BYU vs. Princeton: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 12: the Princeton Tigers men's basketball team poses for a portrait after the win against the Yale Bulldogs in the Ivy League tournament final at The Palestra on March 12, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Princeton won 71-59. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

These teams come into the game in opposite directions in terms of momentum. BYU is feeling good about themselves after a good win against a lesser opponent, and Princeton has some issues after a road loss to Butler.

TV schedule: Wednesday, Nov. 15, 7:00 p.m. ET. Check Local Listings

Arena: Jadwin Gymnasium in Princeton, New Jersey

Coming into Saturday night’s game against Mississippi Valley State, Brigham Young University finally had a resolution to the Nick Emery situation.

After dealing with personal issues at home, along with a pending NCAA Investigation into alleged impermissible benefits, the junior guard elected to withdraw from the school and the basketball program to get things situated in his life. He’s stated that he has every intention of returning to the program the following year.

It’s certainly a blow to a team looking up at Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s in the WCC. While a bit inconsistent, he’s more than capable of dropping 30 on any given night while playing solid defense. He was replaced in the lineup against the Delta Devils by sharpshooter Zac Seljaas, who two years ago shot 50% from deep and scored 11 points.

The person who will benefit the most will be Elijah Bryant, who last year struggled with knee issues. He had 27 points while shooting an excellent 10/11 from the field and 6/7 from deep. Point guard TJ Haws had 14 and Yoeli Childs continues his impressive early season campaign with a 13 and 10 double-double. Even without Emery, the Cougars look to have enough offense to be a solid squad.

The same couldn’t be said for Princeton, who only had three players contribute in the 85-75 loss at Butler. Myles Stephens had 21 points in 38 minutes played. Amir Bell broke out with 22 points on 7/13 shooting in 37 minutes. Lastly, Devin Cannady chipped in 12 points thanks to four deep balls. He would’ve played more than 32 minutes if he didn’t have some foul trouble.

The issue for the Tigers was the lack of a supporting cast. Sebastian Much and Jerome Desrosiers started each in the frontcourt but combined for zero points. Alec Brennan had a couple of three-pointers, but that was it. Last season Princeton was literally unstoppable in the Ivy thanks to their superior depth. This season it’s now a legit question mark.

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While the match-ups on the perimeter will be fun to watch, the key for Princeton will how they handle Childs down low. If the forwards aren’t going to score, then the least they can do is play solid defense. But the 6’8 sophomore is likely to be too much to handle for them.

Prediction: Princeton 70 – BYU 81