College Hoops Preseason Tournament Previews

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, David Kay and Peter Christian of the The Sports Bank. Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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Big Ten/ACC Challenge Preview - Nov. 29


The 12-game Big Ten/ACC Challenge tips off Tuesday night with the headliner being a battle of top three teams as No. 3 Duke visits No. 2 Ohio State. After losing the first 10 challenges, The Big Ten looks for its third straight win in this battle of power conferences. To be completely blunt, they should have zero problem doing so as the Big Ten has far more depth then the ACC.


Tuesday


Michigan at Virginia, 7:00, ESPN2
The Wolverines played well in Maui, beating Memphis and UCLA by double digits and hanging with Duke in a seven-point loss. Freshman point Trey Burke has taken control of this team early on and is someone to watch out for this season. The Cavaliers suffered a hiccup at the Paradise Jam Tournament, being upset by TCU in the opening round. They have relied on their defense all season long, allowing just 45 points per game, but Michigan just has too many weapons.

Prediction: Michigan 67, Virginia 58

Northwestern vs. Georgia Tech, 7:15, ESPNU
If the Wildcats lose this game, we should just officially burst their bubble now and save the trouble of waiting until March to do so. Northwestern does need someone other than John Shurna and Drew Crawford to step up though. That duo is averaging more than 40 points per game.

Prediction: Northwestern 69, Georgia Tech 57

Illinois at Maryland, 7:30, ESPN
The Terps have really struggled early on with only seven scholarship players due to Pe'Shon Howard's injury and the suspension of freshman Alex Len. The Illini are going through a transition year of their own but just have more talent and depth. Meyers Leonard could have a big day since Maryland does not have a lot of size or skill inside.

Prediction: Illinois 76, Maryland 60

Miami at Purdue, 9:00, ESPN2
This early in the season, I think how battle tested a team is plays an important role in these "marquee match-ups." The Boilermakers survived a tough stretch against tourney caliber teams Iona, Temple and Alabama at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off with a 2-1 record, while the Canes have only played weaker power conference teams, Rutgers and Ole Miss. I think Purdue has the length and quickness to slow down Miami's talented backcourt of Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant which has carried the load so far this year.

Prediction: Purdue 82, Miami 69

Clemson at Iowa, 9:15, ESPNU
The Tigers have a pair of concerning losses already on their resume (home versus Charleston and Coastal Carolina.) The Hawkeyes do as well as they were blown out by Creighton and then lost by 16 to Campbell. Iowa does have eight players averaging at least seven points per game while Clemson is not a very deep team.

Prediction: Iowa 79, Clemson 78

Duke at Ohio State, 9:30, ESPN
I think game ultimately comes down to whether the Plumlee brothers can stay out foul trouble and contain Jared Sullinger inside. Ohio State has the athletes and defenders on the wing to slow down the Blue Devils' three-headed backcourt of Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins and Austin Rivers, including the pest Aaron Craft who will cause headaches for Curry or Tyler Thornton at the point. Ohio State should also take advantage of William Buford size and strength advantage over Dawkins or Rivers. This should be a dandy of a game.

Prediction: Ohio State 82, Duke 77





Wednesday


Indiana at N.C. State, 7:15, ESPN2
The Wolfpack picked up an impressive win over Texas and hung with Vanderbilt at the Legends Classic. C.J. Leslie's return provided a big boost but Lorenzo Brown is also one of the more underrated "can do-it-all" players in the nation. Indiana is coming off a huge win over Butler but otherwise have not really been tested. If this game were in Bloomington, I'd pick the Hoosiers, but since it's in Raleigh...

Prediction: N.C. State 83, Indiana 75

Penn State at Boston College, 7:15, ESPNU
This is easily the worst of the 12 games in the challenge as it features two of the worst offensive teams in the country. First to 50 wins?

Prediction: Penn State 57, Boston College 53

Florida State at Michigan State, 7:30 ESPN
The Spartans opened their season with back-to-back losses against North Carolina and Duke, while Florida State just lost to Harvard and Connecticut at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Expect this to be a grind it out, physical game featuring two teams that really get after it on the glass. Since this one is at The Izzone...

Prediction: Michigan State 62, Florida State 56

Virginia Tech at Minnesota, 9:15, ESPN2
Trevor Mbakwe is out for the season so Minnesota is pretty much out for the season as well. It is a major blow as the Gophers will have to rely on more production from their young backcourt that is still trying to figure itself out. The Hokies are led by their experienced backcourt of Erick Green and Dorenzo Hudson which gives them an edge.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 68, Minnesota 53

Wake Forest at Nebraska, 9:15 ESPNU
Things I would rather do than watch this game - sleep in a pit of tarantulas, listen to people talk about how great Tim Tebow is for two straight hours, sleep with Rachel Nichols.

(Editor's Note: Hey, hey, hey... I love to talk about Tim Tebow, and I have the hots for Rachel Nichols. Tarantulas... meh... I'll do it if I can sleep with Rachel and talk about Timmy.)

Prediction: Nebraska 71, Wake Forest 63

Wisconsin at North Carolina, 9:30 ESPN
A battle of different styles; North Carolina likes to get out in transition at every possible opportunity while the Badgers excel executing in their halfcourt offense. Through six games, Wisconsin has shot lights out from three (47.2%) with pretty much every player they put on the floor capable of knocking down a triple. This Badger team doesn't have the size it has in recent years which gives the Heels an advantage with John Henson and Tyler Zeller inside. Plus, Carolina is going to be looking for a major bounce back game after losing at UNLV. Harrison Barnes did roll his ankle in that game so if he is at all limited, Wisconsin has a very realistic chance of pulling off the upset.

Prediction: North Carolina 81, Wisconsin 71

CBE Classic Preview - Nov. 21


The 2011 CBE Classic lacks the star power compared to last year's field of Duke, Marquette, Gonzaga, and Kansas State. The return of Tim Abromaitis could give Notre Dame the edge, but Cal and Missouri have just as good a chance to win the tournament. Here are my predictions for how the two-day event will unfold:


Semifinals, Monday


Missouri vs. Notre Dame, 7:30, ESPN2
The Irish have gotten off to a 4-0 start despite not having the services of Tim Abromaitis as he served a four-game suspension. Abro will be back on the floor Monday evening as will guards Eric Atkins and Joey Brooks who each missed the last game due to flulike symptoms. Notre Dame will have a size advantage over Mizzou who frequently uses a four-guard line-up and doesn't have a lot of depth of height inside since Laurence Bowers is out for the season. The Tigers will really have to light it up from deep and/or frequently get out in transition to knock off the Irish. Missouri does have a home court advantage of sorts since the tourney is being played in Kansas City. Still...

Prediction: Notre Dame 84, Missouri 77

California vs. Georgia, 10:00, ESPN2
This begins a tough stretch for the Dawgs as they will play Cal, ND/Missouri and Xavier in the next five days. Georgia has shot an abysmal 24 percent from distance and lack any real low post presence. The Golden Bears have been led by sophomore shooting guard Allen Crabbe and have also gotten quality contributions from Minnesota transfer Justin Cobbs. Seniors Jorge Gutierrez and Harper Kamp bring experience and intangibles to the floor making Cal a team with a lot of options. This one could be over by halftime.

Prediction: California 73, Georgia 52


Third Place Game, Tuesday


Missouri vs. Georgia, 7:45, ESPNU
While the Bulldogs have been bricklayers from distance, the Tigers have come out guns-a-blazing, hitting on 48.3 percent of their triple tries. Georgia just isn't very good this year and will need a near perfect performance combined with an awful outing from Mizzou to pull off the upset.

Prediction: Missouri 81, Georgia 67


Championship, Tuesday


Notre Dame vs. California, 10:15, ESPN
These two teams actually match up pretty well so it will probably come down to who executes better. I will give the Irish the advantage since I think they have a little more firepower off the bench as guys have been thrust into bigger roles early in the season due to Abro's suspension, and Atkins and Brooks battling illness. Depth always seems to be important in these tournaments where teams are playing two games in 24 hours.

Prediction: Notre Dame 64, California 58

Maui Invitational Preview - Nov. 20


Break out the Hawaiian shirts... The Maui Invitational always seems to be the cream of the college basketball Thanksgiving tournament crop, and this year is no different with five preseason Top 25 teams in the field including three of the top programs of all time: Duke, Kansas, and UCLA. Here is a breakdown and my predictions for how the bracket will unfold.


Quarterfinals, Monday


Memphis vs. Michigan, 3:00 am, ESPN2
With their depth and athleticism, the Tigers are going to try and run, run, and run some more. The Wolverines want to slow it down and keep things in the half-court, so whichever team can control the tempo will have the advantage. Michigan has a tendency to live and die with the three ball and haven't shot it real well at the start of the season, connecting on just 22 of their 73 attempts.

Prediction: Memphis 77, Michigan 69

Duke vs. Tennessee, 5:30, ESPN2
How many times will we have to hear that Coach K. just broke the all-time wins record? How many cutaways of Doc Rivers and Dell Curry will we see? How many mention of the Plumlee brothers will there be? Duke is quickly becoming my least-favorite team for those three reasons. They still have a ton more talent than Tennessee who is under first year head coach Cuonzo Martin. Keep an eye on the Vols' Trae Golden who is averaging 23 points, 10 assists, and 4.5 rebounds through two games.

Prediction: Duke 80, Tennessee 65

UCLA vs. Chaminade, 9:30, ESPNU
The Bruins opened their season with back-to-back embarrassing, double-digit home losses to Loyola Marymount and Middle Tennessee. Reeves Nelson was briefly suspended due to a poor attitude but will suit up in Maui. If the Bruins lose this one, Ben Howland might as well just start cleaning his office.

Prediction: UCLA 88, Chaminade 64

Kansas vs. Georgetown, 12:00, ESPN2
Both teams are down from what they have been the past few years as they have new faces adjusting to much bigger roles this season. I think the Jayhawks will be the aggressors, play tougher and more physical than the Hoyas which will ultimately give them the edge.

Prediction: Kansas 68, Georgetown 63





Semifinals, Tuesday


Memphis vs. Duke, 7:00, ESPN
There is a ton of athleticism in this game and it should be a fairly up-and-down affair. The Blue Devils have a ton of shooters on the wing but will need the Plumlee brothers to be a factor down low. Turnovers were a huge issue for Memphis last season, but they looked more mature in their opener against Belmont and will hope to play fast, but also smart. I think this is the real championship game of the tourney, and I'm going to roll the dice.

Prediction: Memphis 83, Duke 81

UCLA vs. Kansas, 9:30, ESPN
As expected, the Bruins' guard play has been very shaky so far while Kansas has gotten solid production from Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson. The Jayhawks don't have a ton of depth in the frontcourt, while that is UCLA's strength. If Thomas Robinson can stay out of foul trouble, Kansas should advance to the title game.

Prediction: Kansas 73, UCLA 60


Fifth-Place Game, Wednesday


Michigan vs. Georgetown, 5:00, ESPN2
Nobody want to finish fourth in any pre-season tournament because it ultimately means you have lost two of your three games. The Shockers have the edge depth-wise but I think Fernandez and Moore will the Owls to a third-place finish.

Prediction: Michigan 57, Georgetown 52


Third-Place Game, Wednesday


Duke vs. UCLA, 7:30, ESPN2
UCLA uses 6-10 David Wear as their starting small forward while Duke starts a three-guard line-up meaning 6-4 Austin Rivers or 6-4 Andre Dawkins will have to play bigger defensively. Joshua Smith has a major size advantage inside over the Blue Devil bigs but the Plumlee's and Ryan Kelly both run the floor very well which make Smith a huge liability on the defensive end.

Prediction: Duke 85, UCLA 67


Championship Game, Wednesday


Memphis vs. Kansas, 10:00 ESPN2
Maybe I was overly impressed by the Tigers' win against Belmont in their opener, but I think Memphis' depth is going to be a huge asset in Maui. Josh Pastner can go 10 deep on his bench, while Kansas is very thin and could easily have no legs playing their third game in three days. The "mid-major" represents against some of the big boys...

Prediction: Memphis 74, Kansas 62

Puerto Rico Tip-Off Preview - Nov. 17


It's not even Feast Week and the pre-season tournament is upon us. The 2011 Puerto Rico Tip-Off begins today and has somewhat of a watered-down field since teams like Purdue, Maryland and Colorado are going through a transition period. Here are my predictions and what to look for during the four-day tourney.


Quarterfinals, Thursday


Temple vs. Western Michigan, 10:30 am, ESPNU
The Owls survived an overtime victory against Penn in their opener and rely heavily on their experienced backcourt of Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore. Broncos lost Juwan Howard Jr. to transfer before the season but have a talented big man inside in Matt Stainbrook who scored 32 points in Western Michigan's first game; a six-point loss to South Dakota State. The Owls are a very efficient defensive team so Broncos will have to shoot much better from three than the 2-15 performance they put together against South Dakota State if they hope to pull off the upset.

Prediction: Temple 65, Western Michigan 57

Purdue vs. Iona, 1:00, ESPNU
The Boilermarkers absolutely crushed Northern Illinois then narrowly escaped a two-point win against High Point. Robbie Hummel looks healthy and Matt Painter has gone deep on his bench early on as he is still trying to figure out how to replace the production of JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore. Iona is certainly no slouch as they return their top four scorers from a team that won 25 games last season. They also have a key addition in Arizona transfer MoMo Jones. Purdue should certainly be on upset alert in this one.

Prediction: Purdue 72, Iona 70

Alabama vs. Maryland, 5:00, ESPN2
Anthony Grant has done a terrific job in his brief time at Alabama as the Tide are expected to make some serious noise this season. They rely heavily on their trio of JaMychal Green, Tony Mitchell, and Trevor Releford, but also have a pair of talented freshmen in Trevor Lacey and Levi Randolph. The Terps are short-handed due to the suspension of Alex Len and injury to Pe'Shon Howard. They will have a difficult time handling the suffocating defense of Alabama

Alabama 67, Maryland 49

Wichita State vs. Colorado, 7:30, ESPNU
The Shockers like to use a deep bench to wear down their opponents and will try to do so against a Buffalo team that lost their top two players, Alec Burks and Cory Higgins. Colorado sophomore Andre Roberson is a potential breakout candidate and had 13 points, 15 rebounds in the Buffs opener.

Prediction: Wichita State 83, Colorado 75


Semifinals, Friday


Temple vs. Purdue, 1:00, ESPNU
For some reason I have this gut instinct that the Boilermakers either lose to Iona in the quarterfinals or win the whole tourney. This should be a grind-it-out sort of game as both teams play hard on the defensive end. Whoever has the hot hand from three wins this game.

Prediction: Purdue 59, Temple 55

Alabama vs. Wichita State, 9:00, ESPN2
A re-match of last year's NIT Championship! The Shockers beat the Tide last year in a game where Green was in foul trouble so the Tide didn't have their best player at their full disposal. Bama doesn't have the depth that Whichta State does, but if Green stays out of foul trouble, they should move on to the title game.

Prediction: Alabama 62, Wichita State 58


Third-Place Game, Sunday


Temple vs. Wichita State, 5:30, ESPN2
Nobody want to finish fourth in any pre-season tournament because it ultimately means you have lost two of your three games. The Shockers have the edge depth-wise but I think Fernandez and Moore will the Owls to a third-place finish.

Prediction: Temple 61, Wichita State 60


Championship Game, Sunday


Purdue vs. Alabama, 8:00 ESPN2
How will the Tide handle playing their third game in four days with a fairly short bench? A Tony Mitchell-Robbie Hummel matchup intrigues me as Mitchell's athleticism and physicality could cause problems for Hummel. But like I said, my gut reaction is Purdue gets bounced in the first game or wins it all. So...

Prediction: Purdue 68, Alabama 63





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