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**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:17 AM

Preview: Colonels (6-5) at Cardinals (9-1)
Date: December 17, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Each season for 15 years, Louisville coach Rick Pitino has paid tribute to the life of his brother-in-law, Billy Minardi, with a basketball game.

Pitino welcomes back former Louisville video-assistant-turned-Eastern Kentucky head coach Dan McHale and his Colonels for a noon tip-off Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Pitino typically invites a coaching friend or former colleague back to town as a celebration of the spirit of Minardi, who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. McHale, now in his second season as Eastern Kentucky's head coach, knows the Minardi family well.

McHale also knows Saturday matchup against No. 11 Louisville (9-1) will be an extremely difficult test for the Colonels (6-5).

"We went back and forth with text messages this week," McHale said of his conversation with Pitino. "I told him I hope we give them a good show. And I also asked him as he was preparing for us, to let me know what he thinks about my team's strengths and weaknesses and what we have to work on before OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) play. I'll never stop learning from him. He's the best."

McHale said he learned a lot about how to run his program from Pitino.

"It's surreal to think about going back as a coach. He's the sole reason I came to the University of Kentucky -- to learn from him," McHale said. "Then going to Louisville to work for him from Day 1 was like being an intern on the ground floor of a Fortune 500 company. Just soaking everything up. He's had his hand on my career every step of the way, from Seton Hall with Kevin Willard, to Minnesota with his son, Richard, and now here.

"I have a lot of friends who are going to be there. And to be coaching back in Louisville where I started my coaching career is certainly special. I'm just glad it's a noon tip so I don't have to wait around all day for it."

Pitino hasn't taken it easy on his former assistants, owning a 40-10 overall record. Only Tubby Smith and Mick Cronin (each 5-7 vs. Pitino) have beaten their former boss. Pitino has a spotless record against Billy Donovan, Scott Davenport, Marvin Menzies, Kevin Willard, Steve Masiello, Richard Pitino, Kareem Richardson, Kevin Keatts, Ralph Willard and Reggie Theus.

If McHale is going to join Smith and Cronin, he'll need a big game from All-OVC forward Nick Mayo.

"He's likely going to win conference player of the year several times in a row," Pitino said of Mayo. "He's a guy who could start at most places in the ACC."

Mayo comes into Saturday's game averaging 19.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound sophomore could be a tough test for Louisville's 6-9, 230-pound junior power forward Jaylen Johnson. Johnson started the season with several double-doubles, but since cooled off and is averaging 9.4 points and 8.2 rebounds.

Eastern Kentucky's backcourt of senior Isaac McGlone (10.1 ppg) and freshman Asante Gist (14.4 ppg) will be tested by Louisville's pressure defense. The Cardinals are among the national leaders in turnovers forced and are the top defense in the nation according to Ken Pomeroy's computer rankings.

"Coming off the floor Saturday with a smile on our faces is the plan and it would definitely be very sweet," Colonels grad assistant and former Louisville student manager Bobby DiRaimo added. "It will be tough to do. They are really good and I know they will be ready to play. But the guys are excited and it's going to be fun."

Louisville's has forced 160 turnovers in 10 games and foes are shooting just 36.0 percent against the Cardinals including 28.3 percent from 3-point range. Interestingly enough, Eastern Kentucky's top 3-point threat is Dillon Avare, a former Louisville walk-on who transferred last summer.

"Coach P was really happy for me. ... I didn't get to play a lot at Louisville, so to be able to play more and be able to impact the team in a different way and being on the court with the guys has been fun," Avare said. "It would be awesome to be able to shoot against the Cardinals like I did at Ball State. If someone scores on a player at Louisville two times in a row, coach P goes off. So it would be pretty cool to be on the other side of that exchange."

As for Louisville, the Cardinals are led by sophomore guard Donovan Mitchell's 11.4 points per game following by junior guard Quentin Snider's 10.8. Sophomore wing Deng Adel is averaging 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds.

The Cardinals have won 52 of their last 53 non-conference home games at the KFC Yum! Center spanning the last seven seasons. Louisville also has won its last 16 straight home games against non-conference opponents.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:19 AM

Preview: Wildcats (9-2) at Aggies (7-2)
Date: December 17, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Arizona has played an aggressive and demanding road schedule in the early part of the 2016-17 campaign, with games in Hawai'i, Missouri, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. That road grind continues Saturday when the 19th-ranked Wildcats battle Texas A&M on Saturday in the first game of the Lone Star Shootout at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Former Southwest Conference rivals Texas and Arkansas play in the second game of the showcase.

Arizona is 9-2, with both of its losses coming in neutral-site games (against Butler in the Las Vegas Invitational and against eighth-ranked Gonzaga in the Hoophall LA in Los Angeles). The Wildcats also defeated 12th-ranked Michigan State in the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu and beat Santa Clara in Las Vegas in their other neutral-site games and even tossed in a true road game win on Dec. 10 at Missouri.

The matchup with Texas A&M will mark just the second time in 15 seasons that the Wildcats will face two Southeastern Conference opponents in the same year. Arizona's 2011-12 squad faced Mississippi State in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic before playing at Florida three weeks later.

Saturday's game against the Aggies will be Arizona's final game prior to the demanding Pac-12 Conference schedule.

Arizona outlasted Grand Canyon 64-54 on Wednesday in Tucson as Kobi Simmons scored 13 points and Lauri Markkanen and Rawle Alkins each had 11 points and eight rebounds. All three of those players are freshmen, making Arizona one of only two programs in the nation (Auburn is the other) to have its top three scorers all be freshmen averaging at least 10 points per game.

The Wildcats had 19 turnovers in the victory, with 10 of those coming from their three post players.

"It was a very physical, hard-fought game and it should do well to prepare us for playing Texas A&M and for the Pac-12 schedule," Arizona coach Sean Miller said after the win Wednesday. "It caught us off guard for a while but our defense was really good. We took advantage of our size but our turnovers were out of control."

The Wildcats have won three straight. Arizona has been ranked in the AP poll for 84 consecutive weeks, trailing only Kansas for the longest active streak in the country.

"We have no depth to speak of and three freshmen are playing huge roles for us, but I think we have a tough team, with some hard-nosed guys that will not back away from a challenge," Miller said. "This game against Texas A&M will be another test for our team, another step in being the team we want to be."

Arizona is 24-26 (.480) against current SEC institutions in program history. That 48.0 winning percentage is the second lowest versus all 32 conferences faced, trailing only the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), against which Arizona is 2-4 (.333).

Texas A&M (7-2) has also won three straight games and will be led by reigning SEC Player of the Week center Tyler Davis, who averaged 18 points and eight rebounds while shooting 73.1 percent from the field in wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Denver and South Carolina State last week.

Both of the Aggies' losses this season are to Pac-12 teams, at home to USC (65-63) and to UCLA (74-67) in the Wooden Legacy Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

"We match up well size-wise with Arizona," Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. "Arizona is big at the 3-4-5 positions, and we know that playing, and hopefully beating, a team like Arizona will help us in the long haul. Our practices have been good but we have to make shots -- they are the best defensive team we've played so far this year."

Saturday will be A&M's fourth neutral-site game of the season, having defeated Cal State Northridge and Virginia Tech at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Gym and falling to then-No. 14 UCLA. It will be Texas A&M's fourth game inside the Toyota Center (1-2).

"Our energy is great in practice so we just have to bring that level of intensity to the games," Davis said. "We nearly kill ourselves in practice every day and we need to find a way to bring that mentality when we're playing someone else."

The state of Texas has not been kind to the Wildcats throughout program history. Despite a record of 4-1 (.800) in neutral-site games in Texas, Arizona's all-time record in the state is 54-75 (.419). The Wildcats last played in Texas on Dec. 19, 2014, in a 60-55 win at UTEP, which pushed Arizona's record in Texas to 3-0 under Miller.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:20 AM

Preview: Jaspers (3-7) at Seminoles (10-1)
Date: December 17, 2016 1:30 PM EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Back in the Top 25. Riding a six-game winning streak. And off to its best start in eight years.

All things Florida State isn't used to hearing in December. But those around the men's basketball program like what's being said.

"(This year), I like the energy, the camaraderie, the conversations they're having among themselves -- the coaching of themselves they're doing," Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton said. "They're holding each other accountable. We've shown the ability to recover quick when we make mistakes. But the best thing about our program is growth. We have a lot of potential to get a whole lot better."

No. 23 Florida State (10-1), which returned to the Top 25 Poll this week after spending seven days in it during Week 2 of the season, will try to make it seven straight wins Saturday when they play in the Orange Bowl Classic against Manhattan.

The Jaspers (3-7) have to travel a wee bit farther to play this game than the Seminoles. Sunrise is just 450 miles from Tallahassee, while it's just over 1,200 miles to South Florida from the Empire State.

Manhattan is 0-3 all-time against the Seminoles and hasn't beaten a team from Florida in 22 years, since it took down Florida International University in 1994. But the Jaspers are coming into the game with more confidence than one might expect from a program with just three wins after taking home the "Battle of the Bronx" title last week against Fordham.

"The guys needed to feel good about themselves, and winning always helps," said head coach Steve Masiello, who is still searching for his first career win against an ACC program. "They're putting in a lot of work and a lot of time, and we do this to win games. So I'm happy for them right now. But we have a long way to go as a basketball team, and we know that."

Jaspers guard Zavier Turner, who leads the team with 19 points and 3.6 assists per game, will have be facing his most talented lineup -- offensively and defensively -- all season when the two teams square off for the first time since the Seminoles won 81-66 on Nov. 15, 2014.

Florida State, off to its best start since the 2008-09 season, is winning games by an average of 20.8 points while scoring 89 points a game. Part of the reason for that is a load of depth for the Seminoles, who have a staggering 13 players on the roster currently averaging double-digit minutes.

"I've said all along that the strength of this team is in the quality of our depth," Hamilton said. "We've played a lot of players and with a lot of different combinations on the floor. (I'm) hoping that we develop the type of chemistry with this team that it wouldn't matter who is on the floor."

Florida State is led by sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon, who is averaging 22.7 points. Right behind Bacon is five-star freshman recruit, forward Jonathan Isaac, who is averaging 14.4 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds. Isaac sat out two games over the last week with a hip flexor injury, but he returned with nine points and six boards in a huge win Sunday against then-No. 21 Florida, barely snapping a double-digit scoring streak he had going through the first eight games of his college career.

An added bonus is the recent play of sophomore guard P.J. Savoy Jr., who has only appeared in five games off the bench. But Savoy is already averaging 10.8 points and leads the team in 3-point percentage at .500 (17 of 34). Savoy, who missed the first six games with a turf toe injury, scored a career high -- and team high -- when he poured in 27 points against Southern Miss last week, drilling seven shots from beyond the arc in that win.

Florida State will, for the second time this year, wear its turquoise Nike N7 uniforms against Manhattan on Saturday to raise awareness for bringing sport to Native American and Aboriginal youth. Florida State makes a distinct departure from its traditional school colors to don the uniforms to stand for the importance of bringing sport and physical activity to Native American and Aboriginal youth.

"The Seminole Tribe of Florida approached us about this program and we are honored and excited to wear these unique uniforms," Hamilton said. "The color is significant as it is deeply symbolic of friendship and community in the Native American culture."

The Seminoles will have a quick turnaround after Saturday, returning home to play a rare midweek afternoon game against Samford on Monday.

Manhattan will return to New York for a Tuesday showdown at St. Francis (Brooklyn).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:21 AM

Preview: Boilermakers (8-2) at Fighting Irish (9-1)
Date: December 17, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thus far, only recent NCAA tournament champions have had enough talent to defeat Saturday's Crossroads Classic opponents No. 15 Purdue and No. 21 Notre Dame.

The Boilermakers are 8-2, losing only to No. 1-ranked and reigning NCAA champion Villanova and 2013 national champion Louisville. The Fighting Irish are 9-1, losing this past Saturday to Villanova.

But in Crossroads Classic head-to-head competition, it has been all Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are 2-0 against Purdue -- an 81-68 victory in 2012 in Bankers Life Fieldhouse and a 94-63 drubbing of the Boilermakers in 2014 -- and are 3-2 overall, including 1-2 against Indiana.

Purdue is 0-5 in the Crossroads Classic, including 0-3 against Butler, prompting coach Matt Painter to say this week that the one Crossroads Classic change he would make is a Boilermaker victory.

Led by power forward Caleb Swanigan (15.9 points, 11.2 rebounds) and by 7-foot-2 center Isaac Haas (14.8 points, 5.3 rebounds), Painter likes his team's chances this time.

"Since the Louisville game, we have played a lot better and shot a lot better," Painter said. "Our defense has been a lot better, and that's something we have to continue to improve. When we don't turn the basketball over and defend the way we're capable, we have had some really good stretches."

Notre Dame has four starters averaging in double figures, led by Steve Vasturia (16.6), Bonzie Colson (16.5), V.J. Beachem (15.5) and Matt Farrell (13.0). The Irish are averaging 86.6 points while allowing 64.7, which is Purdue's exact defensive average.

The Fighting Irish shoot 47.5 percent from the field and 86.4 percent from the free throw line, numbers that impress Painter.

"They have an experienced coach and an experienced team," Painter said. "They are first in the nation in assists-to-turnover ratio and are in the top five nationally in 3-pointers made and free throw percentage. It's pretty impressive any time you are that good on offense.

"That's going to help your defense also. Their guys are always getting better and are improving as a group. They are a tough team to defend and a tough team to play against."

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said he believes this team will continue to improve throughout a season that will include many challenging ACC games. He points out this past Saturday's 74-66 loss to Villanova is a great learning tool.

"I love our group," Brey said. "Villanova is kind of a finished product. We still have room to grow. We have to keep that in mind as we practice in preparation for Purdue. We came into the Villanova game with a belief, an edge and a swagger.

"You can be mad that you didn't get it done, because you were good enough to get it done. We will let that drive us as we get ready to play Purdue."

The Boilermakers, who average 83.7 points and who shoot 50.4 percent from the field including 44.1 percent from 3-point range, will be without fifth-year graduate transfer point guard Spike Albrecht, a valuable reserve who has been receiving treatment for a lower back injury.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:23 AM

Preview: Buckeyes (8-2) at Bruins (11-0)
Date: December 17, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Ohio State coach Thad Matta hopes the Buckeyes' tough defense can keep up with UCLA's high-scoring offense Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic at Las Vegas.

If Matta's transition defense can rise to the challenge, the Buckeyes could have a chance to subdue UCLA's offensive flow led by future NBA point guard Lonzo Ball.

That could be a case of easier said than done, however, against the Bruins, who ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring at 97.9 points a game after beating UC Santa Barbara 102-62 Wednesday at Pauley Pavilion.

No. 2 UCLA improved to 11-0, its best start since a 14-0 beginning of the 2006-07 season. Ohio State (8-2) is unranked. The game at the T-Mobile Arena (3 p.m. ET, CBS) is part of a doubleheader with the second game featuring No. 6 Kentucky and No. 7 North Carolina.

"They are playing at such a fast pace and just a very high skill level," Matta said of UCLA. "(They have) a lot of guys who can make shots. They do a good job of getting the ball down the floor.

"That's one thing that will be very, very important from the start -- getting back on defense. Getting our defense set will be a huge priority for us."

The Buckeyes have established themselves as one of the nation's top defenses through the first 10 games, allowing only one opponent to score more than 70 points -- a 79-77 overtime loss at home against Florida Atlantic on Dec. 6.

UCLA is unlike any of Ohio State's opponents to this point when it comes to scoring. The closest the Buckeyes faced is Marshall, which averages 86.6 points a game.

Ohio State can gain confidence from that game heading into the matchup against the Bruins. The Buckeyes beat Marshall 111-70 in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 25. Matta said the Buckeyes will play at a faster pace similar to that game but won't try to match UCLA step for step.

The Bruins showed their firepower against UC Santa Barbara with their fifth game of 100 points or more. Freshman standouts TJ Leaf and Ball each recorded a fifth double-double of the season, and reserve sophomore guard Aaron Holiday -- who started 34 games last year but now backs up Ball -- tallied his first career 20-point game.

Leaf had 25 points, including 17 in the first half. He and Ball each had 10 rebounds. Leaf nearly finished with a triple-double, adding a season-high eight assists. Ball wound up with 13 points, seven assists and a season-high 10 rebounds.

"It's a lot of fun watching this team play and coaching this team," UCLA coach Steve Alford said after noting that the Bruins had 27 assists and only eight turnovers against the Gauchos. "We move on now. We have a major test with our third Big Ten team coming up on Saturday."

The Bruins defeated Nebraska 82-71 and Michigan 102-84. They also have a 74-67 win over Texas A&M, showing they can survive a challenge in a lower-scoring game. Their best achievement was a 97-92 triumph at then-No. 1 Kentucky on Dec. 3.

Ball is drawing comparisons to Jason Kidd while averaging 14.8 points, 8.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. He is a better perimeter shooter than Kidd, making 45.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. UCLA is shooting 45.3 percent from beyond the arc.

"Ball's making great decisions," Matta said. "He has a tremendous future ahead of him. There's no question about that."

Ohio State ranks No. 20 nationally allowing only 61.7 points a game, almost 36 points fewer than the Bruins' scoring average. Greg Paulus, the former Duke standout who is Matta's defensive assistant, has told the Buckeyes it will require a team effort with defense away from the ball to challenge UCLA.

"It boils down to having an understanding that it's five guys guarding the basketball," Paulus told the Columbus Dispatch. "It's not just one-on-one, if you get scored on it's not my guy who scored -- no, it's on Ohio State. It's on us."

UCLA has six players scoring in double figures per game while Ohio State has five, but the Bruins played without junior center Thomas Welsh (11.1 points and 9.6 rebounds) the last two games. He is nursing a sore right knee.

Starting forward Jae'Sean Tate leads the Buckeyes with 13.9 points a game while also averaging 7.3 rebounds. Reserve 7-foot center Trevor Thompson tops Ohio State with 8.6 rebounds a game, and he is shooting 66.7 percent from the field, most of that following offensive rebounds.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:24 AM

Preview: Colonials (3-8) at Cavaliers (8-1)
Date: December 17, 2016 4:30 PM EDT

Coming off of an 11-day hiatus since their last game because of exams, No. 13 Virginia looks to close out their non-conference home schedule with a win when they host Robert Morris on Saturday afternoon.

The contest marks the Cavaliers' final breather before they play road games at California and No. 11 Louisville, and kick off their ACC season against No. 23 Florida State on Dec. 31.

"I think we just have to keep improving in all areas," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. "If we ever lose our hunger, we'll be in trouble, so we just have to be real hungry and improve during this time."

Virginia lost its only game of the season to West Virginia on Dec. 3 before bouncing back and knocking off East Carolina on Dec. 6. The Cavaliers take on a Robert Morris squad that has sputtered this season and is off to a 3-8 start.

The Colonials lost their first five games of the season and three of their last four after winning two straight. Robert Morris, which averages 61 points, will be challenged by Virginia's No. 1 scoring defense (47.6 points per game).

Guard Isaiah Still leads the Colonials in scoring at 15 points per game but shoots 38.7 percent from the field. Guard Kavon Stewart is the only other Colonial averaging in double figures at 11 per contest.

Virginia once again relies on Bennett's packline defense to suck the life out of their opponents. The Cavaliers should have no problem forcing missed shots and turnovers against a Robert Morris team who has struggled on offense all season.

On the offensive side of the ball for the Cavaliers, freshman guard Kyle Guy is earning his minutes on both ends of the floor with his shooting, plus the ability to force turnovers.

Guy comes off the bench to average 8.1 points and shoots 61.9 percent from 3-point range. After Virginia's win over East Carolina, Guy talked about his recent increase in minutes.

"I just talked to my assistant coaches and I was like 'what can I do to earn more minutes'. I know I can help this team," he said.

Guy is one of 10 Cavaliers averaging at least five points per game as Virginia boasts one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the country. Only senior guard London Perrantes (10.2) is averaging double figures.

"I really challenged the guys to play real hard and have a real hunger about them," Bennett said of his team. "We're a blue-collar program, and if we are, it'll show up in our effort on the offensive and defensive end."

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:25 AM

Preview: Bulldogs (9-1) at Hoosiers (8-1)
Date: December 17, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- Opposites will attract lots of attention Saturday afternoon when No. 9 Indiana and No. 18 Butler clash in the sixth-annual Crossroads Classic in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Indiana (8-1) loves its high-powered offense, which leads the Big Ten Conference at 87.6 points per game. The Hoosiers will be bolstered by the return of sophomore OG Anunoby (12.5 points), who has missed three consecutive games with an ankle injury suffered in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge victory against North Carolina.

The high-scoring Hoosiers are led by guard James Blackmon, Jr. (16.9 points), Robert Johnson (13.1) and Thomas Bryant (11.9 points, 8.4 rebounds). Indiana enters with a five-game winning streak since losing in overtime at Fort Wayne.

The Hoosiers are 3-2 in Crossroads Classic games, including 1-1 against Butler, and it's an event Indiana coach Tom Crean enjoys.

"It's a great environment and always well run," Crean said this week. "We enjoy playing there. But with this team, I still don't think we have the connectedness on the floor with the stuff that goes with playing together.

"Sometimes that shows up in turnovers. That will take a little time to get there. Our ability to play hard and with grit is expanding all the time."

Crean is eager to see how Indiana will perform coming off a week of final exams.

"We must stay sharp," Crean said. "I think we will get energy by our guys seeing that we are improving."

While the Hoosiers love a high-scoring game, Butler coach Chris Holtmann's team (9-1) relies on a stifling defense that allows only 62 points and holds opponents to 41.5 percent field goal shooting. Butler's defense was especially good in this past Saturday's victory against Cincinnati.

"I think our guys just took it upon themselves to not give them anything easy and try to keep them off the glass," Holtmann said. "We've said it over and over that we just have to continue to improve on that end.

"If we're going to have any kind of successful year, we're going to have to consistently be good on that end. We were at times (against Cincinnati). Hopefully, we can grow from it. We know we've got to prepare for the best offensive team in the country (Indiana)."

While Indiana relies on its guard play and Bryant's powerful inside game, Butler, 10-3 all-time in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, counters with a trio of hard-working forwards -- Andrew Chrabascz (11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds), Kelan Martin (17.7 points) and Nate Fowler (4.9 points).

At 6-10, Fowler could play a big role in helping Butler contain Bryant as the Bulldogs try to improve to 5-1 in the Crossroads Classic. Fowler had a solid game against Cincinnati, making 4 of 5 field goal attempts, finishing with nine points and four rebounds.

"I thought he was tremendous," Holtmann said. "In some ways, we've been begging him if you are open to shoot it. Nate is one of those guys where he just wants the team to win. He wants to do whatever the team needs to do to win.

"Sometimes you have to encourage him to be a little more aggressive. I thought our guys did a great job of finding him at critical moments in the second half and he did a good job rebounding, which has not always been his strength. I thought his play was critical."

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:26 AM

Preview: Tar Heels (10-1) at Wildcats (9-1)
Date: December 17, 2016 5:45 PM EDT

North Carolina coach Roy Williams knows how fast Kentucky can put up a shot, and he's quick to point out he wants the Tar Heels to operate the same way.

The seventh-ranked Tar Heels (10-1) will try to keep up with the sixth-ranked Wildcats (9-1) when they play each other at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in the second game of the CBS Sports Classic at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The opening game pits No. 2 UCLA against Ohio State.

Kentucky and North Carolina, two of the bluebloods of college basketball, combine for 13 national championships and 219 players drafted to the NBA.

"I did get something reading (Kentucky's) stats," Williams said. "They take a shot every 13.5 or 13.6 seconds. ... I know we don't take it that fast, but I'd like to. I'd like to take it faster than that."

John Calipari's team leads the nation with 71.3 field goal attempts per game. North Carolina ranks 15th at 64.7 shots per game or 1.6 shots per minute. Kentucky's average possession length of 13.5 seconds ranks fourth nationally, according to Kenpom.com. North Carolina's possessions average 14.4 seconds, ranking 12th nationally.

Don't expect Williams to try to slow the pace to take Kentucky out of its game because if that happened, North Carolina could become ineffective as well. Both teams will look to score in transition as much as possible. Neither will work the shot clock.

"I think I'd really screw up everybody if I say we're going to start the four corners and slow it down," he said. "I think they'd all drop dead if I started in the delay game."

An important factor that might decide the outcome is which team adjusts faster on defense against the other's transition attack. Grabbing offensive rebounds and limiting turnovers is key to that, lessening the possibility of the other team pushing the ball up quicker than having to inbound the ball.

"You'll hear him (Williams say), 'Get back!' And you'll hear me, 'Get back!'" Calipari said. "We'll both be yelling that probably 100 times a half. They're fast. We're fast."

While North Carolina has not faced a team that likes to push the pace like Kentucky, the Wildcats have the experience of going against UCLA, which handed them only their fifth home loss in the Calipari era, scoring 97 points in the process.

"We're gonna have to figure out how to be efficient," Calipari said. "The game we lost it was one-on-one basketball. The synergy you need -- alright, they stopped us; now we gotta play. Now we gotta create for each other. We weren't ready for that. Hopefully we're a little more ready this time."

Of particular concern to Calipari is that North Carolina has the best rebounding margin in the country at plus-14.8, and ranks first in the country in offensive-rebounding percentage.

North Carolina's 7'0" freshman center Tony Bradley, with a team-high 41 offensive rebounds, leads the nation in offensive-rebounding percentage. Sophomore forward Kennedy Meeks, 6'10", leads the Tar Heels with 9.3 rebounds per game and is 15th nationally in offensive-rebounding percentage.

"They're big and they fight for position," Calipari said of North Carolina's frontcourt. "They try to have two feet in the lane or they seal you over the top. ... When they shoot it -- are you ready for this -- half of their misses they rebound for the season.

"You shoot it because half of those you're going to get back when you miss. You're either making them or you miss and half of those you get. That's why they shoot it quickly is because they rebound it."

The biggest question mark of the game is the availability of North Carolina guard Joel Berry, who missed the last two games with an ankle sprain. Berry averages 14.8 points and shoots 41.9 percent from 3-point range.

"He's definitely a good player ... he's a good floor general and everything," said Kentucky freshman wing player Sacha Killeya-Jones, a native of Chapel Hill, N.C., who played pick-up games with the some of the Tar Heels prior to committing to Calipari's program.

Kentucky has four players who average at least 12.1 points, led by shooting guard Malik Monk's 19.4 points. He is at the heart of the Wildcats' potent offense. His 151 field goal attempts are 33 more than the next player (point guard De'Aaron Fox) and his 78 3-point tries are double the amount of the next Wildcat (reserve guard Mychal Mulder).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:28 AM

Preview: Wildcats (5-3) at Jayhawks (9-1)
Date: December 17, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The situation Kansas forward Carlton Bragg recently experienced following his arrest and subsequent suspension for one game was no doubt humiliating and humbling.

The 6-foot-10 sophomore was arrested on one count of misdemeanor battery. He missed the No. 3 Jayhawks' last game, sitting on the bench as they downed Nebraska. Then on Tuesday, Bragg was cleared by authorities of any charges stemming from his Dec. 9 arrest.

He will be available Saturday when Kansas (9-1) carries a nine-game winning streak into a matchup against Davidson (5-3) at Sprint Center.

"The manner in which this particular situation transpired, I think, was educational," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "I also think it was one in which you could look at Carlton and understand he took some hits in order to do the right thing by letting the process play out."

Self took the same approach, waiting on authorities to judge facts and evidence before commenting extensively on the situation. Bragg's role in practice was reduced, but now that he is back, expect him to return to the Kansas rotation.

Although Bragg started the Jayhawks' first five games, the performance of the highly touted Cleveland recruit has been uneven. He ranks sixth among the Kansas scorers with a 7.8-point average and second in rebounds (5.3).

"I think that he'll be much better moving forward," Self said. "He certainly had some (personal issues), and I'm not even talking about recent events. But I think those are things that players go through.

"I think that he'll be much better moving forward. ... A lot of times kids go through them beginning their sophomore year because usually their sophomore year their role is much different. It's easy from the cheap seats to say when I get out there I'll be better, and then you get a chance to play and it hasn't quite played out that way. It's kind of humbling."

Bragg's struggles contributed to the advancement of four-guard lineups Self has used. Especially after 6-5 sophomore wing Lagerald Vick replaced Bragg in the starting lineup.

Two small guards, senior Frank Mason and junior Devonte' Graham, have been instrumental throughout the season alongside freshman wing Josh Jackson. Collectively the trio averages 49 points. Mason, the team's leading scorer (20.5 points per game) and Graham (13.7) are the only Jayhawks averaging 30-plus minutes.

Davidson provides an intriguing matchup.

In 2008, Kansas nipped Davidson and Stephen Curry 59-57 in the finals of the NCAA Midwest Regional before capturing the national title. The only other meeting in the all-time series was in 2011, when Davidson upset Kansas in a regular-season game in Kansas City, but the Jayhawks went on to reach the 2012 national championship game.

The Wildcats feature two 20-point scorers. Senior guard Jack Gibbs leads the Atlantic-10 and also ranks fourth nationally with a 24.3-point average. He also leads Davidson with 29 assists. Junior forward Peyton Aldridge scores 20 per game and grabs a team-high 6.6 rebounds.

Davidson comes off a 10-day break since falling against No. 7 North Carolina 83-74 on Dec. 7.

"I think the fight that our guys had, the attack mode that they play in, the versatility of our players, kept it close," Bob McKillop, the 28th-year Davidson coach, said after the North Carolina defeat. "I thought Jack was particularly an orchestra leader. That was very pleasing to me."

The Kansas matchup will be the seventh Davidson has played away from home in its first nine games. The Wildcats then begin a three-game homestand to close out December.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:29 AM

Preview: Demon Deacons (8-2) at Musketeers (8-2)
Date: December 17, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- Skip Prosser died in 2007, but he'll be on the minds of many players, coaches and fans on Saturday night, when No. 17 Xavier hosts Wake Forest at Cintas Center.

The Musketeers and Demon Deacons are meeting for the sixth time as part of the Skip Prosser Classic, played in honor of the former coach at both programs.

Xavier head coach Chris Mack was an assistant at Wake Forest for three years under Prosser and was a two-year captain for the Musketeers while Prosser was an assistant coach.

Mack spoke with his team this week about his former friend and mentor.

"I wanted the guys to understand why we play the series, and give them a good perspective of who he was," Mack said. "Anybody that had a chance to play for Skip or coach with him knows how genuinely sincere and caring he was. He treated everyone the same, from the guy who mopped the gym to his players."

Prosser was at Xavier for 15 years from 1985-2001, including as Musketeers head coach from 1994-2001, when he compiled a 148-65 record and three NCAA Tournament berths. He was Wake Forest's head coach from 2001 until he died of a massive heart attack in his campus office. Prosser led the Demon Deacons to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first four years.

During his coaching career, Prosser helped develop future NBA stars David West, Josh Howard, and Chris Paul.

Prosser was inducted into XU's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 and remains a beloved figure at both schools and throughout college basketball.

"We briefly talked about him (on Thursday)," said Xavier forward RaShid Gaston. "He had a great impact on both teams and we're playing this game in honor of him."

Xavier (8-2) leads the series 4-2, including a come-from-behind 78-70 win at Wake Forest last season. The Musketeers trailed by as many as 18 points in that game.

Mack's team, like Wake Forest, is coming off exam week, which can often result in sluggish performances.

"The good thing is that Wake Forest is dealing with it, too," he said. "So, no excuses tomorrow if we don't play well. It was exam week for both teams."

Musketeers guard Trevon Bluiett was named to the Big East Conference weekly honor roll after averaging 22.5 points in a loss at Colorado and a win over Utah.

Wake Forest (8-2) is 3-1 on the road with wins at Charleston, Richmond and UNC-Greensboro and a loss at Northwestern.

"They're a really good team in transition," said Gaston. "They're really aggressive on the offensive glass as well."

Gaston will try to contain Demon Deacons sophomore forward John Collins, who averages 18 points and is among four Wake Forest players scoring in double-figures.

Mack believes Collins is among the most improved players in all of college basketball this season.

"John's an athletic kid," said Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning last month. "Last year, in the minutes that he played, his production was really, really high. But the thing we continue to stress with him is defensive positioning. When you get to this level and you try to time up a block or go make a great defensive play, you usually end up getting a foul."

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:30 AM

Preview: Golden Eagles (2-9) at Bluejays (10-0)
Date: December 17, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

OMAHA, Neb. -- After an eight-day break from games for finals week, 10th-ranked Creighton is ready to return to the hardwood and put their undefeated record on the line on Saturday against Oral Roberts.

The 10-0 Bluejays haven't played since routing Longwood 113-58 on Dec. 9. That was the fifth-highest scoring total in school history and the most since a 115-80 win on Jan. 19, 1985, over Indiana State.

Creighton heads into its 7 p.m. matchup against Oral Roberts at CenturyLink Center as one of just remaining teams with an undefeated record. The Jays and Gonzaga are 10-0, Villanova and UCLA are 11-0, and USC and Baylor are 9-0 through games played Friday.

Oral Roberts is 2-9 with wins over John Brown and Rogers State. The Golden Eagles are 0-8 in road games, including setbacks at Baylor, Michigan State and Oklahoma.

Kris Martin leads the Golden Eagles in scoring at 15.0 points per game. Albert Owens is next at 13.7 and a team-leading nine blocked shots. Jalen Bradley, a Norfolk, Neb., native, averages 12.7 points and 4.7 assists per game.

Golden Eagles guard Darian Harris spent the 2013-14 season in Omaha as a redshirt freshman in the Creighton program. Harris transferred to ORU after the season and has scored 124 career points and pulled down 110 rebounds in 64 games with the Golden Eagles.

The 113 points against Longwood was the third time this season that Creighton has cracked the century mark. That total also pushed the team's per game average to 91.6 to rank No. 5 nationally.

Those 916 points are 50 more than Creighton has ever scored in its first 10 games of any season. The previous best was 866 in the 1965-66 campaign.

Creighton also continues to be among the nation's leaders in field goal and three-point shooting. The Jays are second in both categories, shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from long distance.

Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster has scored 15 or more points in nine of Creighton's first 10 games and is averaging a team-leading 17.8 points per game.

Senior Maurice Watson, a preseason All-Big East selection, is also living up to his lofty preseason expectations. Watson is the nation's active leader in career assists with 730 and he leads the nation in assists per game this season with 9.1.

Two native Omahans also are making big contributions for the Bluejays at both ends of the floor. Sophomore Khyri Thomas averages 13.3 points per game while shooting 60 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Redshirt freshman Justin Patton is shooting 80.3 percent from the field (second nationally) while averaging 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Twenty-four of Patton's field goals have come on dunks.

After Saturday's game, the Bluejays travel to Tempe, Ariz., to face Arizona State on Tuesday before another eight-day break over Christmas that precedes the beginning of Big East play on Dec. 28 with a home game against Seton Hall.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:32 AM

Preview: Trojans (6-4) at Trojans (9-0)
Date: December 17, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

USC will try to maintain its unbeaten record and its spot in the national rankings when the 24th-ranked Trojans play host to Troy as part of the Las Vegas Classic on Saturday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

USC (9-0) is off to its best start since going 16-0 to begin the 1970-71 season. The Trojans are still undefeated despite the absence of Bennie Boatwright, who is out with a sprained medial collateral ligament.

Troy (6-4) won three in a row and four of its last five following a three-game losing streak in November. The team's only setback during that stretch was an 80-74 loss to South Florida.

USC moved into the national rankings this week after beating Pepperdine 93-67 on Sunday. The team made 12 3-pointers in that contest and set a school record with 14 blocked shots.

Elijah Stewart made a career-high seven 3-pointers and tied his career high with four blocked shots in the win over Pepperdine. Jordan McLaughlin scored 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting, Nick Rakocevic had a career-high 13 points and Chimezie Metu recorded his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

"Elijah has been outstanding all year," USC coach Andy Enfield said. "He has added a lot to his game. He is becoming a more complete basketball player. We challenged him to do that and so far, he is doing a nice job."

Enfield praised his players for persevering despite the absences of Boatwright and Charles Buggs, who was held out with a strained hamstring. USC announced on Dec. 1 that Boatwright would miss six weeks with a sprained MCL.

Boatwright was injured late in USC's 76-55 victory over San Diego on Nov. 30. He was averaging 10.8 points and four rebounds per game. Boatwright was one of 20 players named to the preseason watch list for the 2017 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.

"We played well offensively and defensively," Enfield said. "It's nice to start 9-0. We had two guys out, so we had to play different lineups and combinations, but we played well and hard."

Troy is coming off a resounding 114-52 victory over Point University. It was the team's highest-scoring game since opening the season with a 135-76 victory over Toccoa Falls.

Jordon Varnado scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting against Point University. DeVon Walker had a career-high 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Shawn Hopkins recorded his second career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Troy coach Phil Cunningham said his team's performance against Point was similar to its effort in the season opener against Toccoa Falls. Six days later, Troy suffered a 74-51 loss to UAB that marked the start of a three-game losing streak, but the team seems to have recovered, averaging 95 points in the last three contests.

"If you go back and look at the Toccoa Falls game, we played so loose offensively," Cunningham said following the win over Point. "We were so loose and took the first shot available. I told (assistant coach) Marcus Grant that game was going to hurt us and it did when we played a good defensive team on the road in UAB. I told the guys tonight that I wanted to see two things: let's make sure we're the hardest playing team and that we share the ball. I thought we did both of those tonight."

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:34 AM

Preview: Rebels (6-4) at Ducks (9-2)
Date: December 17, 2016 11:00 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Despite a seven-game winning streak, Oregon coach Dana Altman isn't satisfied with what he sees from the Ducks.

"We're stuck in the mud," he said. "I keep talking about how much work we have to do, but we keep finding ways to win games."

The No. 22 Ducks (9-2) head to Moda Center in Portland to face UNLV (6-4) on Saturday evening.

The Rebels beat Oregon 80-69 last season at MGM Grand Garden Arena after building a 47-33 lead at halftime.

"That was an intense game," Oregon senior center Chris Boucher said. "It was my first time playing in front of a big arena like that. One thing I know is we can't let them start the game like they did last time so we have to catch up. It is hard to come out and play catch up the whole game. We have to play good defense and make sure we give ourselves a chance to win."

The Ducks are the home team playing about 120 miles from campus in the city that hosts their largest fan base. Freshman point guard Payton Pritchard will be playing in front of a hometown crowd.

"I won two state titles at (Moda Center), so I like that floor," he said. "I had good memories there so hopefully we can continue that."

The Ducks struggled to put away unranked Alabama and Montana in their last two games as Altman considered adjusting his lineup.

"We are still trying to figure things out," Altman said. "We are probably going to make some adjustments. After three days of practice, I don't know who will start the next one. We may go a whole different direction."

One change that could come soon would be the addition of all-conference forward Dillon Brooks to the starting lineup. The 6-foot-7 junior missed the first three games following offseason foot surgery and has come off the bench in all eight games since returning while averaging 12.3 points per game.

"It is always different, it's a change and not only for him, but for us too," Boucher said. "Coach will make the right decision and when Dillon is back, he will be ready to play and help us too."

Boucher had a career-high 19 rebounds in Tuesday's 81-67 win over Montana while scoring 23 points and blocking five shots. He ranks 11th in the nation with 3.2 blocks per game.

"It makes my life a lot easier defensively," Pritchard said of having Boucher as the final line of Oregon's defense. "I can pressure on defense and if I get beat, I know Chris has my back. It is big time."

Boucher leads Oregon with 14.1 points per game while sophomore guard Tyler Dorsey is averaging 13.5.

UNLV bounced back from a 94-45 loss to Duke on Saturday to defeat Incarnate Word 92-64 on Wednesday.

Guard Jalen Poyser leads UNLV with 16.1 points and 3.9 assists while forward Tyrell Green averages 12.8 points and 6.2 rebounds for first-year coach Marvin Menzies.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-17-2016, 12:38 AM

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---------------------------------

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Cnotes CBB 12/17/16 Previews And Trends !!

Cnotes CBB 12/17/16 Previews And Trends !!

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