"I Know the Game Like I'm Reffing It"















Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Tonight's Games to Watch - Tuesday, Dec. 9

Last night was pretty much a sleepy one, with the two games of note involving the Ivy League.

Providence, whose season looked to be promising just a week ago, was upset at home by Brown. That is back-to-back bad losses for the Friars, losers at Boston College last week, which will likely be an issue for them come March.

The other Ivy League team that played last night, Yale, was coming off a monumental upset of UConn. 

Let's just say it looks like they'll need more than sunglasses and Advil for their next hangover.

Florida pummeled the Bulldogs, 85-47. 

What might be considered just another blowout between a highly thought of SEC team versus a lowly Ivy, might actually be a springboard for the Gators, whose early season struggles have been well documented.

BIlly Donovan's squad likely put forth its best performance of the year, which will pay dividends versus tougher competition coming soon.

But, I digress. Tonight's games...

#9 Villanova (8-0) vs. Illinois (7-1) 7PM, New York, NY, ESPN 

Jay Wright and Nova are back in New York, this time in the Garden for the Jimmy V Classic. The Wildcats looked pretty good in Brooklyn a few weeks back, when they dismantled VCU and outlasted Michigan. They have continued to roll since then. Illinois has been solid in their own right, with a win over Baylor and their only loss coming at Miami. This is a matchup of similar guard dependent styles. Prediction: Nova 73, Illinois 66.

Seton Hall (7-0) at #11 Wichita State (4-1) 7PM, Wichita, KS, ESPN2

One of the Big East's early surprise teams gets its first major test tonight. The Hall have been impressive, with an equal dose of veteran leadership and precocious neophytes (shout out to Clyde Frazier). But that precociousness could be a problem in Wichita versus a gritty, battle tested, Top 15 team. Prediction: Wichita St 67, Seton Hall 58.

Indiana (7-1) vs. #3 Louisville (7-0) 9PM, New York, NY, ESPN 

In the Jimmy V Classic nightcap, Rick Pitino comes back to one of his favorite places to pace the sidelines, at least as a college coach. The Cardinals have looked as good as anyone in the country, this side of Lexington, so far. Tenacious defense, solid guard play and a beast named Montrezl have carried them. The Hoosiers have been surprisingly solid, led by their explosive guards, Yogi Ferrell and two freshmen. That's not likely to be enough versus Pitino & co. Prediction: Louisville 74, Indiana 60.

Other games of note...

Texas A&M (6-1) at Baylor (7-1) 9PM, Waco, TX, ESPN2

Other Top 25 games...

UMKC (1-6) at #15 Iowa State (5-1) 7PM, Ames, IA, ESPNU 
Mount St. Mary's (2-4) at #22 Notre Dame (8-1) 7PM, South Bend, IN, ESPN3
Utah Valley (3-4) at #4 Arizona (7-0) 9PM, Tucson, AZ, P12N
Eastern Michigan (4-1) at #21 Michigan (5-2) 9PM, Ann Arbor, MI, ESPNU 


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