Northern Iowa (7-1) @ North Dakota (1-10)
Betty Engelstad Sioux Center
Grand Forks, ND 1:05 PM CT
TV: Fox College Sports Central
The Panthers head to North Dakota in what will be their last non-conference game on the road. Coach Ben Jacobson will cherish the homecoming game. An alum of North Dakota, Coach Jacobson played four years and ended his career as the all-time leader in assists. From 1993-2000 he also spent in Grand Forks as an assistant coach of various types. The Panthers are coming off a good win against Siena for their sixth in a row. Five players scored double figures for a balanced Panther attack.
A tough 11 games to start the season for the Fighting Sioux. Their only win came against Waldorf College, 79-55. UND’s coach Brian Jones is just as familiar with UNI as Coach Jacobson is for UNI. Coach Jones played four years at UNI before going to Australia to play professionally. He also was an assistant at Iowa before heading north. Senior forward Travis Martens leads the Fighting Sioux in scoring. Shots will be hard to come by against a tough Panther defense.
– Panon
Drake (5-5) @ Iowa (3-7)
Carver Hawkeye Arena
Iowa City, IA 5:35 PM CT
TV: Big Ten Network
It’s been an up and down start to the season for the Bulldogs. They put a 3-game win streak to a test tonight against one of their in-state rivals Iowa. Looking to pull off a win just as Northern Iowa and Iowa State did against Iowa, Drake has a chance to pull off the win. At the Drake Invitational last weekend the Bulldogs defeated South Dakota in the opener and followed that up with a win against Binghampton. It took a pair of last second free throws by Josh Young by Josh Young in the second game to squeak out the win. He scored 21 in the first game of the invite and appears to regain the form Drake fans are used to over the last two seasons.
Iowa is facing their third Valley team of the season today. They took on Wichita State in the CBE Classic in Kansas City and went to Northern Iowa. The outcome of those two games did not favor Iowa. They will get their final shot at a Valley win today. Against Iowa State, four players were in double figures. Matt Gatens scored a season-high 20, Jarryd Cole with 16, Colly Payne had 15, and Brennan Cougill chipped in 12. They’ll need a balanced scoring attack against the Bulldogs. Each team trying to pull out a win against an in-state rival (Drake still has to play UNI in conference play).
– Panon
San Diego (5-6) vs. Southern Illinois (5-2)
South Point Arena
Las Vegas, NV 6:15 PM CT
Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic
Southern Illinois travels to Las Vegas. As tough as it may seem, they will need to focus their attention on the court and not all the action surrounding them off the court will all that Vegas has to offer. The Salukis are in a good flow offensively. Despite playing Southeast Missouri State and Alabama State their last two games, they still scored over 80 points in each game. The Salukis shot 61% in their win against Alabama St. Kevin Dillard scored 19. With Tony Freeman taking over at PG, Dillard will score more than he did last season.
San Diego will be taking on Southern Illinois for the first time in school history. San Diego is in the middle of the pack of the West Coast Conference with Gonzaga and St. Mary’s leading the way. Before a win last weekend against Boise St., the Toreros lost five games in a row including a close 82-78 loss against New Mexico at the Pit. Last weekend against the Broncos, San Diego came from behind at half to pull out the win. San Diego is led by senior guard Brandon Johnson, the 2nd leading scorer in San Diego history.
– Panon
Tennessee-Martin (1-7) @ Evansville (5-3)
Roberts Stadium
Evansville, IN 7:05 PM CT
A nicely wrapped Christmas presents itself for Coach Marty Simmons and the Purple Aces in the form of a home game against Tennessee-Martin. The Skyhawks come into Evansville with just one win against Harris Stowe. A trio of players average double figures led by Benzor Simmons. Joining him in the backcourt to lead the team are Reuben Clayton (15.0) and Dlerico Lane (11.6).
Coach Simmons and his young team are starting to find an identity. After losing guard Kavon Lacey to knee surgery, it didn’t take long to find a few guys to step up in a big way. Sophomore James Haarsma had a career-high 26 points to go along with 12 rebounds in a win over Georgia Southern. The other side of the two-headed Purple Ace’s monster was freshman Colt Ryan. Going 8-11 from the field, Ryan scored 22. Coach Simmons should feel good about his team after a win tonight before heading into Valley play.
– Panon
Illinois State (7-2) @ Utah (5-5)
John M. Huntsman Center
Salt Lake City, UT. 3:00 CT
TV: MountainWest Sports Network
Illinois State is on a bit of a slide right now, losing their last two games including the most recent defeat against Ohio 75 – 57. There has been a bit of a trend in the last two games, besides the whole losing thing. Preseason Player of the Year Osiris Eldridge has had a less than stellar performance. Against Ohio, the O-Hawk was only able to shoot for 9 points, thanks to a stout defensive effort by Ohio.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Utah, who will enter the game with a .500 record, has the same scouting report on the Redbirds. This one could be a good one, and if Utah is able to shut Osiris down, it could be a long afternoon. This game is just another reason that Cox should carry the MountainWest Sports Network.
– Paul Liberty
Texas Tech (9-0) @ Wichita State (9-1)
Koch Arena
Wichita, KS 7:05 CT
You read that correct. Texas Tech is undefeated and playing at Wichita. The Shockers, who have been on quite a roll of their own, will have a great opportunity to make a big statement tonight by knocking off the undefeated and 16th ranked Red Raiders of Texas Tech.
Gergg Marshall has the Shockers and their fans excited about this team and the promising season that lies ahead. With Koch Arena sold out, the Red Raiders will have a tough game on their hands and I would not be one bit surprised if Gregg and the gang are able to take out Coach Knight tonight. Look for the Shockers in the polls on Monday if they are able to capitalize on their opportunity tonight.
– Paul Liberty
Indiana State (6-3) @ Toledo (3-8)
John F. Savage Arena
Toledo, OH 7:05 CT
Indiana State has shown flashes of promise this season, and are carrying a respectable 6-3 record into tonights game against the Rockets of Toledo. Harry Marshall has improved as the season continues ans new comer Jake Kelly has show the ability to pick up the team when needed.
Tonight the Sycamores will face a struggling Toledo team that is currently 3-8 on the season and looking for a few good wins. I don’t see it coming tonight, as Indiana State should be able to handle the Rockets tonight.
– Paul Liberty
Missouri State (9-0) @ St. Louis (6-3)
Chaifetz Arena
St. Louis, MO 7:05 CT
Missouri State remains the surprise of the season so far as they will take their unblemished record on the road to face in state rival Saint Louis tonight. The Billikens have a bit of a streak of their own going, as they have yet to lose a game at Chaifetz Arena. This game should prove to be one of the tougher test that the Bears will face as they look foward to conference play.
If the Bears continue to play their game and distribute the ball they should pass this test. Depending on how hot Meeks gets, this could be close, but I like the Bears in this one.
– Paul Liberty