No. 24 St. John’s vs. No. 8 Villanova, Tuesday
The upstart Johnnies host Villanova in Madison Square Garden to test their chops against the No. 8 Wildcats. Second leading scorer Rysheed Jordan is back for the Red Storm after a brief leave of absence to deal with a death in the family. However, it’s not just the Wildcats’ efficient offensive attack that they’ll look to thwart. Villanova has won the last five meetings between the two teams, and after suffering their first loss of the year, will no doubt be looking to get back on track.
Villanova is giving 4.5 points here, which feels low due to the recent struggles of St. John’s. However, the boost of having Jordan back in the line-up has to feel good for Steve Lavin and company, though it may take a bit of court time for him to get back into the swing of things. For now though, I like Villanova to cover the spread and get back to their winning ways.
No. 19 Seton Hall at Xavier, Wednesday
Seton Hall, who I’ve talked quite a bit about as of late, is on a run. Kevin Willard has turned things around to the point that the Pirates beat back-to-back ranked teams for the first time since 2001. But this is where things get interesting, because now they must walk into the hostile Cintas Center and take care of business against an upset-minded Xavier squad. The true test of a team isn’t when things are going swimmingly, but when they encounter adversity. How will they respond if they face some on the road?
This is a big road trip, first Xavier and then Creighton, for The Hall. They’ll need everything they can get from Sterling Gibbs and Isaiah Whitehead to survive and move to 2-0. At the end of the day, this seems like a game that a team without much winning experience will drop. I like Xavier at home.
No. 7 Arizona at Oregon, Thursday
This isn’t the same defensive juggernaut that we’ve seen in recent years when watching Arizona. Their numbers look great, particularly in points against, but things just don’t feel the same. Offensively, they are still led by a balanced attack, and the energy of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. On the other side, Oregon is one of the nation’s best offensive units. Joe Young is a candidate to lead the Pac-12 in scoring, and freshman Dillon Brooks has been fantastic.
Playing in Oregon can be overwhelming for some, and it’s a place these Ducks feel particularly comfortable. The biggest storyline here will be whether or not Oregon can run with Arizona, because the Wildcats are at their best in the open floor where they can use their superior athleticism to wear teams down with wave after wave of talented options. At 11-3, Oregon hasn’t been talked about nearly enough nationally as a possible challenger to finish near the top of the conference, but that talk won’t be helped here, as I think UA goes into Eugene and leaves with a win.
Michigan State at Iowa, Thursday
Talk about two teams that are hoping to make a run to the NCAA Tournament after somewhat disappointing starts. The Spartans cannot afford to fall to 1-2 in conference play, but should Iowa win, their 3-0 start has to put them squarely back on the positive side of what looks to be a relatively weak bubble. That urgency is aided by the game being at home, and the Hawkeyes’ home court advantage being what it is.
So who gives in, and leaves with their towels around their heads? It’s hard to bet against a Tom Izzo team, particularly one that has plenty to play for like these Spartans do. However, Iowa has rattled off three wins in a row, including one in Columbus. This one may need extra time, but I see the Hawkeyes doing just enough and moving to 3-0 in Big Ten play.
No. 12 Kansas at No. 21 Baylor, Saturday
After their dismantling at the hands of Kentucky, the Jayhawks seemed to have found their rhythm until a shocking loss to resurgent Temple. Baylor has flown relatively under the radar this season, as it is without its big names in the frontcourt for the first time in years. Taurean Prince has taken the reins though, and leads the team in scoring.
Baylor will need Kenny Cherry’s offense to come alive a bit, as Frank Mason has begun to emerge for Kansas as of late. They’ll also need to watch out for a breakout game from freshman Cliff Alexander, and keep tabs on fellow freshman Kelly Oubre, as his confidence has been sky high since being inserted into the starting lineup. Kansas may seem ripe for the picking here, but I don’t see any compelling evidence of why we should trust this Bears team, even at home. Take Kansas, here.
