Iowa State and Xavier Set the Tone as Week Two Tips Off in College Basketball

Hello, week two!  Week one was great, delivering a lot of quality basketball, a ton of upsets, a triple-double, and a top-5 team losing.  Week two is shaping up to be better, with excellent games between ranked teams every night.  First, let's recap the Sunday games.  Indiana blew out Marquette.  Marquette doesn’t look great and might struggle, while Indiana has a very high ceiling, especially if Tucker DeVries is hitting shots.

Oklahoma State and its revamped roster blew out Texas A&M, which also had a revamped roster.  It was a massive win for Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz, signaling that the program is heading in the right direction.  Texas A&M will be okay once Bucky Ball takes full effect on the program.

In the nightcap, we got to see Baylor beat Washington.  Baylor is a highly athletic team that excels in defense and rebounding, ensuring they will be competitive in every game they play.  Washington couldn’t make a shot and is not entirely healthy.  Once they get all of their guys back, they will be a force in the Big Ten.   The Monday slate of games is lighter compared to the rest of the week, but there is one ranked team playing a pesky SEC opponent.  There are only two notable games on Monday, both highlighted below, along with the picks for the rest of the winners.

Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones- Battle of two Elite Point Guards

The Bulldogs travel to one of the toughest places to play in America and hope that star point guard Josh Hubbard will be able to neutralize any Hilton Magic that may rear its ugly head against Mississippi State.  Hubbard is going to have to be at his best for the Bulldogs to pull this one off.  

Iowa State also has an elite point guard in Tamin Lipsey, but the Cyclones have surrounded him with much better talent than Mississippi State has surrounded its star with. The Cyclones and Bulldogs will have no problem keeping this game low scoring, and the threes will be flying.  In the end, Lipsey and the Cyclones are too much.

Santa Clara Broncos at Xavier Musketeers - Richard Pitino continues demanding schedule with upset-minded Broncos.

Head coach Herb Sendek has transformed the Broncs into one of the top WCC teams over the last five years.  Santa Clara isn’t going to be scared traveling across the country and playing a Big East team when they have beaten Gonzaga and St. Mary’s recently.  The Broncos have a roster that can pull off the upset, especially in the front court.  

Xavier and head coach Richard Pitino have won both of their games, but haven’t done it impressively.  It hasn’t been easy for the Musketeers, but they have won.  Santa Clara poses the most significant threat that Xavier has faced to date, and if they are not careful, the Broncos can leave Cincinnati with a resume-boosting win.

The rest of the games for a light Monday are below: