Big Ten Basketball November 24 Recaps, Previews, and Open Thread

Happy Feast Week everyone!

All numbers via Torvik. All predictions not financial advice.

Yesterday's Games

Northwestern Wildcats 79, South Carolina Gamecocks 77

Perpetually Aggrieved Wildcat: The loss to Virginia was understandable. Nearly blowing it to South Carolina was...less so. They're giving up way too many offensive rebounds and, while they're getting production out of nearly two full rotations of players, looking like a bubble team at best. That said, I care about this time. And I really like that I care about them. They're easy to root for. Tre Singleton is gonna be good. Max Green can shoot it. That's cool.

Today's Big Ten Games

#14 Tennessee Volunteers (5-0) v. #119 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-1)

Players Era Festival
1 ET, TNT

BoilerUp89: The question is whether Rutgers can clear 50.

AlmaOtter: What is a "Central Connecticut" and how did RU lose to them?

#24 USC Trojans (4-0) v. #50 Boise State Broncos (4-1)

Maui Invitational
5 ET, ESPN2

BoilerUp89: Boise lost opening night to Hawaii Pacific but they've bounced back and beaten some quality opponents since. They've been really solid since that opening night game and match up well with USC's length and height.

AlmaOtter: Which one of you keeps putting that damn picture of Mussel-Man in the article header?!

#197 UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (2-3) at #3 Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1)

8 ET, BTN

BoilerUp89: One of the best nicknames in college sports! The Vaqueros will get murdered on the boards, but they make a lot of three pointers (41.6% on the season) so maybe they can keep it close.

AlmaOtter: UTRGV shoot the piss out of the ball, at #17th in KenPom for percentage and 77th for tempo. If they get hot, maybe this can be reasonably close, but the Illini are happy to run that sort of pace. Should be a fun one.

#37 Oregon Ducks (4-0) v. #25 Auburn Tigers (4-1)

Player Era Festival
8 ET, truTV

BoilerUp89: Auburn forces the ball inside a lot using their physicality to bully opponents in the paint and on the glass. They don't shoot many threes and aren't particularly good at making them. Star forward Keyshawn Hall is hurt and likely to miss this game.

#51 San Diego State Aztecs (2-1) v. #5 Michigan Wolverines (4-0)

Players Era Festival
10:30 ET, truTV

BoilerUp89: The Aztecs have played just three games so far and lost in double OT to Troy. Michigan represents a massive jump up in competition level for them. San Diego State causes a lot of turnovers which is Michigan's Achilles' heel so this might be interesting.

#89 UNLV Running Rebels (3-2) v. #62 Maryland Terrapins (4-1)

Players Era Festival
11:59 ET, TNT

BoilerUp89: If Maryland loses this, the tournament is going to end poorly for them. Not because UNLV is awful, but because the tournament won't get any easier after this game. UNLV has been very Jekyll and Hyde this season. They've lost to Montana and Tennessee Martin, but beaten Memphis, St. Joes, and Chattanooga by double digits. Old friend Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn shoots way too many threes (6 attempts per game) and still can't make them.

AlmaOtter: Holy lord, an 11:59 ET tip?! No thanks.

Monday's Non-Big Ten Games of Interest

Players Era Festival - 1st Round

#29 Creighton Bluejays (3-1) v. #39 Baylor Bears (3-0), 2 ET, truTV
#20 Kansas Jayhawks (3-2) v. #69 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1), 3:30 ET, TNT
#11 St. Johns Red Storm (3-1) v. #16 Iowa State Cyclones (4-0), 4:30 ET, truTV
#2 Houston Cougars (5-0) v. #58 Syracuse Orange (4-0), 6 ET, TNT
#7 Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-0) v. #19 Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1), 9:30 ET, TNT

BoilerUp89: I hate this tournament and what's it's done to Feast Week. There are some really good matchups, but the 18 teams in Vegas format is ridiculous and everyone participating should be ashamed. There will be no actual winner. I'm interested to see how Houston, Gonzaga, and Iowa State all look.

Maui Invitational - 1st Round

#102 Seton Hall Pirates (5-0) v. #32 North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-0) , 2:30 ET, ESPN2
#159 Washington State Cougars (2-3) at Chaminade Silverswords, 9 ET, ESPNU
#83 Arizona State Sun Devils (4-1) v. #36 Texas Longhorns (4-1), 11:30 ET, ESPN2

BoilerUp89: Woof! Look how they murdered my baby boy. This is a weak Maui field that could have as few as 1 NCAA tournament team. Hopefully that means we get to see Chaminade make a deep run in this tournament. Go Silverswords!

Cayman Islands Classic - Round Robin

#136 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (3-1) v. #56 George Washington Revolutionaries (5-1), 5 ET, FloSports
#112 Murray State Racers (4-1) v. #93 McNeese Cowboys (4-1), 7:30 ET, FloSports

BoilerUp89: Bit of a bummer that GW lost to McNeese. They were having a decent start to the season and giving proponents of multiple bid A10 some hope. This is a round robin, but at this point it's likely to either be a split title or Murray State/McNeese will decide the champion.

Jacksonville Classic (non-bracketed)

#132 Southern Illinois Salukis (3-2) v. #117 UAB Blazers (4-2), 1:30 ET, PTB Live
#161 William & Mary Tribe (4-2) v. #215 UTEP Miners (3-2), 4 ET, Baller TV
#200 Youngstown State Penguins (2-4) v. #218 Georgia Southern Eagles (3-3), 6:30 ET, PTB Live
#230 UTSA Roadrunners (3-2) v. #185 Abilene Christian Wildcats (3-2), 9 ET, Not Televised

BoilerUp89: I really hope Brian Earl sticks around at William & Mary long enough to get them to their first Big Dance. Wilmington, Towson, and Charleston will also be contenders this year, but it feels like it's just a matter of time for the Tribe if Earl sticks around for the next decade.

Paradise Jam - Second Round

#179 UMass Minutemen (3-3) v. #126 Oregon State Beavers (3-3), Losers' Bracket, 12:30 ET
#302 Green Bay Phoenix (2-5) v. #145 Iona Gaels (5-1), Winners' Bracket, 3 ET
#165 Charleston Cougars (3-4) v. #240 Evansville Purple Aces (3-4), Losers' Bracket, 5:30 ET
#80 Yale Bulldogs (5-1) v. #67 Akron Zips (5-1), Winners' Bracket, 8 ET

BoilerUp89: Fairly certain neither UMass nor Oregon State expected to be in the consolation bracket but here we are. Yale and Akron is a great matchup between two teams that are probably just outside of the realistic at-large possibilities. I expect both to be strong 13 seeds come March.

Sunshine Slam - Beach Division - Opening Round

#150 Ohio Bobcats (1-4) v. #95 George Mason Patriots (5-0), 6 ET, CBSSN
#107 Loyola Marymount Lions (6-0) v. #137 FAU Owls (4-1), 8:30 ET, CBSSN

BoilerUp89: I'm not interested in the Ocean Division games and they aren't televised anyway so they aren't listed here. Ohio looks to bounce back from an awful start to the season, while Loyola Marymount tries to help make 4 bid WCC a thing.

ESPN Events - Opening Round

#140 Towson Tigers (3-2) v. #134 Rhode Island Rams (4-1), 11 AM ET, ESPN2
#70 Liberty Donkeys (4-0) v. #210 Vermont Catamounts (4-1), 1:30 ET, ESPNU
#129 Temple Owls (3-1) v. #138 UC San Diego Tritons (4-0), 4:30 ET, ESPNU
#217 Princeton Tigers (3-3) v. #127 Bradley Braves (2-3), 7 ET, ESPNU

BoilerUp89: Pretty solid group of mid-majors here. Absolutely no idea who will take the crown here. Liberty is probably the best (vomits), but any of these teams could take it and I wouldn't be shocked.

Coconut Hoops - Tarpon Bay Division

#178 Rice Owls (2-4) v. #126 Kennesaw State Owls (3-1), 4:30 ET, FloSports
#330 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (2-4) v. #154 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (3-2), 7 ET, FloSports

BoilerUp89: They should have just called this the bird division.

AlmaOtter: Tarp-on Bay? What is this, Evanston in November?

Coconut Hoops - Royal Palm Division

#106 Troy Trojans (4-3) v. #231 Toledo Rockets (3-2), 11 AM ET, FloSports
#116 Belmont Bruins (5-0) v. #353 Saint Francis Red Flash (0-4), 1:30 ET

Fort Myers Tip-Off - Palms Division

#297 Bucknell Bison (2-4) v. #163 Bowling Green Falcons (3-2), 12 ET
#327 VMI Keydets (3-4) v. #306 Buffalo Bulls (5-0), 2:30 ET

BoilerUp89: This isn't bracketed, right? Why are BGSU and Buffalo in the same MTE?

ASUN/SoCon Challenge

#319 Bellarmine Knights (1-4) v. #347 The Citadel Bulldogs (2-3), 7 ET, ESPN+