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Preview Roundups

December 28, 2014

St. John's at Tulane 12:00 PM ET

St. John’s is rolling through its nonconference slate and has one more test before beginning Big East play. The 19th-ranked Red Storm face Tulane on Sunday in the Brooklyn Winter Hoops Festival in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Green Wave had a nine-game winning streak end in a loss at Washington on Monday and are taking on their second straight ranked opponent before beginning American Athletic Conference play with two games on the road.

Central Conn. St. at Connecticut 1:00 PM ET

Although it hasn't always added up to wins, Kevin Ollie is seeing improvement in his Connecticut squad, which will host Central Connecticut State on Sunday. The defending national champion Huskies played a strong second half in defeating Columbia on Dec. 22 and a win over the Blue Devils can give them back-to-back victories for a first time in more than a month. "I keep telling the guys they're getting better," Ollie told the media.

Morgan St. at Marquette 2:00 PM ET

Marquette goes for its fifth win in six games when it hosts Morgan State on Sunday. The Golden Eagles have won three straight, most recently prevailing 67-54 triumph over North Dakota on Monday. "I'm happy with the win, but I'm not overjoyed with how we played," Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski told reporters. "Fortunately we were able to pull together in time to get the win."

Long Beach St. at Syracuse 2:00 PM ET

Syracuse looks to establish some consistency in its penultimate game before the start of conference play as it hosts Long Beach State on Sunday. The Orange have won two of their last three but are looking to string together consecutive wins for the first time since a three-game streak in late November. "I think we have gotten better," coach Jim Boeheim told reporters. "There is still a long way to go (and) a lot of work to do."

NC-Greensboro at East Carolina 2:00 PM ET

East Carolina has not played in nearly a week, but the Pirates will seek a fast start when they host UNC Greensboro on Sunday. The Pirates found themselves trailing at halftime to winless Florida A&M on Monday – “we were dead in there in the first half,” coach Jeff Lebo said – before running away for a 75-57 triumph. The Pirates have won two of three after dropping three of their previous four.

Harvard at Arizona St. 2:00 PM ET

Arizona State looks to win its second in a row heading into conference play when it hosts Harvard on Sunday afternoon. The Sun Devils are coming off a 39-point blowout of Detroit in their last outing, which snapped a two-game losing streak for coach Herb Sendek's squad. The Crimson have been off for a week, a lot of time to ponder their dismal offensive performance in a loss to Virginia that saw Harvard shoot 16 percent from the field with only eight field goals.

Texas Southern at Kansas St. 3:00 PM ET

Kansas State looks to build on a three-game winning streak when it takes on a Texas Southern team that pulled one of the biggest upsets in the nation just a week ago. The Tigers defeated nationally-ranked Michigan State in overtime on the Spartans' home floor last Saturday, then fell by one at Auburn on Tuesday. With that in mind, the Wildcats had better be ready for a fight, as the Texas Southern confidence level likely is sky high.

Rutgers at Monmouth-NJ 3:00 PM ET

Rutgers can head into its first season of Big Ten play on a high note if it can come away with a victory Sunday at Monmouth. The game against the Hawks will be the fourth and final against a fellow New Jersey school for the Scarlet Knights, who can post their third two-game win streak of the season. Eddie Jordan was proud of his team's performance in its most recent game, even if it came against the likes of Sacred Heart.

South Dakota State at Northern Iowa 3:00 PM ET

South Dakota State and No. 24 Northern Iowa have been involved in several close games this season and that situation could arise again Sunday afternoon when the teams meet in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Panthers have experienced three overtime games this season with their only loss coming Dec. 13 in double overtime against VCU. Before losing by 14 points Tuesday at No. 14 Utah, the Jackrabbits had won seven straight, including overtime wins against Idaho State and Utah State.

Bowling Green at South Florida 3:00 PM ET

Looking to notch consecutive wins for the first time in nearly a month, USF hosts Bowling Green on Sunday. The Bulls snapped a five-game losing streak last time out, besting Southeastern Louisiana for its first win since a Nov. 29 decision over Jacksonville. "I was really happy for our guys to taste a little success after all the hard work they've been putting in," coach Orlando Antigua told the team's website.

Northwestern St. at Arkansas 3:30 PM ET

Offense has sparked Arkansas’ hot start, but an improved defensive effort of late has helped the Razorbacks rebound from a two-game skid. Arkansas hosts offensive-minded Northwestern State on Sunday having won its past three games, holding opponents to 58.7 points during that stretch after allowing 163 points in back-to-back losses to Iowa State and Clemson. The Razorbacks’ offense has been a constant all season, ranking third in the nation in assists and 12th in scoring.

Florida Gulf Coast at Xavier 4:00 PM ET

Xavier on Sunday hosts FGCU in its final game before the Big East season begins, and it's pretty clear what must improve if the Musketeers are to make any noise in the conference. Xavier allows a significantly greater number of points in the second half compared to the first - 38.2 to 28.9 after yielding 48 in the second 20 minutes of an 89-88 road loss to Auburn in double overtime on Dec. 20.

Wake Forest at Richmond 4:00 PM ET

Wake Forest looks to go above .500 for the first time in December when it hits the road to face longtime rival Richmond on Sunday. The Demon Deacons are coming off a morale-boosting 60-53 victory over Bucknell after dropping four of their previous five games and turn their attention to snapping a two-game losing streak on the road. Wake Forest hopes to win two in a row against the Spiders after halting a three-game losing skid last season in a series that dates back to the 1920s.

Delaware State at Temple 5:00 PM ET

After an up-and-down start to the season, Temple has raised the bar for itself heading into its slate of conference games. The Owls are coming off a dominant victory over No. 10 Kansas and must be wary of a letdown Sunday against visiting Delaware State. “Anything can happen in this game,” Temple coach Fran Dunphy told reporters after Monday's 77-52 triumph. “I'm hoping it’s a starting point for us to appreciate the team we can be.”

Mississippi Valley State at Houston 5:00 PM ET

Houston isn't expected to face much resistance when it completes the non-conference portion of its schedule by hosting Mississippi Valley State on Sunday. The Delta Devils are coming off a 94-60 loss to North Carolina Central on Dec. 20 and are among the poorest teams in the nation in most major statistical categories, including second-worst in points allowed at 86.9 per game. The Cougars defeated Texas Tech 82-69 in the consolation game of the Las Vegas Classic on Tuesday.

Belmont at Butler 6:00 PM ET

Butler looks to remain undefeated at home when Belmont visits Sunday in a battle of two of the most successful mid-major programs in the country. The Bulldogs, who went to consecutive NCAA Tournament finals in 2010-11, had been ranked this season until a recent slide knocked them out. The Bruins have won 20 games nine of the last 11 seasons, advancing to the Big Dance six times during that span and are one of six schools to win 26 or more games each of the last four seasons.

UC Davis at Washington St. 6:00 PM ET

Washington State is expected to get a stiff test in its final tune up before the start of Pac-12 play, hosting UC Davis on Sunday afternoon. The Aggies have won nine of 10 games this season, including four of five on the road, and beat an Idaho team three days after the Vandals beat Washington State. The Cougars are coming off a blowout win against San Jose State, but the Spartans had suspended five players for the game, including their top four scorers.

UCLA at Alabama 6:30 PM ET

Alabama looks to add a high-profile victory and remain unbeaten at home when UCLA visits Sunday. The Crimson Tide has won two straight since a 53-52 loss at No. 11 Wichita State on Dec. 16 and hopes to continue that momentum in two games before opening SEC play Jan. 6 against Texas A&M. The Bruins are licking their wounds after losing by 13 to No. 8 Gonzaga and getting dismantled by No. 1 Kentucky 83-44 in their last two outings.

Buffalo at Wisconsin 8:00 PM ET

Wisconsin plays its first home game in more than two weeks when it finishes the pre-Big Ten portion of its schedule against Bufffalo on Sunday. The No. 6 Badgers have won 50 straight non-conference games against unranked teams following a 68-56 victory at California on Dec. 22 - their first contest since an 86-43 win over Nicholls State at Kohl Center on Dec. 13. Wisconsin has won four straight by an average of 26.3 points since its only loss - 80-70 to No. 2 Duke on Dec. 3.

Stony Brook at Washington 8:00 PM ET

Washington concludes a hugely successful nonconference schedule Sunday against visiting Stony Brook, but the 13th-ranked Huskies need to be careful not to overlook the Seawolves. Guard Nigel Williams-Goss averages a team-high 13.9 points for the Huskies, who stand as the Pac-12’s lone remaining unbeaten following Arizona’s loss to UNLV on Tuesday. Four players average in double figures for coach Lorenzo Romar’s squad, which begins league play at California on Jan. 2.

Cal. State - Bakersfield at California 10:00 PM ET

California closes its nonconference schedule Sunday against visiting Bakersfield, and once again the Golden Bears will be without third-leading scorer Jabari Bird. The dynamic sophomore guard has missed the last six games with a left foot injury, and he’s unlikely to return in time for Cal’s Pac-12 opener against Washington on Jan. 2. With Bird out, Tyrone Wallace and Jordan Mathews combined for 32 points in the Golden Bears’ 68-56 loss to Wisconsin on Monday.