Men’s Basketball Games of the Weekend 12/23 -12/25
If this story seems shorter than usual, there’s a very good reason. The college game is taking a few well-deserved days off before ramping up again after the holiday. The Las Vegas Classic wraps up tonight with a big game between Baylor and West Virginia, and there are a few other worthy games dotting the Friday agenda.
No. 23 CALIFORNIA AT No. 21 UNLV (5 p.m. Friday at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada)
Pac-12 faces Mountain West in the first of two big games at locations throughout Las Vegas. The Golden Bears are 10-2 entering this game with 16.3 assists a contest and a 48.0 shooting mark (good for 25th and 37th, respectively). California is on a four-game winning streak following a loss to San Diego State in early December. In a 70-50 win over UC-Santa Barbara, Justin Cobbs came away with 25 points to make up for the absence of top scorer Jorge Gutierrez, who missed the game due to illness. If he is not healthy tonight then California could have problems with UNLV (12-2), which is on a role as Mountain West Conference play nears. The Runnin Rebels are among the darlings of the early season. UNLV has a three-game winning streak and its latest victory was an 81-63 win over Louisiana-Monroe. Chace Stanback’s long-range touch was on display in this game with eight 3-pointers and 29 points scored.
MANHATTAN AT GEORGE MASON (7 p.m. Friday at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia)
This game involving mid and high-major teams promises to be a good one if records are any indication. The Jaspers (8-4), who have won their first two games in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, are quite respectable in a lot of categories. They are just outside the top 100 in rebounding (36.9 per game). Manhattan also has a five-game winning streak that includes recent victories over Hofstra and Towson, which have won three games combined between them. Still, the Jaspers could cause fits for George Mason (7-4), which is 1-0 in Colonial Athletic Association play. The Patriots have a 46.7 shooting mark, good for 67th in the country in Division I. They have also dropped two of their last three contests against Virginia and Duquesne. Ryan Pearson and Vertrail Vaughns had 13 points each in that game.
No. 9 BAYLOR VS. WEST VIRGINIA (9 p.m. Friday at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada)
This game is about keeping up with the Joneses. Part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic, it also happens to the best game of the truncated hoops schedule. Baylor (11-0) enters this game following a 72-59 win over Saint Mary on Thursday, in a game where Perry Jones III just missed a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. This is Baylor’s best start since the 2000-01 campaign, and the Bears will be put to the test with this game and a game against Mississippi State on Dec. 28. From there Big 12 play begins, so there is no rest at all. Baylor’s shooting percentage (50.5) ranks eighth in Division I. West Virginia (9-2) just avoided an upset at the hands of Missouri State, a Missouri Valley Conference opponent, providing further proof that high majors can knock off top powers (or almost, in this case). Kevin Jones had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Mountaineers.
LONG BEACH STATE VS. AUBURN (11 p.m. Friday at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii)
This game is part of the Diamond Head Hoops Classic and it is a matchup between Big West and SEC schools. A mismatch on paper? Not necessarily. The 49ers are in the top 50 in field-goal percentage (47.4) and also have high marks in scoring and assists, so Long Beach State (6-5) could be a force against a tough Auburn squad. LBSU has a two-game winning streak with victories against Eastern New Mexico and Xavier, although the Musketeer win certainly was aided by the suspensions of some Xavier players following the Cincinnati brawl. Casper Ware’s 17 points per game lead the 49ers. Auburn (8-1) has a four-game winning streak following a loss to Seton Hall, but it just barely beat Hawaii 65-62 behind a go-ahead dunk by Rob Chubb with three seconds remaining.
