Cnotes Top 25 College Basketball Previews For 11/23/16 !

[CNOTES]

Preview: Vikings (1-2) at Wildcats (4-0)
Date: November 23, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky, the newly crowned No. 1 team in America, puts that ranking and its unbeaten season on the line when Cleveland State visits Rupp Arena on Wednesday afternoon.


Just don't look for coach John Calipari to be chanting, 'We're No. 1!' coming out the locker room.


"We've got to get more consistency, more discipline," Calipari said. "I'm just saying it's a process that's going to take time."


For the first time this season, Calipari started four freshmen against Duquesne on Sunday night.


"These guys, we're four games in, and you got to understand, it's like their high school season," Calipari said. "They never worked like this. It's not just the games. Every practice they're going at each other. They have never done that before.


"They were by far the best high school player on their team, they practiced when they felt like it. Doesn't mean they didn't work, but they practiced against a guy that couldn't guard them. Now, they're in this gym, and you're going against another guy that can play. And it's every day. And we're not letting up as a staff."


Through the 4-0 start, Kentucky is led in scoring by sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe at 18 points per game. Next comes the four freshman starters -- Malik Monk (15.8), De'Aaron Fox (15.3), Bam Adebayo (9.3) and Wenyen Gabriel (6.3). Adebayo is the team's top rebounder at 6.3.


As a team, the strongest indicator might be turnover margin. Kentucky forced 84 turnovers, but only committed 48. That's 21 forced turnovers per game. On offense, UK is outscoring opponents by an average count of 86-60.


The Vikings are 1-2 with a victory over Canisius 67-64 and losses to Kent State 79-74 and Tennessee-Martin 85-74.


Sophomore guard Rob Edwards leads Cleveland State at 17 points per game while freshman guard Kasheem Thomas is tops with 6.3 assists and 6-7 sophomore forward Jibri Blount leads in rebounding at 5.7.


Kentucky, Cleveland State, Canisius, Duquesne and UT Martin are all participating in the Bluegrass Showcase, a loosely aligned round-robin event spread over the first two weeks of the season.


Kentucky also already defeated Canisius and Duquesne and faces UT Martin on Friday night in Lexington.


"They understand what we're looking to do, where we have to be by the time February hits," Calipari said. "Our discipline defensively is not what it needs to be. We're not running gaps. We took shots that we never work on. Like invented shots. That's just lack of discipline.


"That's the normal process you go through with young guys. They just don't have the discipline to play every possession to be graded. Did we do the whole possession until they shot? Did we rebound, did we block out, all of it, did we finish the possession? I would say, 'No, not on this team right now.' We're not able to go seven perfect possessions. Don't worry if they score. Did we play it the right way? We're not disciplined enough right now."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rams (3-0) at Bears (3-0)
Date: November 23, 2016 2:30 PM EDT

Baylor became one of the first teams this season to enter the Top 25 by virtue of a credible victory, with the Bears having defeated then-No. 4 Oregon last week.


Virginia Commonwealth would like to follow that same script into the Top 25 next week.


Rankings aside, Baylor (3-0) and VCU (3-0) will look across the court at a quality opponent on Wednesday when they face each other at the Battle 4 Atlantis at 2:30 p.m. ET in Nassau, Bahamas.


Baylor showed off a couple of new weapons in its 66-49 win over Oregon. Junior guard Manu Lecomte, a transfer from Miami, scored 18 points and dished out seven assists, and junior college transfer Jo Lual-Acuil scored eight points, blocked seven shots and grabbed 14 rebounds.


Those two players, as much as the impressive victory over the Ducks, captured the attention of the college basketball world - including VCU coach Will Wade.


"Baylor is very, very talented," Wade said. "I don't think a lot of people knew how good Manu Lecomte was going to be for them. Baylor's a good team. That was no fluke. They beat Oregon pretty good."


On the flip side, Baylor coach Scott Drew knows the Rams won't be star struck.


VCU is accustomed to playing top-notch nonconference competition and has the March Madness credibility in recent years to match just about anyone in college basketball.


Last season, the Rams advanced a round farther than Baylor as VCU defeated seventh-seeded Oregon State in the opening round. Then the Rams pushed Final Four-bound Oklahoma for 40 minutes before the Sooners escaped Oklahoma City with a four-point win.


"This is a team that is very competitive, great tradition, been in the NCAA Tournament six straight years," Drew said. "So, a team that's used to being successful, used to winning."


While Baylor is mixing its new standouts with quality veterans, VCU rolls with many of the same faces that helped the Rams win 25 games a year ago. Seniors Mo Allie-Cox, JeQuan Lewis, Jordan Burgess and Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed, and junior Justin Tillman played leading roles last season and are back for more.


Those players and new additions give VCU the depth that concerns Drew.


"They play extremely hard, play 10 guys, lot of pressure man-to-man, very physical team," Drew said.


But this won't be Baylor's first go-round this season with a tough opponent.


Wade has seen how much trouble the Bears' zone defense gave Oregon. It's easy to see how. Lual-Acuil (7-foot), forward Johnathan Motley (6-10) and reserve Terry Maston (6-8) thrive on swatting away shots in the lane.


"Their length will be a major, major issue for us," Wade said. "We haven't seen length like this since we played maybe Florida State last year. They've got just about everything you want in a good basketball team. It will be a challenge."


Whoever survives Wednesday's game will go back for a second helping of top-level competition on Thanksgiving Day. The Baylor-VCU winner meets the No. 24 Michigan State vs. St. John's winner.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Ducks (3-2) at Huskies (2-3)
Date: November 23, 2016 4:30 PM EDT

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Oregon and Connecticut were both in the Top 25 at the start of the season, but both could be out of the rankings next week.


The Ducks reached their highest spot ever in the Associated Press poll at No. 4 on Nov. 15, but then lost to unranked Baylor and Georgetown.


"We're unranked now," Oregon coach Dana Altman said after a 65-61 loss to the Hoyas in the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday. "I don't know who the heck we think we are."


The 13th-ranked Ducks bounced back to beat Tennessee 69-65 in overtime Tuesday to improve to 3-2.


"We are not playing very well, but we had to find a way to win the game," Altman said.


Oregon will wrap up its week at the Lahaina Civic Center on Wednesday against Connecticut (2-3), which beat Chaminade 93-82 on Tuesday. The Huskies were ranked No. 16 in the preseason but fell out of the polls after losses to Northeastern and Wagner.


"I thought our guys played extremely well," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said after the win over Chaminade. "They did not get down on themselves."


Sophomore guard Jalen Adams nearly had a triple-double with 25 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds against Chaminade. He is averaging 29.5 points in two games during the tournament as he prepares to face the Ducks.


"We are definitely looking forward to playing a Top 20 team," Adams said. "It is a good challenge to see where we are at. We think we can play with the best teams."


Oregon and Connecticut were both disappointed after losing their opener in Maui, but the winner will go home with a two-game winning streak.


"They've got a good team," Ollie said of the Ducks. "They haven't been playing well as of late, but they've got a lot of great guys. We've got to come in and focus on our game plan."


Oregon got all-conference forward Dillon Brooks back after he missed the first three games of the season following foot surgery. The 6-foot-7 junior led the Ducks with 17 points in the win over Tennessee.


"I'm feeling great," Brooks said. "My foot doesn't hurt at all. I'm just ready for the next game and ready to get back and work with these guys and get better to get to that level that we need to be at."


Altman would like to see his team get back to the level that took the Ducks to the Elite Eight last season.


"We obviously read too many press clippings and we are not playing anywhere near that level we're capable of playing," he said.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wolverines (4-0) at Gamecocks (4-0)
Date: November 23, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

Perhaps no team in college basketball has made a better first impression to the season over the last couple weeks than Michigan.


Not ranked at the beginning of the season and not getting the attention of other Big Ten programs such as Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue, the Wolverines have started off 4-0, including an impressive performance at the 2K Classic in New York City last week.


Michigan routed Marquette (79-61) and Southern Methodist (76-54) to win that tournament title, and its reward was becoming the fifth Big Ten team in this week's Associated Press poll, cracking the rankings at No. 25.


With a little more of a target on its back, Michigan now will prepare for what could be a challenge tougher than what it faced in New York City -- its first true road game against another team off to a great start when it plays at South Carolina at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday in Columbia, S.C.


"It's always interesting," Michigan head coach John Beilein said of his team's first road game. "In all the years we have been here, it's always been challenging."


South Carolina is also off to a 4-0 start, although those four wins have all come at home against Louisiana Tech, Holy Cross, Monmouth (70-69 in overtime) and South Carolina State.


Earning a win against a ranked team could no doubt provide a springboard to the rest of the season for the Gamecocks.


"I'm excited for the progress our team has made after the first four games," South Carolina head coach Frank Martin said. "I think we have gotten better every game offensively and defensively."


Senior guard Sindari Thornwell is off to a hot start for the Gamecocks. He is averaging 20.8 points per game and has made 10 of 21 shots from 3-point range.


Sophomore guard PJ Dozier (11.5 ppg), senior guard Duane Notice (10.8 ppg) and sophomore forward Chris Silva (10.3 ppg) are also averaging in double figures for South Carolina.


"They are going to really be very aggressive defensively trying to turn us over and get steals," Beilein said. "We are going to have to be really good with our offense and then staying in front of them on defense is going to be a challenge. They've really got some great quickness and are shooting the lights out."


The Wolverines have also received good perimeter play, relying heavily on their captains in senior guard/forward Zak Irvin (14.5 ppg) and senior point guard Derrick Walton (14.0 ppg), who has made 14 of his 28 attempts from 3-point range.


Junior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkmann (11.3 ppg) and senior forward Mark Donnal (11.0 ppg) also are off to good starts for Michigan.


"They are a typical John Beilein team," Martin said. "They don't foul and they don't turn it over. They are so unselfish on offense and they don't take bad shots. They play through their structure and you say John Beilein, you think a 1-3-1 zone. But they are pretty darned good at man-to-man defense right now."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Tribe (2-1) at Blue Devils (4-1)
Date: November 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

DURHAM, N.C. - All of Duke's depth that was trumpeted prior to the season has been mostly an afterthought through the first couple of weeks of the season.


The Blue Devils have been limited by injuries and at times nearly alarmed by the volume of ailments.


But they've mostly kept winning -- as they have been expected to do since beginning the season as the country's top-ranked team.


Even with a smaller rotation of players, the Blue Devils have made it work.


"It's more of an ironman, five-man game," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said during the weekend's Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off.


The sixth-ranked Blue Devils (4-1) are back in action Wednesday night when William & Mary (2-1) visits for a nonconference game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. This is the start of a four-game homestand for Duke.


It's unclear whether any of the three injured freshmen -- Marques Bolden, Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum -- who have yet to make their collegiate debuts will play.


"We're trying to win with the hand that's dealt us," Krzyzewski said.


In Sunday's tournament final against Rhode Island, guards Matt Jones and Luke Kennard played all 40 minutes and guard Grayson Allen, who has been bothered by toe and leg ailments, logged 39 minutes.


"I'm just proud of everybody the way we responded to that," Kennard said of the reduced available roster.


Duke has won 27 of the 30 previous meetings with the Tribe.


Across an eight-season period, William & Mary has knocked off three Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. That includes last fall's season-opening upset at North Carolina State.


However, last week's outing at ACC member Louisville didn't go well for the Tribe -- a 91-58 loss.


William & Mary coach Tony Shaver said he wasn't pleased with the team's competitiveness in the second half. He expects more from his team against another high-level opponent.


"It's a big challenge, obviously," Shaver said. "They're pretty good last time I checked. ... I think it's a neat opportunity for this club right now because we played so poorly at Louisville. (This comes) in a hostile environment against an extremely talented team."


While Shaver said Louisville dictated the game, he was happier with how the Tribe responded in defeating Presbyterian. Now, it's another test against a national power.


"I want to see us go down there and play hard," Shaver said. "I want to see us go down there and execute at the level we're capable of. It's not going to be perfect. It's not going to be pretty at times."


William & Mary's Daniel Dixon, a guard coming off a 20-point outing against Presbyterian, said: "I think we're definitely excited and ready to show we can compete. I don't think we executed well against Louisville and I think that's a big key."


This is the third season in a row that the Tribe has a road game against a Top 10 opponent.


The Tribe has connected on double-figure 3-pointers in two of its games this season. Senior swingman Omar Prewitt will appear in his 100th career game for William & Mary.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Storm (2-1) at Spartans (2-2)
Date: November 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Both Michigan State and St. John's have to be thrilled about spending their respective Thanksgivings in the Bahamas, but the trip will have an entirely different level of euphoria for Spartans junior guard Lourawls Nairn.


It will be special homecoming for Nairn, who was raised in Nassau before moving to the United States when he was 13 in order to pursue opportunities to play basketball.


During the three-day "Battle 4 Atlantis" on Paradise Island, this will be the first and likely only opportunity some family members and friends of Nairn's have or ever will see him play basketball in person.


"It's kind of amazing to be home," Nairn said. "Just going back to the school today brought back memories when I was a kid of all the dreams I had of playing basketball in America."


Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo called it a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity for Nairn, a player he has praised constantly since he arrived on campus, saying "he's got wings" following Sunday's win over Florida Gulf Coast.


"Today we got a chance to go out in the community and visit his school and that was educational for our guys," Izzo said during a press conference on Tuesday. "Hopefully we get a little basketball, a little enjoyment and a little education. I think it's important for us to grow as a team while we are here."


The first step for No. 24 Michigan State enjoying its basketball experience over the next three days will come at 7 p.m. on Wednesday against St. John's in the first round of the tournament.


St. John's is 2-1 in the second season under Chris Mullin, the former star in the 1980's for the Red Storm who is back coaching his alma mater.


Coming off a 92-86 loss at Minnesota on Friday, the Red Storm have so far relied heavily on the freshman backcourt combination of Marcus LoVett and Shamorie Ponds.


LoVett is averaging 24.3 points a game for the first three games, while Ponds is averaging 17.3 points a game.


Michigan State (2-2) has won two straight following season-opening losses to top-10 opponents Arizona and Kentucky, although it barely squeaked by Florida Gulf Coast at home on Sunday, winning 78-77.


The Spartans have been led by freshman Miles Bridges (16.0 ppg), but the play of senior Eron Harris was a nice sight on Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast.


With Florida Gulf Coast placing a lot of emphasis on containing Bridges, Harris stepped up with 31 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 from 3-point range.


The winner will face either Baylor or Virginia Commonwealth in a semifinal on Thanksgiving Day.


This will be the first appearance for both teams at the Battle 4 Atlantis, which is now in its sixth year of existence.


"It's tournaments like this that give you a chance to do a little bonding as a team," Izzo said. "It gives you a chance to compare three days in a row, which is more like the NCAA tournament. It gives you a chance to face different kinds of teams. Win, lose or draw, it's going to be a good experience for us."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Tigers (4-0) at Boilermakers (3-1)
Date: November 23, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The 17th-ranked Purdue basketball team will attempt to win its third November tournament in the past eight seasons Wednesday night when the Boilermakers face Auburn in the Cancun Challenge championship game.


And if coach Matt Painter's team wins, the Boilermakers will have beaten a Southeastern Conference opponent in each of those three event's title games.


Purdue (3-1) defeated Tennessee in the 2009 Paradise Jam in The Virgin Islands when current Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was coaching the Volunteers. The 2015 Boilermakers defeated Florida in the Hall of Fame Tipoff title game in Connecticut.


Now, Painter will attempt to get the best of Pearl again after Auburn defeated Texas Tech 67-65 in Tuesday's first semifinal, and Purdue pulled away from Utah State, 85-64.


Boilermaker center Isaac Haas scored a career-best 26 points against Utah State, guard Dakota Mathias added a career-best 25 on 9 of 10 field goal shooting and power forward Caleb Swanigan had 15 points.


"Dakota had a great night, and Isaac was just as good on the interior, taking his time," Painter said. "A lot of people who have some size aren't used to doubling. When they go and double, it's tough for them when they get there late. Trouble happens.


"Against Utah State, Isaac did a good job of waiting and taking his time. I thought Caleb did, too. Both of those guys really had a good night Tuesday."


Painter is hoping to get just as much perimeter help from Mathias against Auburn as he got against Utah State.


"The more you can make other teams pay -- getting them in foul trouble, playing against their backup bigs -- and then being able to step up and hit some 3s will really help us set our defense more," Painter said.


"The more consistent we can get on the offensive end, they constantly are going to be going against a set defense, which is what you want."


Mathias said Haas and Swanigan help create open shots for Purdue's perimeter players.


"They are so good when they get doubled or triple-teamed, being able to pass out of it," Mathias said. "I think especially Isaac has improved.


"When teams double our big men, we've got guys on the perimeter who can move around the horn and make shots. That is tough to guard."


Auburn improved to 4-0 for the second time in the last 10 years. In Mustapha Heron and Danjel Purifoy, the Tigers had two freshmen reach double figures in each of their first four games for the first time since Scott Pohlmam during the 1997-98 season.


"Beating Texas Tech was a great win for our program and a great win for our kids," Pearl said. "Texas Tech is an NCAA caliber team. I thought we stopped guarding in the second half, but hey, I would rather learn and win than learn and lose."


While Pearl starts three freshman and two sophomores, he is happy to have fifth-year graduate student point guard Ronnie Johnson, who was Purdue's starting point guard as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Houston to play for Kelvin Sampson.


After earning an undergraduate degree in the spring, Johnson opted to move again -- this time to Auburn.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Monarchs (2-0) at Cardinals (3-0)
Date: November 23, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

Arriving on Paradise Island in the Bahamas as the favorite to win the 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis, No. 10 Louisville got instructions from its coach. "Don't take Old Dominion lightly."


The Cardinals will face Old Dominion in the first game of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.


The Monarchs (2-0) have drawn Louisville coach Rick Pitino's praise for their ability to play slow, methodical offense, rebound effectively and play stiff defense. For a 3-0 Louisville team wanting to run and press, Old Dominion could be a significant test.


"This is, for us, an opportunity to see what we are," Pitino said. "It's been very difficult to tell because we have played three good games. I'm anxious to see how we play in this tournament."


The Cardinals started the season with a 78-47 win over a short-handed Evansville team before beating William & Mary 91-58. An 88-56 win over Long Beach State last Thursday was supposed to provide more of a test, but an early Louisville run put the game out of reach with less than 10 minutes off the clock.


As for Old Dominion, coach Jeff Jones' team beat James Madison 62-55 and Richmond 64-61 to start the season. They Monarchs are currently ranked 350th in Division I basketball in tempo (64.1 possessions vs. Louisville's 71.0).


ODU was 25-13 last season and reached the Conference USA Championship game. It returned three starters and four of the top seven scorers from last season.


"It has been a positive for us in terms of preparation when you consider all the different problems Louisville presents," Jones said. "Our guys know it is a big challenge, but they also recognize it is a big opportunity for our team."


For Old Dominion, Wednesday's game represents its only scheduled shot at a Power 5 opponent this season. The Monarchs could play two or three Power 5 teams during their trip to the Bahamas.


"For a mid-major program, this is about the only opportunity we get to play against a team like Louisville and teams like (Baylor and Michigan State) that is not on their home floor," Jones said. "We want to test ourselves."


Louisville last visited the Battle 4 Atlantis during the 2012 season. The Cardinals won the 2013 NCAA title.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Badgers (4-1) at Tar Heels (6-0)
Date: November 23, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

Fourth-ranked North Carolina blew by its first six opponents in frightening fashion. The Tar Heels could solidify themselves as early NCAA title contenders if they can do it one more time against No. 16 Wisconsin on Wednesday in the championship game of the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii.


The Tar Heels (6-0) surpassed the century mark in their first two games of the tournament, beating Chaminade 104-61 and Oklahoma State 107-75. They are averaging nearly 97 points per contest and winning by 29.3 points per game.


The Badgers (4-1) own three victories in a row since falling to No. 22 Creighton on the road. They won all three games by double digits. Wisconsin held its first five opponents to 59.2 points per game, but it won't be easy to slow North Carolina's high-octane offense.


Six players scored in double figures for North Carolina in the Tuesday win over Oklahoma State. The Tar Heels shot 57.8 percent from the field, made 8 of 17 from 3-point range, converted 25 of 29 free-throw opportunities and outrebounded the Cowboys 44-32. Joel Berry II had 24 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Justin Jackson added 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists.


After the game, Jackson was asked his team's form.


"You know, clicking on all cylinders, that's a scary term because it's only six games of the season," he said. "So to look down here and see, I guess, six people in double figures, you know, that's pretty crazy against a really good team."


The Tar Heels also did a nice job defensively. Oklahoma State went into the game averaging 104.5 points per game. Against North Carolina, the Cowboys shot 36.1 percent from the field and made just 6 of 22 from 3-point range.


"They played at an energy level much, much higher than anybody we've played this year, and they made us play with an energy level much higher than we've played at any other time this year," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "I think that they got our focus. That's encouraging to me to see how we can do when we really focus and play at that same energy level."


Wisconsin defeated Tennessee 74-62 in the opening round and beat Georgetown 73-57 in the semifinals Tuesday to reach the championship game. The Badgers amassed a huge 50-21 rebounding advantage against the Hoyas, capitalizing one of their biggest strengths.


"I think it's become the identity of this team, and there are times when it's not pretty," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "In fact, there's times when we will have to win ugly, and that may be one of the areas where we can really make up with other deficiencies or deficiencies in other areas."


The Badgers eliminated North Carolina in a Sweet 16 game in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels made it clear that they haven't forgotten when asked about the possibility of beating the Badgers to win the Maui Invitational.


"Wisconsin knocked us out two years ago, so, of course, it would be great," Jackson said. "But right now we're trying to just focus on Wisconsin. We know they're a really good team, so we've got to focus on them, but obviously a title would be great."