Preview Roundups
November 22, 2018
Villanova at Canisius 1:30 PM ET
Villanova has won the last five November tournaments it has participated in, but this group of Wildcats appears to be a different breed. The suddenly unranked Wildcats take the court in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational on Thursday when they face off with Canisius in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Wisconsin at Oklahoma 1:30 PM ET
Wisconsin has answered its first losing season since 1997-98 by jumping out to a 4-0 start and looks to remain unbeaten when it takes on Oklahoma in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas on Thursday. The Badgers, who finished 15-18 in 2017-18, averaged 86 points in their first three wins and flexed their defensive muscles Wednesday with a 62-46 victory over Stanford in the first round.
La Salle at Miami-Florida 2:30 PM ET
Miami sought out each of its first three opponents of the season specifically because the Hurricanes anticipated all of them being the favorite to win their respective conferences. Coach Jim Larranaga likely had events like the Wooden Legacy in mind, and Miami will test itself away from home for the first time Thursday when it faces La Salle in quarterfinal action in Fullerton, Calif.
Oklahoma State at Memphis 3:30 PM ET
Memphis needed everything it could muster to defeat Ivy League opponent Yale over the weekend. Now it's time for the Tigers to contend with Oklahoma State when the teams meet Thursday in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Virginia at Dayton 3:30 PM ET
Sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter looks to stuff the scoresheet for a second straight game when fourth-ranked Virginia faces Dayton in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday at Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas. Hunter recorded 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Cavaliers rolled past Middle Tennessee 74-52 in Wednesday’s first round.
Tulsa at Nevada 4:00 PM ET
Seventh-ranked Nevada looks to continue its perfect start when it faces another unbeaten team in Tulsa in the first round of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Invitational on Thursday. The Wolf Pack have won their four games by an average of 25.3 points, topped by Monday's 90-55 trouncing of Cal Baptist.
Northwestern at Fresno St. 4:30 PM ET
Five of the 10 players to see action for Northwestern may be newcomers, but their relative unfamiliarity with each other hasn't kept them from playing some of the best defense in the country. The Wildcats attempt to keep a fourth straight opponent under 55 points Thursday when they square off against Fresno State in the quarterfinals of the Wooden Legacy in Fullerton, Calif.
Charleston at Louisiana State 7:00 PM ET
LSU's offense is already in midseason form, but the team knows that the tests are only just beginning. The 21st-ranked Tigers battle with Charleston on Thursday when the teams meet in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Stanford at Florida 7:00 PM ET
Florida coach Mike White told reporters his team isn’t playing with much swagger and the Gators will try to begin changing that when they meet Stanford in the consolation round of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday at Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas. Florida shot 39 percent from the field, was pounded on the boards (48-34) and could not get over the hump before falling 65-60 against Oklahoma in the first round Wednesday.
Texas at North Carolina 7:30 PM ET
After winning their first five games by an average of 30.6 points, including two by 49- and 50-point margins, the North Carolina Tar Heels are anxious to pick on someone their own size, or at least ability. They'll get that chance starting Thursday night in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational where they face undefeated Texas.
Seton Hall at Grand Canyon 9:00 PM ET
Kevin Willard has taken experienced teams into regular-season tournaments in recent years and lost the first game each time. The ninth-year Seton Hall coach hopes for a different result with a young squad this time around, and the Pirates seek to end a two-game slide Thursday when they face Grand Canyon in quarterfinal action at the Wooden Legacy in Fullerton, Calif.
UAB at Florida State 9:30 PM ET
No. 13 Florida State is proving that last season's run to the Elite Eight was no fluke. The Seminoles hope to stay unbeaten on the young season when they meet UAB on Thursday in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Middle Tennessee St. at Butler 9:30 PM ET
Butler will try to rebound from a disappointing performance when it begins play in the consolation round of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday at Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, against Middle Tennessee. The Bulldogs fell behind by double digits in the first half, allowed 54.3 percent shooting overall and a late comeback came up short in a 69-64 loss to Dayton on Wednesday.
Michigan St at UCLA 10:00 PM ET
Michigan State has won preseason tournaments in three of the last five seasons including the Victory Bracket of the prestigious PK80 Invitational in Portland, Ore., last season, rolling past North Carolina in the championship game. The 11th-ranked Spartans are focused on bringing home another trophy this week, but it won't be easy as they open the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic with a semifinal game against No. 17 UCLA on Thanksgiving night.
Hawaii at Utah 11:30 PM ET
While most teams take part in regular-season tournaments to face unfamiliar opponents, Utah and Hawaii have a fair amount of history - albeit one-sided - with each other. The two former Western Athletic Conference rivals square off for the third time in as many years Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Wooden Legacy in Fullerton, Calif.