Feast Week gave us 10 days of excellent games, but now NCAA basketball gets back to campus and in full swing. Don’t sleep on these nine this week.
Charlotte at Davidson
Tuesday, Nov. 27
The Hornet’s Nest Trophy is back up for grabs, and although Davidson is expected to retain it for a sixth straight year, Charlotte has earned a win over Oklahoma State this season. They have proved that they are capable of an upset and they’ll certainly be looking for one against their cross-county rivals in this one.
Rider at West Virginia
Wednesday, Nov. 28
Rider was a popular mid-major sleeper pick heading into the season, but after a strong showing on the road in a losing effort against UCF, they took a two-week break and kind of fell off the radar. They returned to action by blowing out Coppin State and Wagner. Having lost to Buffalo and Western Kentucky already this season, West Virginia has been a great team to validate upstart programs this year. Let’s see if Rider can join them.
VCU at Old Dominion
Wednesday, Nov. 28
VCU and Old Dominion, two schools separated by about 90 miles, have a rivalry dating back to before either school played at the Division-I level. VCU emerged as the stronger of these two Virginia programs when Shaka Smart brought the Rams to national prominence but the gap has narrowed over the past few seasons. ODU will be looking for their first win in the series since 2014.
Georgia Southern at Arizona
Thursday, Nov. 29
Georgia Southern is one of the biggest surprises early in this season, still undefeated thus far with wins over George Mason and Montana. They will be out to prove this isn’t a flukey run, heading on the road to take on a beatable Arizona squad. You will be hearing a lot more about Georgia Southern if they can grab this win.
Duquesne vs. Pitt
Friday, Nov. 30
Duquesne has only won the City Game once since beating Pitt at Mellon Arena in December of 2000 and Pitt has a big lead in the series that dates back to 1932. This year, though, it might be a toss-up. The teams are a combined 10-1. Duquesne’s loss at Notre Dame is the only blemish for the Pittsburgh schools.
Temple at St. Joe’s
Saturday, Nov. 31
You’ll see most Big 5 games pop up on these lists; every game between two Philly schools is a can’t-miss and Temple-St. Joe’s is one of the best rivalries in the association. Villanova and La Salle also tip at the Palestra a few hours before this one gets underway at Hagan.
Rhode Island at Providence
Saturday, Nov. 31
The Rhody-PC game is one of the biggest annual sporting events in Rhode Island. The Rams grabbed their first win in almost a decade against Providence at the Ryan Center last year but this year’s URI squad looks quite a bit different without E.C Matthews and Danny Hurley. We’ll see what happens at Dunkin’ Donuts Center this year. The atmosphere is sure to be fantastic.
St. John’s vs. Georgia Tech
Saturday, Nov. 31
St. John’s hasn’t lost yet but they haven’t looked as good as they could have on their way to a 5-0 start. If Georgia Tech can pull one out against Northwestern a few days before their game with the Johnnies, the winner between the Jackets and Storm will start to build themselves a pretty solid resumé.
Loyola Marymount at UCLA
Sunday, Dec. 1
Loyola Marymount is another one of those surprise mid-majors that remains undefeated. They’ve been blowing teams out this year but will be looking for their first big win against their LA neighbor. The Bruins will definitely be focused on a strong week after double-digit losses to Michigan State and UNC in Vegas.