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Preview Roundups

November 16, 2014

Mercer at Seton Hall 12:00 PM ET

After four seasons mired in mediocrity, coach Kevin Willard knows it’s make-or-break time for him at Seton Hall, as his Pirates prepare to open versus visiting Mercer on Sunday. No longer does Seton Hall have to face basketball behemoths like Syracuse, Pitt and Louisville in conference play, and the new Big East is much more winnable for a small program like Willard’s these days.

Buffalo at Kentucky 12:00 PM ET

Forty-point victories generally leave coaches with at least a smidgen of satisfaction, but Kentucky coach John Calipari has his concerns heading into Sunday’s matchup against visiting Buffalo. The No. 1 Wildcats seemingly dominated Grand Canyon 85-45 in their season opener, but Calipari noticed his team displayed more energy in the first half than the second.

Samford at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM ET

Pittsburgh easily dismantled Niagara in its season opener and the Panthers hope for a similar result when they host Samford on Sunday, although they’re still trying to sort out how to deal with the loss of Durand Johnson. Prior to tip-off against Niagara, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon announced Johnson was suspended for the season for an undisclosed reason.

Chattanooga at Wisconsin 1:00 PM ET

Wisconsin has prided itself on defense in the Bo Ryan era and this season's team is off to a great start in upholding that tradition. Granted, Northern Kentucky is a small sample size and a non-traditional opponent for Ryan’s troops, but the Norse shot just 26.4 percent from the field and committed 10 turnovers on Friday in a 62-31 season-opening win for Wisconsin. And now, as the No. 4 Badgers prep for Chattanooga on Sunday, Ryan can start to work on the offense a little.

Navy at Notre Dame 2:00 PM ET

Notre Dame celebrated a pair of milestones in its season-opening victory, but the best moment was having Jerian Grant back on the court. The 6-5 senior guard, who was suspended because of an "academic mistake" and did not play after Christmas last season, leads the Fighting Irish into Sunday's contest against visiting Navy. The Midshipmen should be armed with an extra boost of confidence after they put a scare into No. 18 Michigan State on Friday before losing 64-59.

Northern Kentucky at Nebraska 2:00 PM ET

Tim Miles needed two seasons to do what many of Nebraska’s 26 previous coaches could not do: make the program relevant in basketball. Coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1997-98, the 21st-ranked Cornhuskers attempt to build on their rare success on the hardwood beginning Sunday when they host Northern Kentucky. Miles was hired in March 2012 to bring hope to a program that typically fell out of the national conversation once football season came to an end.

Jackson State at South Florida 2:00 PM ET

After kicking off the Orlando Antigua era with a win over Flagler on Friday, USF looks to build momentum as Jackson State pays a visit Sunday. Antigua, whose preseason aim was to get the Bulls to play a high-tempo offense that routinely scores in the 70s and 80s, saw his team notch 75 points in his debut. "I'm happy for the guys," Antigua told the school's website. "There are a lot of players there that this is their first victory."

N.C. Asheville at East Carolina 2:00 PM ET

East Carolina looks to continue its winning ways after a solid season-opening victory when it hosts UNC Asheville on Sunday afternoon. The Pirates got a pair of impressive debuts from freshman B.J. Tyson and transfer Michel-Ofik Nzege in routing NC Wesleyan on Friday. The Bulldogs played well before falling at Wake Forest in their opener, though coach Nick McDevitt certainly saw some positives.

Lafayette at West Virginia 3:00 PM ET

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins seeks a better start from his team when the Mountaineers host Lafayette on Sunday, after West Virginia missed 30 of its first 36 shots before rallying past Monmouth in Friday’s season opener. The Mountaineers shot just 16.7 percent in the first half and trailed by 14 in the early moments of the second half before securing a 64-54 victory. “We couldn’t make a shot,” Huggins told reporters after the game.

Prairie View A&M at Oklahoma St. 3:00 PM ET

After a rout of Southeastern Louisiana in its season opener, Oklahoma State looks to have another easy day on the court when it welcomes Prairie View A&M to Stillwater on Sunday afternoon. The Cowboys bombed away from 3-point range with 12 3-pointers in the opener, and coach Travis Ford will let his shooters have the green light again in this one. Phil Forte and Leyton Hammonds do much of the damage from the perimeter, combining for 9-of-13 shooting from deep in OSU's first game.

Southeastern Louisiana at Oklahoma 3:00 PM ET

No. 19 Oklahoma looks to build off last season's success when it opens up the new campaign against Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday. The Sooners finished second in the Big 12 standings and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season before bowing out to North Dakota State in overtime. Oklahoma returns four starters and boasts one of the best backcourts in the nation as the Sooners aim to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 2009.

Indiana - Purdue at Purdue 3:00 PM ET

Injuries and poor defense doomed Purdue as it closed last year on a seven-game losing streak. The Boilermakers, who host IUPUI on Sunday, finished 5-13 in Big Ten play as guard Sterling Carter was lost to a knee injury and promising forward Jay Simpson was diagnosed with a career-ending heart condition shortly thereafter. However, most of last season’s woes could be pinned on Purdue’s defense, which allowed 71.7 points per game – the school’s highest mark since 1997-98.

Trevecca Nazarene at Vanderbilt 3:00 PM ET

Vanderbilt welcomes several newcomers as it kicks off the season at home Sunday against Division II Trevecca Nazarene. The Commodores lost a trio of guards in Kyle Fuller, Rob Cross and Dai-Jon Parker to graduation and have turned over their backcourt to the freshmen combination of Shelton Mitchell and Riley LaChance at the point, with fellow rookies Wade Baldwin IV, Matthew Fisher-Davis and Jeff Roberson competing for time at two-guard.

Boston College at Massachusetts 3:00 PM ET

Having survived the first test of the new season, Boston College will likely find the second to be a bit more challenging when it squares off against Massachusetts on Sunday in the Coaches vs. Cancer tripleheader at TD Garden in Boston. The Eagles hung on against unheralded New Hampshire on Friday to give coach Jim Christian his first victory, but were less than impressive in doing so.

Hampton at Syracuse 4:00 PM ET

No. 24 Syracuse is replacing three starters this year, but the Orange's season opener provided reasons to believe that things are going to be alright. After senior Rakeem Christmas and freshman Chris McCullough stepped up in the opener, the Orange will look to author an encore performance against visiting Hampton on Sunday. Christmas scored a career-high 21 points in Friday's romp over Kennesaw State while McCullough began his Syracuse career with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Alabama St. at Arkansas 5:00 PM ET

Arkansas begins coach Mike Anderson's fourth season in Fayetteville with high hopes, but the Razorbacks could be in for a challenge when they open the season against visiting Alabama State on Sunday. The Razorbacks were picked to finish third in the SEC behind sophomore Bobby Portis, a preseason All-SEC selection. Their opener might not be an easy one against the Hornets, who are picked to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Fordham at Penn St. 5:00 PM ET

Penn State believes it can become more of a factor in the Big Ten and the Nittany Lions look to build momentum when they host Fordham on Sunday. Penn State can start with two straight victories for the first time in three seasons after a 61-48 triumph in its opener against Morgan State on Friday night. High-scoring guard D.J. Newbill leads a veteran group for the Nittany Lions and freshman backcourt partner Shep Garner impressed in his college debut with 14 points.

Chicago St. at Creighton 5:30 PM ET

Creighton looks to win its 20th straight home game when it faces Chicago State on Sunday. The Bluejays started the post-Doug McDermott era in impressive fashion with a comfortable 104-77 victory over Central Arkansas on Friday to win its 20th consecutive home opener. "It's always great to start the season off with a victory," coach Greg McDermott told reporters. "Nobody had to play crazy minutes, nobody got hurt and we have an important game on Sunday."

South Dakota at Stanford 6:00 PM ET

Stanford fifth-year senior Stefan Nastic has been overshadowed by stars such as Dwight Powell throughout his career, but his anonymity is fading fast. The 6-11 center heads into Sunday’s home game against South Dakota fresh from a dynamic effort in Friday's season opener, when he scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting in a 74-59 victory over Wofford. Nastic continued a hot streak that began late last season when he shot 85.2 percent from the field over his final eight games.

Coppin St. at Illinois 6:00 PM ET

A win is a win for some teams, but not for a squad like Illinois that entered the 2014-15 season expecting to see immediate improvement. Illini coach John Groce is looking for better play from his team compared to a year ago, but that hope didn't come to fruition in Friday's season opener. Groce would certainly like a better performance when his team hosts Coppin State on Sunday than he got in the season opener, when the Illini eked out a nine-point win over Georgia Southern.

Valparaiso at Missouri 6:00 PM ET

After beginning the Kim Anderson era with a stunning loss to an in-state foe, Missouri hopes to bounce back Sunday when it hosts Valparaiso in a non-conference matchup. The Tigers struggled in just about every facet in their new coach and former star's debut with his alma mater, falling 69-61 to UMKC. They might have a tougher opponent Sunday with the Crusaders coming to town on the strength of a 90-76 season-opening win over East Tennessee State on Friday.

Stetson at Central Florida 6:00 PM ET

Just as it is for most teams, the focus for UCF as it prepares to open a new season Sunday against visiting Stetson has been on defense. After allowing opponents to score nearly 74 points per game last season, coach Donnie Jones has asked his team to commit to defending in hopes of avoiding a second straight losing season.

Robert Morris at North Carolina 6:00 PM ET

North Carolina got more than it bargained for in its season-opening victory over North Carolina Central and looks to make improvements when it hosts Robert Morris on Sunday. The No. 6 Tar Heels struggled to push the pace while preseason All-America Marcus Paige scored eight points on 2-of-8 shooting in Friday's 76-60 win over North Carolina Central.

Norfolk State at Virginia 7:00 PM ET

After an easy season-opening win despite a boisterous capacity crowd of 6,782 at James Madison, No. 8 Virginia returns to Charlottesville for their home opener against Norfolk State on Sunday. The Cavaliers look to continue their hot shooting and dominating inside play against the Spartans, who also opened the season with a win by defeating Division II Pfeiffer College 81-43.

George Washington at Rutgers 7:00 PM ET

From the scandal that marked the end of the Mike Rice era to playing in its third different conference in three years, Rutgers has become all too accustomed with adversity. As one of two new members of the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights look to start their season off on the right foot on Sunday when they host George Washington. Eddie Jordan was hired in 2013 to help his alma mater move past the national media firestorm created by Rice, who was fired for player abuse the previous season.

CSU Northridge at Arizona 8:00 PM ET

Second-ranked Arizona looks for a more crisp effort when it plays for the second time this season and hosts Cal State Northridge on Sunday. Shooting the ball from outside was difficult for the Wildcats, who were 4-of-16 from 3-point range and 12-of-25 from the free-throw line in Friday’s season-opening victory over Mount St. Mary’s. The Matadors aren’t expected to pose much of a threat and were routed 79-58 by No. 17 San Diego State on Friday.

Alcorn St. at Texas 8:00 PM ET

There is a renewed optimism about No. 10 Texas as the Longhorns look to follow up a strong opener when they host Alcorn State on Sunday. Texas hasn’t won more than one game in the NCAA Tournament since 2008 – when it lost in the Elite Eight – and the return of all five starters and a strong recruiting class has ratcheted expectations. Texas opened the season with an 85-50 win over North Dakota State on Friday while Alcorn State lost 91-57 to California on the same night.

Kennesaw St. at California 8:00 PM ET

After a successful debut, Cal coach Cuonzo Martin will have his high-tempo Golden Bears take on visiting Kennesaw State in the 2K Classic on Sunday. The Bears opened the season with a 91-57 rout of Alcorn State on Friday. The Owls lost 89-42 at No. 24 Syracuse, which plays Cal on Nov. 20.

Coastal Carolina at UCLA 10:00 PM ET

UCLA put on a strong showing in its season opener and the Bruins will try for a repeat performance when they host Coastal Carolina on Sunday night. The Bruins slammed visiting Montana State 113-78 on Friday night, the most points they’ve scored in a season opener since 1993. Coastal Carolina figures to provide a stiffer test, as the Chanticleers return four starters from a team that reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993.