Tuesday 12/22/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Grizzlies (15-14) at 76ers (1-28)

Date: December 22, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Despite hosting a team that hasn't lost in Philadelphia in nearly six years, this might be the 76ers' best chance to double their win total before the calendar flips to 2016.

That's because this is their only home game for the rest of 2015.

The misery continues to mount for the one-win 76ers, though some of it would be relieved by knocking off the inconsistent Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

They nearly did just that Nov. 29, when they led by four with under six minutes left only to lose 92-84 in Memphis. Philadelphia matched the worst start in NBA history at 0-18 and suffered a league-record 28th straight defeat. The slide ended two nights later with a home win over the Lakers, but the 76ers (1-28) have followed with 10 consecutive losses.

"Everybody has their own frustrations, but you stay positive and do your best to keep working through it," forward Nerlens Noel said.

Their road losing streak is at 22 - the last four by 19 points or more - following Sunday's 108-86 defeat in Cleveland.

Philadelphia opens a six-game trip Wednesday in Milwaukee, so this contest is its last at home until Jan. 4.

"We've been on the road, and we're getting ready for another long road trip," point guard Isaiah Canaan told the team's official website. "So any home game is good for us, and just try to keep our fans engaged, and tell them to just be patient with us."

Memphis (15-14) has won five straight in Philadelphia since Feb. 11, 2009, but four were by five points or fewer. Last season's visit went to overtime after the Grizzlies rallied from 18 down in the final 7:15, and Mike Conley hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in regulation as part of a career-high 36-point night.

Conley was clutch again Saturday with seven of his 20 points and three of his eight assists in the final 6 1/2 minutes as Memphis put away Indiana 96-84.

It was the second win in six games for the Grizzlies, who recently changed to a small-ball style of offense.

'We have enough talent in this locker room to win regardless of how we are playing - slowing the ball down or running in transition,' Conley said.

The last five games have seen Matt Barnes start over Zach Randolph and Courtney Lee start for the injured Tony Allen (knee). Barnes is averaging 13.2 points since the change - he was previously at 8.0 - with two double-doubles.

"We're still not going to score 125 points a game, that I'm pretty sure of," center Marc Gasol said. "Defensively, we need to do the things we're supposed to do.'

Defense still makes all the difference. The Grizzlies tied a season low for points allowed Saturday, improving to 10-3 when keeping the opposition under 97, and held the Pacers to 39 percent shooting while forcing 17 turnovers. Memphis is allowing an average of 100.2 points after ranking among the league leaders the past four seasons.

"We're not a high-scoring team, so our defense has to be there every single night," Barnes said.

Slowing down the Sixers shouldn't be difficult. They average 91.2 points - four fewer than any other team - and shoot 41.6 percent.

Jahlil Okafor shot 3 of 11 for nine points Sunday after averaging 21.3 points in the previous six games. Canaan has shot 30.3 percent in his last eight.

Besides needing better shooting, coach Brett Brown wants his team be tougher.

"We get overwhelmed," he said. "There's a physical side right now we are lacking."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mavericks (15-12) at Raptors (17-12)

Date: December 22, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Toronto Raptors have done a decent job weathering injuries to a pair of starters, but they have a problem that doesn't seem to be going away.

Dwane Casey sure sounds like he's seen enough of it.

Poor starts have consistently put the Raptors in some substantial holes, an issue they'll likely need to correct Tuesday night against the visiting Dallas Mavericks if they plan on avoiding a fourth loss in five games.

Toronto (17-12) already went through a stretch of 12 of 17 games where it trailed after one quarter, and its latest effort was its ugliest start so far. The Raptors dug themselves a 37-18 ditch after 12 minutes in Sunday's visit from Sacramento, trailing from start to finish in a 104-94 loss.

Casey's team has been outscored by an average of 1.8 points in the first quarter, a point differential better than only Washington, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Raptors have lost eight of the last 10 they've trailed starting the second quarter.

'It's terrible,' said Casey, a Mavericks assistant from 2007-11. 'I mean it's totally unacceptable the way we performed (Sunday). Shame on us. The way you come into the game with that disposition of `OK, we're at home, we're OK.' It's not OK. How many times do we have to do that before it smacks us upside the head and wakes us up?'

Toronto typically gets things figured out after halftime. Its plus-4.5 point differential in the second half trails only Cleveland, San Antonio and Golden State.

DeMarre Carroll (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (hand) remain out - though Valanciunas was cleared to practice Monday and Carroll could soon follow - but Toronto's lack of offensive depth seems to be showing. Luis Scola and Bismack Biyombo are a combined 7 for 34 from the field in the Raptors' three latest losses, and Casey seems to have soured on any options off the bench aside from Patrick Patterson, Terrence Ross and Cory Joseph.

Joseph, mired in a 7-for-33 shooting slump, was on the floor for 30 minutes against the Kings after Kyle Lowry was ejected for picking up two technicals. Lowry has shot 33.3 percent in his last six games, but Rick Carlisle is still concerned about facing him and DeMar DeRozan.

"They have an All-Star backcourt," Carlisle said during Monday's practice. "Lowry makes so many things happen and DeRozan is one of the best scorers in the league. He's extremely talented and he's a big problem.

"Pound for pound, I don't know of another team in the NBA that plays harder than (the Raptors) on a consistent basis."

Toronto had a better start and finish when it visited Dallas (15-12) last month. The Raptors led 31-25 after one and outscored the Mavericks 28-18 in the final quarter en route to a 102-91 win as Lowry and DeRozan combined for 47 points.

Valanciunas and Scola totaled 35 as Toronto outscored Dallas 44-30 in the paint, but repeating that could be tough with the Mavericks dusting off some frontcourt depth. Charlie Villanueva and JaVale McGee each scored 10 off the bench in Saturday's 97-88 win over Memphis.

Dallas is 5-1 when Villanueva scores in double figures. This was the first time McGee had done that since November 2014 with Denver.

'He was fantastic,' said Dirk Nowitzki, who needs 30 points to pass Shaquille O'Neal for sixth on the NBA's all-time scoring list. 'If you look at all the good teams, they all have athleticism from their bigs. He was definitely a game-changer for us.'

The Mavs are hoping Chandler Parsons can be that again. Still working his way back from offseason knee surgery, Parsons had 16 points Saturday after scoring 17 against Phoenix four days earlier.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (16-12) at Heat (16-10)

Date: December 22, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

A three-day layoff couldn't have come at a better time for the Detroit Pistons. The same can be said about Brandon Jennings' impending return.

Coming off the longest game in their history, the Pistons visit the Miami Heat on Tuesday night with Jennings expected to be in uniform for the first time in 11 months.

Detroit (16-12) received a fortunate break from the schedule after outlasting Chicago 147-144 in a four-overtime thriller on Friday, the NBA's longest game since Atlanta downed Utah in four OTs in March 2012. Another positive came when Jennings played 27 minutes for the team's D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids on Saturday, getting 11 points and 12 assists in his first game action since the point guard ruptured his left Achilles tendon Jan. 24 at Milwaukee.

Jennings will join the Pistons in Miami to add a needed experienced body to a team whose starters lead the league in minutes played per game, though he'll be eased in due to the injury and the current rotation playing well.

"I think we're still going to take our time," Jennings told the Pistons' official website. "I think more on the defensive end, I'm still having trouble right now pushing off, trying to get through screens, which is still expected. So my lateral movement is something I have to work on."

Jennings could log some time at shooting guard, where starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's 37.9 minutes per game trails only Houston's James Harden for tops in the NBA and backup Jodie Meeks is still rehabbing a fractured foot.

The Pistons haven't lacked for backcourt production of late. Reggie Jackson is averaging 26.0 points and 7.2 assists during Detroit's 4-1 stretch and Caldwell-Pope has scored 21.3 per game over his last four, highlighted by a career-high 31 in Wednesday's 119-116 win over Boston.

Jackson tallied 31 points and 13 assists in Friday's marathon, and Andre Drummond amassed a career-high 33 points and 21 rebounds for the first 30-20 game by a Piston since Dennis Rodman in January 1991.

"We are trying to prove ourselves night in and night out," Jackson said. "A four-overtime win in a battle like this, I think we are coming out and making statements."

Drummond compiled 18 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks in Detroit's 104-81 home rout of the Heat on Nov. 25, with the Pistons limiting Dwyane Wade to a season-low two points on 1-of-9 shooting.

Wade has shot 61.4 percent in averaging 22.3 points over his last three for Miami (16-10), which also has won four of five following Sunday's 116-109 home victory over Portland. The Heat overcame a 10-point halftime deficit and Goran Dragic's ejection late in the third quarter, outscoring the Trail Blazers 34-23 in the fourth.

'It was harrowing in the second half,' coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'But I liked us showing some mental stability and competitive toughness while things weren't necessarily going our way.'

Chris Bosh scored 11 of his 29 points in the final period and Gerald Green contributed 17 off the bench. Green has averaged 17.2 points and shot 50.0 percent on 3-pointers over a five-game stretch to bring some production to a reserve unit that's 28th in the league in scoring (26.1 points per game).

The Pistons rank last in bench points (23.3 ppg).

Miami, which has won seven of eight at home against Detroit, is holding opponents to 31.8 percent shooting on 3s to rate among the league leaders. The Pistons were 16 of 31 from beyond the arc in last month's meeting, however.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (4-23) at Nuggets (11-16)

Date: December 22, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Kobe Bryant wasn't going to make enough of a difference in a 40-point loss over the weekend to change the outcome, but he could be of some use against a lesser opponent coming off its worst defensive effort of the season.

The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, and Bryant is expected to play after missing a game with a sore shoulder.

The soreness was in the same shoulder in which Bryant suffered a torn rotator cuff last season, but he doesn't think it will be a long-term problem. He sat out Saturday's 118-78 loss at Oklahoma City.

"That was pretty heavy-duty surgery I had this summer, so I think it's kind of logical to expect it to be sore at some point," Bryant said. "I've just got to get ahead of it, just rest it and come back."

The odd thing is his shot has been more consistent recently, though there wasn't really anywhere for it to go but up. In his first 17 games, Bryant never shot better than 46.7 percent and collectively was at 29.6. In his last six, he's reached at least 50.0 percent three times and is at 48.9.

Part of that might be shot selection. He's taken 14.7 shots in the past six after averaging 17.9 to start the season, and his scoring has increased to 18.8 points per game in those six after being at 15.9 prior.

After scoring 22 points in Thursday's 107-87 home loss to Houston, he's averaging 23.0 in his last three.

"My legs felt lively and they felt springy," Bryant said. "I don't know where it came from, but it was there. I can't really explain it. I feel like I can maintain this, but it's always a give-and-take with Father Time. Sometimes he lets me lead the way, and sometimes he leads the way, so you just kind of roll with it.

"It's a good idea not to mock Father Time. So I'll just say that as long as he lets me lead the way, I'm cool with that."

It was still a 20-point loss, and Los Angeles' last four defeats have come by an average of 27.7 with a home win over Milwaukee mixed in.

The Lakers (4-23) came a bit closer in their first meeting with Denver, falling 120-109 on Nov. 3. Jordan Clarkson matched his career high with 30 points while Kenneth Faried scored a season-high 28 for the Nuggets.

The power forward has gone 20 of 27 and averaged 28.5 points in his last two games against the Lakers. Denver has won 10 of the last 11 meetings while averaging 117.1 points.

That kind of scoring didn't do the Nuggets (11-16) any good in Sunday's 130-125 home defeat to New Orleans, which came despite Will Barton scoring a career-high 32 and going 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Coach Michael Malone wasn't handing out individual compliments.

"Some guys think they had good games tonight, think they had good games because they put numbers up," said Malone, whose team allowed a season-high 56.4 percent shooting. "Most of those guys gave up what they got. I've been in the league 15 years. I've not been a part of probably the worst defensive effort than what I saw tonight."

The Nuggets have been especially bad defending the 3 lately, allowing their last four opponents to hit 43.4 percent.

"Embarrassing. That's what I would say. I would say it that way," Malone said. "You give up 130 points. You give four, 30-plus point quarters. There is no excuse."

Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay (sprained right ankle) has missed the last four games and isn't expected back Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Blazers G Lillard to miss game
By The Sports Xchange

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard will miss the first game of his career Monday with soreness in his left plantar fascia.
Lillard aggravated the injury against the Miami Heat and said Sunday night he was sore.
Lillard's streak was at 275 consecutive games since entering the NBA.
Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has the NBA's active mark for consecutive games played at 350 entering Monday's game.

-- The Trail Blazers also were missing guard CJ McCollum, who tweaked both ankles in the fourth quarter against the Heat on Sunday. .

--Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas has been cleared to return to practice, the team announced.
Valanciunas has been sidelined the past 15 games after he sustained a fractured fourth metacarpal in his left (non-shooting) hand during the second quarter on Nov. 20 at the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Raptors also announced that forward Bruno Caboclo and guard Norman Powell were assigned to Raptors 905, the team's NBA Development League affiliate.

--The Atlanta Hawks recalled 7-foot-3 center Edy Tavares from the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League.

--The New York Knicks played Monday without forward Kyle O'Quinn, who has a sprained right ankle.

--Orlando Magic guard C.J. Watson missed Monday's game with a sore left calf.

--Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol returned to the lineup after he sat out Saturday's game against the New York Knicks to rest.

. --Brooklyn Nets guard Shane Larkin missed his fourth consecutive game with a concussion. He hasn't played since Dec. 14.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Tuesday, December 22 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Here I thought I was done leading these stories about the pitiful Philadelphia 76ers. Apparently not as I just found out that the Sixers could become the first team in NBA history not to win at least twice by its 30th game -- which happens to be Tuesday for the 1-28 franchise. In addition, every team in league history has won at least three times through its 42nd game. Not sure I see the 76ers accomplishing either of those. I do think the team made a smart move in hiring Mike D'Antoni as an assistant to Coach Brett Brown. D'Antoni is a very good offensive mind and knows new Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo well from their Phoenix days. The Sixers might as well play fast and entertaining since they stink. And this isn't apparently a threat to Brown as he was just given a contract extension. D'Antoni hasn't joined the team yet, however. He will during its West Coast trip that starts the day after Christmas.

Grizzlies at 76ers (+9.5, 195)

If Memphis coach Dave Joerger is in some trouble as has been speculated, a loss here probably ends his tenure. The Grizzlies haven't won consecutive games since the start of the month. They are off a 96-84 home win over Indiana on Saturday. Marc Gasol had 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, while Matt Barnes added 15 points and 10 boards. Grizzlies guard and defensive stalwart Tony Allen missed a fifth straight game with a right knee injury. Doubt he plays here. Philadelphia was destroyed in Cleveland on Sunday, 108-86 for its 10th straight loss. Nerlens Noel had 15 points and 12 rebounds in the defeat. Memphis beat the visiting 76ers 92-84 on Nov. 29 for its sixth straight win in the series (also has won five straight at Philadelphia). That was Philly's 18th straight loss to start the year, tying the league record. Noel missed the game.

Key trends: The Grizzlies are 0-4 against the spread in their past four after a win. The 76ers have covered just one of their past 11 overall. The "over/under" is 5-1 in Memphis' past six after a win.

Early lean: Grizzlies and over.

Pistons at Heat (-3.5, 192.5)

Detroit mercifully has been off since Friday when the Pistons went four overtimes and won in Chicago 147-144. Andre Drummond had 33 points and 21 rebounds, and Reggie Jackson added 31 points and 13 assists. Drummond became the first Piston since Dennis Rodman in 1991 with 30 points and 20 rebounds in a game. No opponent had done it in Chicago since Larry Bird in 1980-81. It was only the second four-OT game in the NBA over the past 18 seasons. We might see Brandon Jennings make his season debut here as he was recalled from the D-League. His 2014-15 season was cut short by a ruptured left Achilles'. Miami beat Portland 116-109 on Sunday, shooting 57 percent from the field. Goran Dragic was ejected from a game for the first time in his career, but nothing that would get him suspended here. Detroit has lost two straight in Miami but beat the visiting Heat 104-81 on Nov. 25. Drummond had 18 points and 20 rebounds.

Key trends: The home team is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The over is 4-0 in the Heat's past four at home.

Early lean: Heat and over.

Mavericks at Raptors (-4, 196)

This is on NBA TV and will feature live betting at sportsbooks. Dallas has been off since Friday's 97-88 home win over Memphis. Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points and Zaza Pachulia, who has been a steal acquisition from Milwaukee, 10 points and 18 rebounds. It was his 15th double-double, tying as many as he had all last year. Backup point guard Devin Harris missed the game with a right hamstring injury and probably sits this one out. Toronto was upset at home 104-94 by Sacramento on Sunday. The Kings opened the game on a 17-2 run and at one point led by 22 points in the first quarter. Toronto had won four straight at home. Kyle Lowry was ejected with 7:22 remaining in the third quarter after receiving two technicals for arguing with referee Scott Wall. The Raptors ruined Dallas' home opener, 102-91 on Nov. 3. The Mavs swept the series last year.

Key trends: The Mavs are 2-5 ATS in the past seven meetings. The under is 4-0 in the previous four.

Early lean: Raptors and over.

Lakers at Nuggets (TBA)

L.A. lost a second straight Saturday, 118-78 in Oklahoma City. The Lakers didn't have Kobe Bryant, not that it would have mattered. He should be back here. Someone named Anthony Brown started in his place vs. OKC. Los Angeles coach Byron Scott said the Lakers looked "scared" and "intimidated." Denver lost a second in a row Sunday at home, 130-125 to New Orleans. Reserve Will Barton had a career-high 32 points for the Nuggets. He also had 10 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari turned his left ankle, so monitor him. He didn't think it was serious but didn't practice Tuesday. Rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay (sprained right ankle) missed a fourth straight game. It's doubtful he plays in this game. The Lakers lost at home to Denver 120-109 on Nov. 3. Kenneth Faried had 28 points and 15 rebounds. It was the Nuggets' 10th win in the past 11 meetings overall.

Key trends: The Lakers are 2-9 ATS in the past 11 meetings. The over has hit in nine of the past 12.

Early lean: Nuggets and over, regardless if Gallinari or Mudiay plays.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Mavericks won three of last four road games (5-3 last 8AU).
-- Pistons won four of last five games (1-4 last five AU)- they won last game in four OTs Friday. Miami won four of its last five (2-6 in last eight HF). .

Cold teams
-- 1-28 Philly is 0-9-1 vs spread in its last ten games. Grizzlies lost four of their last six games (3-1AF).
-- Toronto lost three of its last four games (1-6 last seven HF).
-- Lakers lost eight of their last nine games (3-10 last 13AU). Denver lost last two games by 9-5 points (0-3HF).

Series records
-- 76ers lost nine of their last ten games with Memphis.
-- Raptors won four of last six games with Dallas.
-- Pistons won three of last four games with Miami.
-- Lakers lost nine of their last ten games with Denver.

Totals
-- Four of last six Philly games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Dallas games stayed under total.
-- Last five Detroit games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Denver games.

Back/backs
-- None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (9-1) at Explorers (4-4)

Date: December 22, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

Miami hasn't let a stunning home loss fester over the last three weeks, nor did it let a long layoff affect its shooting touch.

The 13th-ranked Hurricanes try for a fifth consecutive victory when they make a rare trip to the storied Palestra to face La Salle on Tuesday night.

Northeastern's Quincy Ford hit a jumper at the buzzer to hand Miami a 78-77 loss Nov. 27, bringing back memories of last season when Green Bay and Eastern Kentucky also won in Coral Gables before the Hurricanes were relegated to playing in the NIT.

Miami (9-1) hasn't lost since, though, and Jim Larranaga became the fastest coach in school history to reach 100 victories in his 150th game with Saturday's 85-63 win over Charleston.

The Hurricanes shot 55.8 percent following an 10-day layoff for final exams, hitting the 50-percent mark for the seventh time this season. They still weren't at their best offensively, though, committing a season-high 17 turnovers, five by point guard Angel Rodriguez.

Ja'Quan Newton scored a career-high 20 points off the bench.

"I went out there and I just played," Newton said. "Going into the game I just wanted to be aggressive."

Miami has mainly won with defense lately, holding its last three opponents to 37.3 percent from the field after its first seven shot at least 40 percent.

'I told the team after the game, that was a terrific defensive effort ... just a terrific defensive effort,' Larranaga said. 'It led to fast-break layups, baskets, sharing the ball. We had a few too many turnovers, almost getting into each other's way. But our defense was so good for such a long period of time.'

The Hurricanes will need another solid performance defensively in order slow Jordan Price, fourth in the nation at 24.6 points per game.

The junior hasn't been as hot over the last two, though, shooting a combined 35.5 percent in a 66-53 loss to Drexel on Dec. 5 and a 76-47 defeat at then-No. 9 Villanova on Dec. 13. He had a career-high 37 points in a loss to Hofstra on Dec. 2 that began La Salle's three-game losing streak.

Price had 16 and was 6 of 17 against the Wildcats, who dominated from the opening tip. Johnnie Shuler was the only other player in double figures for the Explorers (4-4).

Cleon Roberts, second on the squad to Price with 11.9 points per game, finished with five and went 2 of 9.

'This is kind of our transition year,' coach John Giannini said. 'We've transitioned from those guys that we won a lot of games with to a new core group. We're a couple of players, probably, short right now.'

La Salle will return from its break for exams to host Miami, which will face the Explorers in Philadelphia for the first time since losing in 1970 at the Palestra. Newton is a Philadelphia native, and Larranaga said the rest of the team will know how much that building means to college basketball.

"We have a video to show them about the history of the Palestra," Larranaga said. "I played there ... but I don't think they had video back then."

The last two meetings have been in Coral Gables, with the Hurricanes winning in 2012-13 and '13-'14.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Golden Grizzlies (7-3) at Spartans (12-0)

Date: December 22, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Denzel Valentine's emergence as one of the nation's top players is a major reason why Michigan State holds the No. 1 ranking and is on the verge of making history.

Now the Spartans will figure out how good they are without him.

A minor arthroscopic knee procedure will keep the star senior on the sidelines for two to three weeks beginning Tuesday night, when Michigan State faces surprising Oakland at the Palace of Auburn Hills looking to start 13-0 for the first time ever.

Valentine is averaging team highs of 18.5 points and 8.3 rebounds while ranking among the national leaders with 7.1 assists per game. He's posted two triple-doubles, joining Magic Johnson, Charlie Bell and Draymond Green as the only Spartans to accomplish the feat.

Michigan State boasts victories over No. 2 Kansas, No. 10 Providence and No. 16 Louisville while matching the 2000-01 team for the best start in school history. Playing just as well without Valentine's contributions could be difficult, though.

Coach Tom Izzo said Valentine was hurt landing awkwardly following a layup attempt in practice Sunday, but that the injury is "very, very minor." Valentine is expected to miss three or four games, including a trip to Iowa on Dec. 29 to begin Big Ten play.

West Virginia transfer Eron Harris will take Valentine's spot in the starting lineup.

"He was crushed last night when we found out, but at the same time, we're just going to have to learn," Izzo said. "This will be a new challenge, a new chapter for us.

"We've talked about our depth. We've won games when he hasn't played well. This will become an opportunity for our other guys."

Michigan State's approach likely will be the same. It is one of the nation's most balanced teams, assisting on 78.8 percent of its field goals to lead the nation while ranking third in average rebound differential (plus-15.3) and fifth in defensive field-goal percentage (35.3).

Bryn Forbes has increased his scoring average from 8.5 last season to 12.7 and should see more shots with Valentine out. He finished with 12 points and sparked the Spartans by diving on the floor for a loose ball in Saturday's 78-58 win at Northeastern.

'He'd have been the last guy that's gotten on the floor the last year or so,' Izzo said. 'He's doing more things, and we needed someone to light a match.'

Kahlil Felder has been that player for Oakland (7-3), which is off to its best start since joining Division I in 1998. Felder finished with a career-high 38 points and nine assists in Saturday's impressive 97-83 victory at Washington.

It marked the second straight 30-point game for Felder, who ranks second in the nation with 25.9 points per contest. He's helped Oakland win four straight following an 86-82 loss at Georgia on Dec. 1.

The junior guard is far from one-dimensional, though. Felder leads the country in assists per game with 8.9 despite tying for second with an average of 18.1 field goals attempted.

'You can talk about what Felder did and he put us in the position (to beat Washington). We were tired and in foul trouble, so I just spread the floor and let him play one-on-one and he was unbelievable," coach Greg Kampe said. "We see that every day. We know how good he is."

Izzo does, too, but his squad held Felder to 13 points on 3-of-12 shooting in last season's 87-61 win. He's also wary of Texas transfer Martez Walker, who became eligible Saturday and scored 18 points in his Oakland debut.

"Oakland has turned into a very big game," Izzo said. "They went out and demolished Washington. Excellent offensive team."

Michigan State has won all 13 meetings since Oakland entered Division I.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Hens (5-4) at Wildcats (8-2)

Date: December 22, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Villanova has been humbled by top-10 opponents twice in its last three games, but its contests against unranked foes have all been comfortable victories.

Tuesday night's visit from Delaware figures to fit the latter category for the 17th-ranked Wildcats considering the Blue Hens are still seeking their first-ever win against both Villanova and the Top 25 as a whole.

Villanova has won each of the previous 13 meetings, including last season's 78-47 victory. It was Delaware's 31st and most recent loss against the Top 25. The last 11 have been double-digit losses by an average of 23.5 points, while Villanova's eight victories this season against unranked opponents have come by an average of 23.6 points.

Five of those have been part of a 26-game home winning streak against unranked teams. It's also won 23 straight home games against nonconference foes.

But the Wildcats (8-2) are likely thinking more about their 86-75 loss at Virginia on Saturday, as well as a 78-55 defeat against Oklahoma on Dec. 7 in Hawaii.

"We played a better team today," coach Jay Wright said after the loss to the Cavaliers. "Their attention to detail, their execution is just on another level than ours right now."

The loss came despite shooting 49.1 percent against a traditionally great defensive team, but the Wildcats have struggled to defend the 3-pointer. In three games dating to the Oklahoma loss, they've allowed teams to shoot 50.9 percent from long range. Pile on Virginia's 31-19 rebounding advantage, and it didn't much matter how well Villanova shot.

"We have an inexperienced team," Wright told the school's official website. "We'll learn from this and we'll get better."

Individually, Kris Jenkins led the way against Virginia with a career-high 23 points, but the forward has been inconsistent offensively all season and is shooting 34.6 percent in his last three games.

That kind of production, however, will probably hold up against Delaware (5-4). The Blue Hens are coming off Saturday's 69-61 loss at Boston College after leading by three at halftime. The only reasons they were in the game at all were Kory Holden's performance and dominating the offensive glass. Holden had a career-high 35 points, while Delaware outrebounded the Eagles 42-34 and 13-2 on the offensive end.

But only Holden and Cazmon Hayes scored in the first half, and the Blue Hens had four players score for the entire game while totaling a season-low seven assists.

"You can't have two guys basically carry you," coach Monte Ross said. "We didn't have good enough play from other different guys that we needed to in a game like this. You expect in the second half other guys will contribute."

Holden has averaged 25 points in his last four games while the rest of the team has averaged 41.8 while shooting 35.7 percent.

"Kory was fantastic tonight, we've just got to get some more from our other guys," Ross told the school's official website. "It's very difficult to win on the road when you only score 61 points. We fought and battled and outrebounded them, so we were playing hard, we just weren't very efficient.

"We had a tough night but we have to pick ourselves up and get ready for Villanova."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cyclones (9-1) at Bearcats (10-2)

Date: December 22, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Iowa State finally paid the price for not playing the full 40 minutes, and doing so in its next game would likely result in the same outcome.

The Cyclones' challenge to bounce back from their first loss will certainly be a tough one Tuesday night at Cincinnati, where the No. 22 Bearcats are seeking a marquee nonconference victory.

For the second time in three games, 11th-ranked Iowa State (9-1) struggled at the start and found itself facing a double-digit deficit. Unlike their 83-82 win over Iowa on Dec. 10 in which the Cyclones rallied from 20 down, they were unable to finish off a comeback Saturday against Northern Iowa, losing 81-79 after Georges Niang committed a turnover with a chance to score a go-ahead basket and Monte Morris missed a potential game-tying floater.

"We just weren't good enough, especially on the defensive end in the first half," coach Steve Prohm said Monday at practice. "We didn't defend well enough, we weren't good enough."

Niang finished with 30 points and has averaged 21.0 on 56.1 percent shooting his last six games. The senior forward leads the team with 18.7 points per game, though the Cyclones are still trying to find their rhythm since losing Naz Mitrou-Long for the season.

Deonte Burton had seven points and three rebounds off the bench in his debut after sitting out following his mid-semester transfer from Marquette in 2014.

"You're not replacing guard, a combo guard, with a guard, you're replacing him with a perimeter forward, Deonte plays some 3, plays a 4," Prohm explained. "Working in how you're going to rotate, how you're going to sub. We miss Naz from a defensive standpoint, his ability to make shots, his leadership, but we've got a really good group built to win and we'll do that.

"We know what we need to get better at and I need to do a better job demanding it."

The Cyclones are allowing a Big 12-worst 69.3 points per game and their last three opponents have shot a combined 50.0 percent after Northern Iowa torched them at a 58.0 percent clip.

By comparison, Cincinnati (10-2) has allowed an opponent to shoot better than 40 percent just three times, and lost two of them. One was a 65-55 setback Dec. 12 to unbeaten and current No. 6 Xavier, which shot 48.2 percent, and another was a 78-76 home defeat Dec. 2 to now-ninth-ranked Butler (42.2 percent).

The Bearcats have won back-to-back games since losing to the crosstown rival Musketeers, including a 69-63 victory Saturday at VCU in which they held the Rams to 33.9 percent.

While coach Mick Cronin has plenty of respect for Niang and Morris (14.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg), he's also wary of center Jameel McKay. The 6-foot-9 senior is averaging 15.3 points on 64.2 percent shooting and 10.6 rebounds, and Cronin feels McKay "might be the highest draft pick of the three," according to the team's official website.

Cincinnati also won Saturday by getting to the foul line, sinking 30 of 35, and another such effort could help the Bearcats slow down a Cyclones offense averaging 84.8 points on 51.2 percent shooting.

"If we can give Iowa State two fast-break points like we did to VCU, I like our chances," Cronin said. "They try to get 10 to 20 points a game where they're attacking your defense before your defense is set. If they get 'em, they're going to score 75 or higher.

"If they don't get 'em, they struggle to get those numbers."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Musketeers (11-0) at Demon Deacons (8-2)

Date: December 22, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Xavier continues to answer every challenge thrown its way during a historic start, though the path is about to become more difficult.

The No. 6 Musketeers look to complete a perfect nonconference schedule as they begin a formidable three-game stretch Tuesday night against improving Wake Forest.

Xavier has achieved two program firsts in its 11-0 start and standing in the AP poll, surpassing a No. 7 ranking reached twice previously. The Musketeers are the highest of three current top 10 teams from the Big East, where they'll open play at No. 17 Villanova on Dec. 31 and host ninth-ranked Butler two days later.

They'll get one final prep for the conference slate in a Demon Deacons squad that's proven to be no pushover in coach Danny Manning's second season. Wake Forest (8-2) knocked off then-No. 13 Indiana and UCLA in last month's Maui Invitational and can record its first six-game winning streak since 2009-10.

The Deacons' resurgence has been led by an offense that's scored 80 or more points seven times and could be even more potent once Codi Miller-McIntyre is fully recovered from a broken foot. The senior guard, who led the team with 14.5 points and 4.3 assists per game last season, missed the first eight games before returning for the last two.

Miller-McIntyre contributed 10 points in 24 minutes to help combat leading scorer Devin Thomas' foul trouble during Friday's 83-77 win over 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Coastal Carolina, which moved Wake Forest to 6-0 in games decided by six or less.

Thomas, averaging 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, managed a season-low six points in 23 minutes. The senior forward shot 62.2 percent while averaging 20.5 points and 12.0 rebounds over a four-game stretch coming in.

The Demon Deacons haven't been as efficient on defense, allowing 78.8 points per game. Coastal Carolina shot 49.1 percent and scored 50 second-half points.

"We have to do a much better job in guarding," Manning said. "As talented as that Coastal Carolina team is, especially on the offensive end shooting the basketball, if we let our next opponent shoot that type of percentage we'll get beat by 100."

With five players averaging double figures and having recorded at least 85 points in five of their last six wins, the Musketeers can indeed be dangerous. They're also capable of slowing down high-scoring teams, as evidenced by Saturday's 85-61 rout of Auburn in which they held the Tigers 26 points below their season average.

"To hold a team that's averaging 87 points a game to 61, it's a good job," coach Chris Mack said. "Our defense is so much better, it's not even in the same stratosphere, and this team values that more than last year's team did."

Though leading scorer Trevon Bluiett is in a 5-for-19 slump over the last two games, the Musketeers dominated Auburn inside behind forwards Jalen Reynolds and James Farr. Reynolds had a season-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes and Farr compiled 12 points and 11 rebounds in 20.

Xavier finished with a 42-26 advantage on the glass and is outrebounding foes by 13.4 per game.

This will be the fifth meeting of an eight-game agreement between the schools that began in 2009-10. The home team has won each of the first four, with Xavier losing in Winston-Salem in December 2010 and December 2013.

The series has been dubbed the Skip Prosser Classic, honoring the former coach of both schools who died of a heart attack at age 56 in 2007.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Commodores (7-3) at Boilermakers (11-1)

Date: December 22, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Vanderbilt hasn't been to Purdue since the 1929-30 season, but coach Kevin Stallings is very familiar with the place.

Stallings will return to face his alma mater Tuesday night when his Commodores look to defeat the No. 14 Boilermakers for the second straight season.

Stallings played at Purdue from 1979-82. The Boilermakers reached the Final Four in his first season under coach Lee Rose before Stallings played for the legendary Gene Keady in his last two years. The coach was with Illinois State when he returned to Mackey Arena in a 69-55 loss Dec. 8, 1998.

'I'm so old I don't remember when I played there,' Stallings said. 'I had a team play there when I was at Illinois State, so I've kind of been through that already.

"Coach Keady is gone. He's my emotional tie to Purdue University, so this is just another game for me. I didn't have a whole lot to do with that Final Four banner, truth be told.'

Stallings and Vanderbilt (7-3) are more concerned about duplicating its 81-71 win over Purdue on Dec. 14, 2014. Riley LaChance scored a career-high 26 points and Damian Jones added 15.

How Jones fares could be critical after the 7-footer - considered a possible first-round NBA draft pick - scored a season-high 21 points in Saturday's 80-56 rout of Wofford. Stallings challenged him to score more by telling the center to stop passing the ball.

It should be more difficult to operate down low for Jones since Purdue (11-1) has a pair of 7-footers in Isaac Haas and A.J. Hammons.

"It should be fun," said Jones, who needs 13 points to reach 1,000 for his career. "I like going against taller opponents."

The Commodores would normally also have two 7-footers, but Luke Kornet is out four to six weeks with an MCL tear in his left knee. Kornet leads the SEC with 2.8 blocks per game.

The Boilermakers are among the nation's leaders in average rebound margin at plus-12.4. Vanderbilt's average rebound margin in two games without Kornet is plus-1.5.

Purdue seeks to bounce back from its first loss, 74-68 to then-No. 17 Butler on Saturday. The Boilermakers shot a season-low 41.4 percent and committed 18 turnovers.

"We didn't take care of the ball tonight," guard Raphael Davis said. "We had 18 turnovers, I mean, that's a recipe for disaster there. Myself included, we forced the drive too much, just drove in the paint with nowhere to go. We started playing tight."

Freshman Caleb Swanigan had 25 points and 11 rebounds. He's the only Boilermakers starter who did not face the Commodores last season.

Davis led Purdue with 15 points and Haas chipped in 13 last year against Vanderbilt.

The Commodores are the SEC's second-best 3-point shooting team at 41.4 percent. Wade Baldwin IV is at 53.3 percent, Matthew Fisher-Davis at 48.9 and LaChance at 44.7.

Vanderbilt has lost three of five overall and 10 straight against Top 25 opponents.

"You know, we definitely have a chip on our shoulder going in there," Fisher-Davis said. "It's tough on the road but they had a lot of the same pieces they had last year. There's just a familiarity there with that. So, we'll go in and put up a fight."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Golden Flashes (7-2) at Mustangs (9-0)

Date: December 22, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Upon his return from a nine-game suspension, Larry Brown mostly just wanted his SMU players to know how proud he was of them for going undefeated without him even though they have no chance to play in the postseason because of NCAA penalties.

'And then I told them I didn't want to screw them up,' Brown said Monday, a day before the Hall of Fame coach returns to the bench against Kent State at the Las Vegas Classic.

The coach-in-waiting plan the Mustangs openly acknowledged when they hired Brown in 2012 got a little test run, and associate head coach Tim Jankovich has a spiffy stat line if the day comes when he replaces one of his mentors at the campus a few minutes north of downtown Dallas.

Meantime, the 75-year-old Brown is back - and was so ready for his return he visited the locker room minutes after watching the final game of his exile in his office with his son and daughter, both SMU students.

'I didn't realize 33 days went so slowly,' said Brown, who led the Mustangs to their first NCAA Tournament since 1993 last season. 'But it's over.'

Brown was suspended and SMU banned from postseason play after a September report when the NCAA ruled that a former men's basketball administrative assistant completed online course work for a student to meet eligibility requirements.

Under Jankovich, the Mustangs rose to No. 18 - where they were ranked for the second straight week Monday - with a schedule of mostly overmatched opponents.

Brown said he took advantage of the rare in-season chance to spend time with family, including his grandchildren, and was 'all over the place' when finding somewhere to watch the Mustangs. He watched other games as well.

Now last season's American Athletic Conference champions are closing in on league play with no chance to defend their league tournament title, although they are eligible to win another regular-season crown.

SMU also won't get to erase the memory of losing its first NCAA Tournament game in 22 years on a hotly debated goaltending call in the final seconds

As for the motivation of playing for a perfect season, Brown says forget it.

'When I read that, that kind of made me a little bit uneasy,' Brown said. 'We've got Kent State and that's the only thing we've got to focus on. I think Tim did a great job of making the kids realize we've got to go game by game and be prepared.'

And if the Mustangs lose a game, Brown believes his players won't lose their drive.

'Whether we win or lose, I've never focused on that,' Brown said. 'I don't think our kids will be distracted by that. The disappointment is over, because we wouldn't be playing at the level we're playing. And we've all accepted that. We're just trying to move on.'

Point guard Nic Moore leads SMU with 14.3 points per game and Texas Tech transfer Jordan Tolbert is averaging 13.8 points and 11.0 rebounds.

The Mustangs also should get a boost from the return of Keith Frazier, who was involved in the NCAA case, from a knee injury. Forward Markus Kennedy could miss a few more games with an ankle injury.

'I can't imagine them handling it any better,' athletic director Rick Hart said. 'I think what you see on the court is kind of what we're experiencing off the court, which is a lot of energy, a lot of teamwork.'

And Hart got to work more closely with Jankovich after he inherited the arrangement and was admittedly skeptical before seeing how it would work. Hart was hired about three months after Brown took the job and brought the former Illinois State coach with him.

Since then, Brown has sounded less certain about a time frame for handing the job over to Jankovich for good.

'He's been very vocal about the fact that he's enjoyed SMU and Dallas,' Hart said of Brown. 'He's healthy. He feels good. He's effective. And so right now it continues to be just really a great partnership between coach and coach.'

Kent State (7-2) is off to a solid start in Rob Senderoff's fifth year on the sidelines. The Golden Flashes have the Mid-American's second-best rebounding margin (plus-7.1) and are outscoring opponents by an average of 35.6-24.9 in the paint.

Jimmy Hall leads the way with 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while Kellon Thomas (13.8 points) and Xavier Pollard (12.1) also average in double figures.

Colorado and Penn State play in the other semifinal with the winners facing off for the championship Wednesday and the losers playing a consolation game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunderbirds (3-7) at Bulldogs (9-1)

Date: December 22, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

Despite being a four-year starter, Roosevelt Jones feels the need to play with a chip on his shoulder to get the national credit he thinks he deserves.

Jones' teammates certainly realize how much he contributes.

Ninth-ranked Butler looks to continue rolling when it hosts Southern Utah on Tuesday night.

Jones is putting up the best numbers of his career, averaging 13.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field, helping Butler (9-1) become one of three Big East teams ranked in the top 10.

He scored 19 points and added 11 rebounds in Saturday's 74-68 victory over then-No. 9 Purdue, helping the Bulldogs hold on after nearly blowing a 16-point lead over the final six minutes.

It marked the first time since 2012 that Jones, named the conference's player of the week, has posted two straight double-doubles. He finished with 21 points and 10 assists in a win over Tennessee on Dec. 12.

'People always doubt my game, so I try to come out and play hard every game just to prove that I can play with anybody in the country,' Jones said.

Butler is proving it can do the same. It has two wins over teams currently ranked in the Top 25 and its only loss is to now-No. 13 Miami. The Bulldogs are second in the nation with 89.9 points per game, and Kellen Dunham ranks second in the Big East with an average of 17.4 despite having only two points and missing all 12 field-goal attempts against the Boilermakers.

Dunham also struggled against Tennessee, going 3 of 13 from the field and finishing with 12 points.

Others have stepped up, though. Tyler Lewis matched his career high with 17 points - including two clutch free throws with 20.9 seconds left - and Andrew Chrabascz added 16 against Purdue.

"Players win games. I truly believe that," coach Chris Holtmann said. "That's as gritty and tough as we've been this year. And we had to be that way to beat a really talented and well-coached team."

The Bulldogs have won six straight since that loss to the Hurricanes, and there's little reason to believe that run will end against Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds (3-7) have beaten only one Division I squad - Utah Valley State - and is coming off an 82-68 loss at IUPUI on Saturday.

They trailed by 20 at halftime, but coach Nick Robinson was pleased with his team's effort after it outscored the Jaguars 42-36 in the second half.

"Our team played hard," Robinson told the team's official website. "The effort was there, we won the second half, but the goal to give ourselves the best opportunity to win was thwarted by some minor mistakes in the first half, which we'll learn from."

Travon Langston finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while James McGee added 18 points and Trey Kennedy 14. They are the team's top scorers with McGee averaging 12.8 points, Langston 12.6 and Kennedy 11.8.

The Thunderbirds have allowed their last two opponents to shoot a combined 59.1 percent, including 20 of 37 from 3-point range.

Butler has won 26 straight nonconference home games since losing in overtime to Pittsburgh on March 21, 2012.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Gamecocks (10-0) at Red Storm (7-5)

Date: December 22, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

In his fourth season as South Carolina coach, Frank Martin has the program off to its best start in 82 years. St. John's is struggling to find some consistency under first-year coach Chris Mullin.

Back in the AP rankings for the first time since March 2004, the No. 25 Gamecocks take on the Red Storm at the Hall of Fame Shootout in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Tuesday night.

South Carolina went 45-54 in its first three seasons under Martin and hasn't reached the postseason since playing in the NIT in 2009. The Gamecocks' last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2004.

Those droughts seem to be on their way to ending with South Carolina looking to move to 11-0 for the first time since 1933-34.

'We've got to stay in the moment,' Martin said after Friday's 65-59 win at in-state rival Clemson.

Senior forward Michael Carrera scored 14 points and freshman guard PJ Dozier had 13 for South Carolina, which led 38-18 in the first half before being outscored 34-24 in the final 20 minutes.

'If we had to go up to St. John's after having a 20-point lead and losing, it deflates you a little bit,' Martin said. 'It would've been harder to go up in Connecticut ... and be ready to go.'

St. John's (7-5) entered its game Friday on a three-game winning streak following an 84-72 victory over Syracuse at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13. The Red Storm, though, lost 73-51 to a visiting Incarnate Word team that's in its third year in Division I.

They had a quick turnaround and hosted NJIT on Sunday. The Highlanders, who joined Division I in 2006, went on a 15-0 run in the second half and held on for an 83-74 win.

'Our routine is to look at the (last) game, put it behind us and try to perform better the next game,' Mullin said. 'Ideally, there's no carryover whether it's a good or bad game. I can't say I'm concerned about (the recent struggles), but I also can't forecast it either. What we can forecast is how we prepare each and every day.'

South Carolina, one of six remaining unbeaten teams, will be the third ranked opponent for St. John's. The Red Storm lost 92-55 to then-No. 19 Vanderbilt and 83-73 to then-No. 13 Indiana on back-to-back days in late November at the Maui Invitational.

St. John's has won all four meetings in this series, with the last coming at home Nov. 29, 2012.

'We just have to play with force consistently,' Red Storm swingman Ron Mvouika said. 'We've been having ups and down during the games and the teams we're playing are coming at us from the beginning to the end. At some point we just have to get out of that dark cloud and play more consistent from beginning to end.'

Carrera is one of five Gamecocks averaging double figures in scoring, while freshman guard Federico Mussini leads St. John's with 14.2 points per game. Mussini scored 20 on Sunday but went 6 for 18 from the field as the Red Storm shot 34.3 percent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Golden Bears (9-2) at Cavaliers (9-1)

Date: December 22, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Virginia has worked through the toughest portion of its nonconference schedule without too many problems thus far, which might come as a bit of a surprise given the uncharacteristic number of turnovers it's committed.

It doesn't get a whole lot easier with California visiting Tuesday night, and both schools are hoping to build on significant winning streaks with conference play approaching.

The fifth-ranked Cavaliers (9-1) beat then-No. 12 Villanova 86-75 at home Saturday with 12 turnovers, which came 11 days after committing 19 in a 70-54 win over then-No. 14 West Virginia in New York.

The 15.5 average is more than double the 7.4 they were committing entering the West Virginia game. They've countered it with two of their best shooting performances, making a combined 59.6 percent.

"We hit our shots. We shot the 3-ball well and made our free throws," coach Tony Bennett said after the win over the Wildcats, his team's eighth straight since a loss at George Washington on Nov. 16.

"We broke their pressure a couple of times and got some easy baskets. Guys just played well offensively. They had us rattled. We had 12 turnovers, but I thought in the second half we got into the paint and made the extra pass. Those were all big shots. Eight of 12 from 3 is obviously significant."

Anthony Gill has averaged 21.0 points and 9.5 rebounds while going 17 of 20 in the last two wins, which has gotten the attention of top scorer Malcolm Brogdon.

"I think he has stepped up, maybe three or four games ago I saw a complete difference," Brogdon said. "He is super aggressive offensively, and he is attacking the glass. He is really good on defense, and I think he is doing exactly what the team needs him to do. I think he has been phenomenal."

Darius Thompson has also stepped up and is plenty familiar with Cal coach Cuonzo Martin. The two were at Tennessee together in 2013-14 before Martin took the Cal job and the guard left for Virginia. Thompson has started the last four games and averaged 11.3 points while shooting 62.1 percent.

"I am very excited for it and I can't wait to play him," Thompson said. "I haven't talked to him in a while so it's going to be nice getting to see and talk to him before and after the game. But, it will be just another game going into it."

The Golden Bears (9-2) are coming off an 84-51 home win over Coppin State and limited the Eagles to 23.8 percent shooting for their fifth straight win.

"There's not really a game plan, but to just defend," Martin said. "To guard your guy and put pressure on the ball. They were shooting a lot of 3s and they made some tonight. Again, contesting the 3-point line and to contain was our goal. Contest, contain and keep your guy in front of you, and I thought we did a solid job."

Cal is among the national leaders in defensive field-goal percentage (37.7).

Ivan Rabb and Jordan Mathews each scored 13 points. Rabb, the 6-foot-11 freshman, has shot 71.4 percent in his last four games.

"We played with tremendous energy and played together," Rabb said. "We just wanted to build on that."

The Golden Bears have yet to face a ranked opponent this season, and they've lost their last seven games against the top five away from Berkeley since beating then-No. 4 UCLA in the 2007 Pac-10 tournament.

Virginia has won its last 31 home games against unranked opponents while holding them to 48.8 points per game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 49ers (6-7) at Wildcats (11-1)

Date: December 22, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Arizona is showing off some impressive scoring depth during its longest winning streak of the season.

The eighth-ranked Wildcats also have the longest active home winning streak in the country, and that doesn't appear to be in much jeopardy of ending Tuesday night against Long Beach State.

Arizona (11-1) is outscoring opponents by an average of 21.7 points while winning six games in a row, and only twice over that stretch have the Wildcats had a repeat top scorer. Five players are averaging at least 9.5 points, with Allonzo Trier leading the way at 15.8.

"Everybody's contributing and I think that's something that's really hard to scout against," said forward Ryan Anderson, who is averaging 15.0 points and 9.2 rebounds during the winning streak. "You can't scout just one player."

Dusan Ristic was the latest to lead the team in scoring Saturday, finishing with a career-high 20 points as the starters totaled all but four points in an 82-70 win over UNLV.

The sophomore had totaled 22 points over the previous two games after averaging 6.1 over the first nine, a stretch that included criticism from coach Sean Miller about his positioning and fouling.

"I feel better," Ristic said. "When I show some good things and improvements, that gave me confidence."

The Wildcats should have plenty of confidence at the McKale Center, where they've won 46 straight games by an average of 22.4 points since losing to California on Feb. 10, 2013.

Arizona has won all five meetings with the 49ers (6-7) and they've all come at home, including a 91-57 rout Nov. 11, 2013.

Long Beach State - playing its third Pac-12 opponent on the road after losses at UCLA and Oregon - is 1-4 on the road, losing three straight while giving up 84.7 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting.

The 49ers are coming off a 94-73 loss Friday in Eugene to the Ducks. They allowed a season high in points with 54 coming in the second half, were outscored 44-26 overall in the paint and Oregon shot 51.6 percent.

"What's disappointing is that we wasted a great effort by one guy to keep us in there until we could get other guys into a flow," coach Dan Monson said of Travis Hammonds' 27 points. "We just put too much effort on our offense.

"To give up 52 points in the last 15 minutes is unacceptable."

Hammonds is trying to build on his career high in points after totaling 25 over the previous four games. He's averaging 12.2 on the road, while Nick Faust is adding 18.8 per game while hitting 47.9 percent from the field - 12 of 31 from beyond the arc.

Faust, a transfer from Maryland, hasn't been very sharp over the last two games. The senior guard has 24 points while making 8 of 23 attempted field goals, including 2 of 9 3-pointers.

Long Beach State has lost 14 straight to ranked opponents, including its last two defeats to Arizona. The 49ers' challenging non-conference schedule that features eight 2015 NCAA Tournament teams concludes Dec. 30 at No. 15 Duke.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Colonials (10-1) at Blue Demons (5-6)

Date: December 22, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

George Washington is enjoying its early success and a deserving spot in the Top 25 while not growing too overconfident.

The No. 20. Colonials expect to maintain that focus Tuesday night against struggling DePaul in their first true road game in more than a month.

George Washington (10-1) entered the poll for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 season last week and moved up one spot this week following Saturday's 87-74 win over Saint Peter's. The Colonials are trying to open winners in 11 of 12 for the second time in three seasons.

'I mean (being ranked is) pretty awesome. I can't lie,' said 6-foot-10 Kevin Larsen, who recorded his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds Saturday.

'That's why we came here. It's just an enjoyable time. But we've still got a lot to do and we'll continue to work hard.'

Larsen is one of three seniors in a starting lineup that's paced by Wake Forest transfer Tyler Cavanaugh (16.3 points per game). The junior forward averaged 19.3 points in the last three games and went 13 of 17 from the field in the last two.

Cavanaugh scored 18 to lead four players in double figures as the Colonials shot a season-high 55.2 percent against the Peacocks. Averaging 78.5 points, George Washington has six players scoring at least 8.6 per contest.

'We don't care who scores 20 points or who doesn't,' said senior swingman Patricio Garino, who scored 16 on 8-of-12 shooting Saturday after going 6 of 22 for 15 points in the previous three contests.

The Colonials never trailed Saturday, but they weren't pleased with allowing Saint Peter's to shoot 57.1 percent after halftime and cutting a 23-point lead to 11 at one point.

'We got a little sluggish in the second half,' Larsen said. 'It happens, but we've got to be better than that. Be more mature.'

That's an approach George Washington expects to maintain in their second true road game. The Colonials held South Florida to 35.4 percent shooting in a 73-67 road win Nov. 19.

George Washington shot 57.1 percent in an 81-68 home win over the Blue Demons last season as Garino scored 19 while Larsen and fellow senior Joe McDonald each had 18.

DePaul (5-6) has averaged 58.0 points and shot 39.0 percent during a three-game losing streak. Though the Blue Demons held Northwestern to 39.1 percent from the field Saturday, they shot a season-low 34.8 and lost at home in overtime 78-70.

"Poor shot selection is a by-product of execution," said coach Dave Leitao, in his second stint at DePaul. "But a lack of execution has you playing against the shot clock and leads to not taking good shots."

Shooting 59.2 percent to rank second in the Big East, DePaul's Myke Henry (14.2 ppg) scored a season-high 24 despite going 7 of 16 from the field Saturday. He hit four of his five 3-point attempts en route to a 22-point game against George Washington last season.

The Blue Demons haven't played a ranked team this season but did snap a 49-game skid against Top 25 foes last season with a victory over No. 24 Seton Hall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kangaroos (7-4) at Cardinals (9-1)

Date: December 22, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Just days from a meeting with its biggest rival, Louisville lost one of its toughest and most vocal players.

The 16th-ranked Cardinals will begin play without center Mangok Mathiang when they host Missouri-Kansas City on Tuesday night in the first of back-to-back tuneups before Saturday's in-state tussle with No. 12 Kentucky.

Mathiang is expected to miss six to eight weeks after suffering a broken bone in his left foot during Saturday's 78-56 win over Western Kentucky. The 6-foot-10 junior, second on the team with 5.7 rebounds per game, underwent surgery Sunday to have a screw inserted into his foot.

"Not only is he the best physical player, defensively and offensively, but he talks the most," coach Rick Pitino said. "We can replace the physical stuff, it's the talking. ... One good thing is, we've got some depth."

While the Cardinals are sure to miss his on-court presence, Mathiang expects to contribute in other ways.

'I'm the vocal leader on this team,' he said. 'Whether I'm on the floor or not on the floor, I'm always going to be there and let my teammates hear me.'

Tuesday's game is part of the Billy Minardi Classic, named for Pitino's best friend and brother-in-law, who was killed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York. The Cardinals, who have a 16-1 record in the annual event, will finish the back-to-back set Wednesday against Utah Valley.

Though Mathiang is out for the foreseeable future, Louisville (9-1) expects to return at least two players from injury this week. Freshman Deng Adel started the first two games before suffering a knee injury in practice Nov. 20, and guard Dillon Avare is also expected to return after missing seven games with a foot injury. Seven-footer Anas Mahmoud has sat out the last two games with an ankle sprain.

Greatly due to their second-ranked defense (55.6 points per game) and a light schedule so far, the Cardinals lead the nation in scoring margin at 30.4 points per game. They rank 12th in scoring (86.0) and sixth in field-goal percentage (51.8) with eight games over the 50-percent mark, matching their total from all of last season.

Quentin Snider had 16 points Saturday when the Cardinals held the Hilltoppers to 16 points in the first half.

'When a team shoots 33 percent and only has three offensive rebounds, and no 3s, you're doing everything correct,' Pitino said.

It was only the second time this season that Damion Lee didn't lead Louisville in scoring. The fifth-year guard had 15 as he shot a season-worst 4 for 12, but Lee still ranks fourth in the ACC with 18.3 points per game.

Snider is averaging 12.5 points and 6.0 assists during Louisville's four-game winning streak after having season lows of four points and one assist in the Dec. 2 loss to current-No. 1 Michigan State.

UMKC (7-4) is coming off back-to-back wins over Mississippi State and Division II Rockhurst. The Kangaroos are led by third-year coach Kareem Richardson, a former assistant to Pitino at Louisville.

Junior Martez Harrison, the reigning Western Athletic Conference player of the year, ranks third in the WAC this season with 16.0 points per game. UMKC is 1-3 when he fails to reach that average.

Louisville easily won the previous two games against UMKC, including 99-47 in December 2012 and 90-62 the following December. The Cardinals are 8-1 against current WAC members.

The Kangaroos have lost their last nine games against ranked teams by an average of 37.6 points.