back to that pinnacle and then some. Underrated defensively (65.2 PAPG), the Gamecocks are reliant upon the rebounding and shot blocking skills of veteran forward Chris Silva (8 RPG, 1.5 BPG). Similarly, the Tigers have a stingy defense of their own (64.4 PAPG) as three of their five starters average at least one steal per game while four of their five starters average at least 4.4 rebounds per game. While the rebounding prowess of the Gamecocks is intriguing, the Tigers are a bit more opportunistic when it comes to forcing turnovers and have a much more potent offense to take advantage of the extra opportunities.
Final Score: Gamecocks 73 Tigers 78 Spread:
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs. Missouri Tigers
Notorious for being March Madness spoilers, the pesky Lumberjacks look to have assembled another sleeping giant thanks to an efficient offense (81.5 PPG) and defense (67.6 PAPG). Averaging 13 steals per game with a team field goal percentage of 48.1%, the Lumberjacks have a well-balanced roster that can affect the outcome of a game in a multitude of ways. However, the Tigers have a dynamic roster of their own as they can play the glass effectively (41 RPG) and shoot high percentage shots from inside the arch (48.8 FG%). Although the opportunistic defense of the Lumberjacks will keep this game very close, the Tigers have the advantage as far as garnering rebounds and moving the ball effectively to find the man with best opportunity to score (17 APG).
Final Score: Lumberjacks 69 Tigers 71 Spread:
Connecticut Huskies vs. Arizona Wildcats (18)
Although the Huskies have yet to look like an American Conference contender this season, their aggressive albeit inconsistent defenses has shown flashes of greatness. Snatching 38 rebounds per game, the physical Huskies have the fearless playmakers that can keep the opposition off-balance by taking away coveted second chance opportunities. While the Wildcats have had their issues with rebounding and overall defense (73.8 PAPG), their offense has usually been stellar this season thanks to the scoring abilities of Alonzo Trier (22.3 PPG) and the rebounding prowess of Deandre Ayton (12 RPG). Even with their scrappy defense, the Huskies inept shooting capabilities will ultimately see them succumb to a Wildcats program that has rarely struggled to score big this season.
Final Score: Huskies 75 Wildcats 89 Spread:
Gonzaga Bulldogs (12) vs. San Diego State Aztecs
Although the Bulldogs have stuttered occasionally this season, their offense has almost always been prolific enough to save the day (91 PPG). Despite several unimpressive defensive performances (75.3 PAPG), the Bulldogs starters have been able to tap into their elite shooting capabilities on a regular basis as all five of their starters are averaging double digits when it comes to points per game. Conversely, the Aztecs have been at their best when their defense is firing on all cylinders (64.2 PAPG). Averaging 41 rebounds per game, the vigilant Aztecs are exceptional when it comes to bringing down contested rebounds and are above average when it comes to shooting from the field as a team (45.1 FG%). While the Bulldogs elite offense is difficult to bet against, the fact that the Aztecs can both prevent shots and take away second-chance opportunities gives them a distinct albeit very slight edge in this contest.
Final Score: Bulldogs 74 Aztecs 78 Spread:
Northwestern Wildcats vs. Oklahoma Sooners (17)
While it’s obvious that the Wildcats have failed to live up to their initial top-25 preseason ranking, it is somewhat noteworthy that they have not lost in back-to-back contests. With a strong defense that has been their saving grace (64.8 PAPG), the Wildcats have done just enough in stifling their opponents to remain in the middle of the pack in the Big 10. Unlike the Wildcats, the Sooners are dreadful on defense (80.4 PAPG) but have been able to make up for it with a gifted offense (93 PPG) that is led by one of the deadliest shooters in the country in Trae Young (28.8 PPG, 8.9 APG). Although the Wildcats should be able to score consistently against the porous defense of the Sooners, Oklahoma is much better at rebounding the basketball (41 RPG), which will all but extinguish the Wildcats chances of pulling off a massive upset.
Final Score: Wildcats 78 Sooners 95 Spread:
Xavier Musketeers (9) vs. Northern Iowa Panthers
As mentioned before, the Musketeers are supremely talented on offense and are slowly but surely improving on defense. While the Panthers have a top-five defense that has kept them competitively relevant this season (59 PAPG), they are, to put it lightly, anemic on offense (68.6 PPG, 10.7 APG). As fans and pundits know all too well, an elite defense can cover up a lot of deficiencies, but rarely is it enough to overcome elite opponents that know how to make the most of their opportunities when it comes to shooting the basketball.
Final Score: Musketeers 86 Panthers 70 Spread:
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (5)
Although the Big 10 conference has been trending downward this season, the sneaky Buckeyes are currently third in the conference right behind Purdue and Michigan State. Despite their constant struggles offensively, the Buckeyes defense has finally turned the corner as they have held their opponents to 67 points per game or less during their four-game winning streak. Since losing to Michigan State in embarrassing fashion a few weeks ago, the now dynamically dominant Tar Heels have looked much more disciplined and confident on both offense (87.2 PPG) and defense (71.3 PAPG) during their five-game winning streak. Although the Tar Heels weak link is still their stumbling defense, their two consummate playmakers in Joel Berry II and Luke Maye have proven to be the catalysts for the Tar Heels when they need a final push to win in tight game situations.
Final Score: Buckeyes 77 Tar Heels 84 Spread:
Kentucky Wildcats (7) vs. UCLA Bruins
As always, John Calipari has done a fantastic job at praising and disciplining his young roster at just the right moments to get the most out of them. With their athletic offense trending upward (81.3 PPG) and their once inconsistent defense starting to look at least competent (69.2 PAPG), the Wildcats are clearly hitting their stride and will be especially deadly once SEC play commences. Until then, the efficient rebounding unit of the Bruins (41.7 RPG) will attempt to spoil the good times for the overly confident youngsters of the Wildcats. Unfortunately for the Bruins, their offense performs erratically and their defense is decidedly below average at best (75.6 PAPG), which should allow the tenacious Wildcats to score early and often en route to another impressive victory.
Final Score: Wildcats 91 Bruins 75 Spread:
