Arizona State Sun Devils at UCLA Bruins
Date: Wednesday, December 17
An old rivalry renewed. Bobby Hurley and his Arizona State Sun Devils will make the trip to Pauley Pavilion and take on the UCLA Bruins. These two teams played last season in March, with the Bruins picking up a narrow 12-point win. The Sun Devils have not been bad and are coming off a win over Oklahoma, which completed the Red River sweep over Texas and the Sooners. The Sun Devils have losses to Gonzaga and USC on the season. Arizona State is looking to make a move into the picture of a very talented Big 12, but first they will get the Bruins. UCLA is unbeaten at home and 7-2 overall. Tyler Bioldeau leads the charge for the Bruins offense with 15.6 points per game. This could be a slugfest, but it should be fun, just a week before Christmas in Los Angeles.
Houston Cougars at Arkansas Razorbacks
Date: Saturday, December 20
Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars know the season is a marathon and not a sprint. While they have not played their best basketball during December, they are still 8-1 with their lone loss to Tennessee. A 10 point win over Notre Dame and 15 over Florida State had many asking questions, but a win is a win for the Cougars. After a pair of cupcakes, Sampson should have his Cougars ready to rock for this showdown. For Arkansas, they certainly have not been shy about playing competition. This will be the fifth ranked team before the SEC season for Calipari’s squad. We know the SEC is going to bring competition, so Arkansas is just priming up for the dead of winter and getting themselves ready for the madness in March. This game will be played at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, a location that is not close to either team, but still expect eyeballs on these two talented squads.