Arizona vs. NC State: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Since the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats didn’t appear in the Champions Classic, they’re flying a bit under the radar. But they’re still a national title contender, that will get an opportunity to show it against an improved North Carolina State team.

TV schedule: Wednesday, Nov. 22, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3

Arena: Imperial Arena in Nassau, Bahamas

There’s been a ton of turmoil going around the Arizona Wildcats (3-0) ever since the FBI’s investigation ensnared one of their own. Emmanuel “Book” Richardson was arrested and charged with various counts involving bribery and corruption and has been fired from the school. While other programs (Louisville) have been harder hit, Sean Miller and the Wildcats have kept things afloat.

Players have kept their commitments and no one else has left. That’s why Arizona has probably its best roster since Miller arrived.

While most of the attention was on Michigan State’s Miles Bridges returning for his sophomore season, Alonzo Trier’s decision was just as big. After missing the beginning half of the 2016-17 season due to his body unable to get rid of a “banned substance” in his system, the junior has come back in a big way.

In his first three games, Trier is tied for first in the NCAA with 30.0 ppg, all in just 31 mpg. He’s joined with likely top-five NBA draft pick DeAndre Ayton, who, in his first few games, has an 18.7 ppg and 11.7 rpg double-double average. That’s made life easier for center Dusan Ristic, who’s playing the best in his career with 12.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg.

The team overall has scored just under 100 ppg versus limited competition and is favored to win the PAC-12 Conference.

NC State (4-0) has a new head coach in Kevin Keatts, who replaces Mark Gottfried after a disastrous season despite having top-ten NBA pick Dennis Smith Jr. Even though they’ve played minimal competition as well, already there’s a difference in how they play, particularly on defense.

A couple of new transfers have reignited the Wolf Pack, with Charlotte transfer Torin Dorn averaging 18.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg. Baylor grad transfer Al Freeman has thrived in extended minutes, with his 15.5 ppg coming in third on the team.

The most improved player so far has to be senior Lennard Freeman, who has gone from just 3.2 ppg all the way up to 16.3 ppg. Of course these numbers are going to go down, but his offensive production has been a welcomed new asset for the coaching staff.

The match-up to watch in this game will be between Arizona’s Ayton and NC State’s Omer Yurtseven down low. It’s time to probably say he’s not a lottery pick anymore, but he’s still productive with 10.0 ppg. At 7’0 and 245 pounds, he’s the only viable option to defend the 7’1 265 pound athletic freak. If he can’t do it, the Wolf Pack’s in trouble.

Next: Winners and losers of the week (Second edition)

This is the first legit opponent either team has played, so it’s a must-watch to see where the strengths and weaknesses are. NC State was not picked to do much this year but could cause some damage with this new core of players. A good fight with a Final Four-caliber team will gain some more respect. An upset will send shock-waves. This game will tell a lot of both teams early in the season.

Prediction: Arizona 86 – NC State 74