Top 5 Men’s Basketball Games Breakdown 11/21 – 11/24
Usually this column deals with top games that are not part of big tournaments, but there is no way around it this week. Three of the top games on the schedule are part of the illustrious Maui Invitational, which includes top teams like Michigan, Memphis, Duke and Kansas. Otherwise, the schedule gets a little lighter around the end of the pre-Thanksgiving period, but it will pick back up once the turkey day passes. Until then, enjoy the early part of the week’s schedule.
MICHIGAN VS. No. 7 MEMPHIS (3 p.m. Monday at Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii)
With a one-sided win over Ferris State and much closer wins over Towson and Western Illinois under their belt, the Wolverines travel to Maui for the annual invitational that draws many top teams. This is the first meeting in close to 15 years for Michigan and Memphis, also in Hawaii; Memphis topped Michigan 73-72 in the Honolulu Rainbow Classic in December 1996. Joe Jackson’s 20 points, four rebounds and seven assists helped Memphis to a 97-81 win over Belmont in that school’s only game of the season. The winner will face either Duke or Tennessee in the next round.
TENNESSEE VS. No. 5 DUKE (5:30 p.m. Monday at Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii)
Speaking of series that are knotted up, Tennessee and Duke have each won seven games in their all-time series. However, all but one of the games was played before Mike Krzyzewski took over as Duke’s basketball coach 32 seasons ago. Duke lost the last time the Blue Devils played an SEC opponent (a 62-54 loss to LSU in the 2006 NCAA tournament), and Tennessee might be tough once again. There are five double-digit scorers on the Duke team, led by junior guard Seth Curry’s 15.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Tennessee has two wins under its belt against not so impressive competition, UNC-Greensboro and Louisiana-Monroe, but this tournament will help the Volunteers grow up quickly.
GEORGETOWN VS. No. 8 KANSAS (11:50 p.m. Monday at Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii)
The third of the Maui games to involve top-10 teams, this is a matchup you would think happened more often given the programs’ storied histories. Believe it or not, these teams have only met once, back in the 1987 NCAA tournament. In that game Georgetown won 70-57. Look for junior Hollis Thompson and senior Henry Sims to dominate the Hoyas offense; the two have an average 28.5 points per game between them combined. Kansas swamped Towson before losing to Kentucky in a much closer matchup. It has been a case of T&T for the Jayhawks; Tyshawn Taylor has 17 points per game and Thomas Robinson averages 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AT No. 24 BAYLOR (10 p.m. Tuesday at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas)
Baylor is hanging on until the Big 12 Conference gets underway and it can really prove itself. So far the Bears have enjoyed plenty of home cooking, with the team in the fourth game of a seven-game home stand. Baylor has a 3-0 record and wins over Texas Southern, Jackson State and San Diego State. Quincy Miller leads the way at 18 points per game and a 66.7 3-point shooting percentage, suggesting a strong perimeter game. Baylor faces Texas-Arlington on Wednesday in back-to-back games. South Carolina State, members of the Mideastern Athletic Conference, is off to a 3-1 start with wins over Claflin, Webber International and Gardner-Webb, but the Bulldogs have a large loss to Virginia blemishing that record.
SAN DIEGO STATE AT No. 12 ARIZONA (8:30 p.m. Wednesday at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona)
A battle of teams with only two losses between them, San Diego State is off to a 5-1 start while Arizona is 4-1 through its first five games. Jamaal Franklin is powering San Diego State with his 18 points per game as the Aztecs are off to a great start, with the only blemish being a 10-point loss to Baylor. Word of caution, Arizona fans: SDSU’s wins are against such illustrious teams as Bryant, Southern Utah and UC-Davis. The Wildcats just lost their first game, 67-57, to Mississippi State following wins over Valparaiso, Duquesne, Ball State and St. John. Solomon Hill is a top all-around threat at 11.6 points, eight rebounds and 2.6 assists a game.
Men's Basketball Games of the Week and Tournament Breakdowns
