Paradise Jam, Puerto Rico Tip-Off hog weekend action
Friday, November 20, 2009 03:08 PM ET
After three of the top-6 schools struggled on Thursday before pulling out victories, it looks as if the college hoops season is in midseason form when upsets become something of the norm. This weekend finds two tournaments filling the slate with eight schools in Puerto Rico finishing off action that started on Thursday and eight more squads in the Virgin Islands to start the Paradise Jam on Friday.
College basketball's weekend schedule appears rather ho-hum at first glance, but a closer look will reveal a far more appetizing slate of action. In fact, it's the perfect weekend for college hoops fans that are looking to escape the clutches of cold weather and have a a few thousand miles sitting on one of their airline accounts.
Two tournaments get underway Thursday and Friday in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, followed by next week's Maui Invitational in Honolulu.
Oh, to be on an island somewhere now that college basketball season is here.
Puerto Rico Tip-Off (Nov 19-22)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Jay Wright's Villanova Wildcats, the favorite to win the Big East this season, headline this eight-team event that includes two other ranked schools in the latest AP Poll.
Villanova (2-0, 1-0 ATS) meets up with George Mason on Thursday favored by 16 points with the 'total' set at 142 ½ for the afternoon contest. The Wildcats opened their season with an 84-61 win over Fairleigh Dickinson before routing Penn to open this week, 103-65. Six players scored in double figures for 'Nova, led by Maalik Wayns with 16 on 6 of 10 shooting from the field.
The Wildcats easily covered the 23-point closing number in the game with the 'over' 146 ½ also cashing.
Thursday's most interesting match in Puerto Rico finds No. 18 Dayton taking on No. 21 Georgia Tech. The game was a 'pick' before settling with the Yellow Jackets favored by one. The winner will meet Villanoa on Friday.
Thu Nov 19
No. 18 Dayton vs. No. 21 Georgia Tech
George Mason vs. No. 5 Villanova
Indiana vs. Ole Miss
Boston U. vs. Kansas State
Paradise Jam (Nov 20-22)
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Bruce Pearl's Volunteers draw the top billing in this tournament that opens Friday. Tennessee (2-0, 1-0 ATS) is off to a blistering start to the season with easy wins over Austin Peay, 83-54, and NC-Asheville, 124-49.
The Vols covered a 24-point line in the win over the Governors last Friday (Nov 13). Scotty Hopson led Tennessee in scoring in both games, following up a 16-point performance against Austin Peay with 25 points against Asheville, canning six of his seven 3-point shots in that game.
Friday, Nov 20
DePaul vs. Northern Iowa
East Carolina vs. No. 10 Tennessee
Saint Joseph's vs. Boston College
South Dakota St. vs. Purdue
Games 1 and 2 losers/winners will meet on Saturday; same for Game 3 and 4. The idea is for Tennessee and Purdue to meet on Sunday evening (5:30 p.m. Pacific).
Monday Tips
Next week opens with a couple of tournaments, one coming to an end and the other beginning.
The O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic moves to Kansas City with No. 3 Texas taking on Iowa and Pittsburgh meeting Wichita State. The idea here is to obviously set up that Longhorns-Panthers matchup for the following night (Tue, Nov 24).
The EA Sports Maui Invitational begins on Monday, an eight-team bracket that includes the annual hosts from Chaminade. The Swords will be taking on Maryland in Game 3 on Monday (6:30 p.m. Pacific).
That tournament opens with Colorado meeting Gonzaga in the opener Monday afternoon. Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt follows before Chamiande and Maryland meet. And Monday's action concludes with Arizona vs. Wisconsin.