The week forward ought to be implausible for school basketball regulars. Convention showdowns start on Tuesday and proceed Wednesday with 4 video games between top-25 groups. Saturday has two potential bangers: No. 11 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Marquette, and No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Gonzaga.
First, let’s highlight the ACC-SEC Problem and the Large 12-Large East Battle. Auburn’s offense vs. Duke’s protection ought to be wildly thrilling, whereas Alabama and UNC are going through off with early-season urgency.
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ACC-SEC Problem
What number of readers are sufficiently old to recollect the ACC-Large Ten and SEC-Large 12 sequence? “The Occasions They Are A-Changin’,” in perpetuity for this contemporary faculty basketball panorama. The second installment of the brand new ACC-SEC convention conflict begins Tuesday night time. Final 12 months’s inaugural run ended with every convention successful seven video games.
The primary slate begins with 7 p.m. ET suggestions — South Carolina (-4.5) at Boston Faculty, Notre Dame at Georgia (-8.5), Cal at Missouri (-10.5) and Arkansas (-4.5) at Miami.
The SEC performs Goliath in Tuesday’s video games. Tennessee is recognizing 21.5 factors to Syracuse. Oklahoma is laying 11.5 in opposition to Georgia Tech, and Texas A&M is an 8.5-point favourite over Wake Forest. Louisville is the ACC’s solely favourite from Tuesday’s 10 video games.
Tuesday’s closest unfold, and maybe essentially the most compelling matchup, is 7-1 Clemson vs. undefeated Kentucky (-1.5). Mark Pope’s Wildcats lead the nation in factors per recreation, and they’re seventh in offensive score. Six of Kentucky’s seven wins have been blowouts, however its November thriller in opposition to Duke was one of many first assertion video games of the season.
Koby Brea is taking pictures 61 % from behind the arc on about six tries per recreation. He’s considered one of six Wildcats averaging double-figure scoring to this point. That is Kentucky’s first street recreation of the 12 months.
However because the unfold displays, Clemson can cling. Chase Hunter is off to a torrid begin, with 51/46/81 taking pictures splits to this point. Ian Schieffelin leads the convention in rebounds per recreation. The Tigers are twenty fifth in KenPom score and twenty fourth in adjusted defensive effectivity.
Brad Brownell has coached Clemson since 2010, and whereas the Tigers have solely earned 4 NCAA Event berths, final 12 months’s journey to the Elite Eight was their second-ever. A signature efficiency on Tuesday would put the Tigers firmly on the nationwide radar.
No. 10 Alabama at No. 20 North Carolina
7:15 p.m. ET Wednesday on ESPN
Alabama and UNC know tips on how to make a traditional. They met within the Candy 16 final 12 months, with the Crimson Tide ending on a livid 7-2 run within the last 80 seconds to knock out the top-seeded Tar Heels. In 2022, Alabama surprised No. 1 UNC in a quadruple-overtime smash. The Smith Heart ought to be appropriately raucous on Wednesday.
RJ Davis shall be in pursuit of redemption. He earned all-conference and All-American honors final season however wrapped his adorned marketing campaign up with a snivel — taking pictures 4-of-20 and lacking all 9 of his 3-point tries in opposition to Alabama. North Carolina’s offense rolls by way of a triumvirate of Davis (18.4 factors per recreation), Seth Trimble (16.1) and Elliot Cadeau (14.4).
UNC seems to be to shake off back-to-back losses on the Maui Invitational. There’s definitely no disgrace in shedding to Auburn, who seems to be like a world-beater proper now, however an extra time loss to Michigan State undoubtedly stings.
Alabama is coming off a disconcerting lack of its personal, falling two factors wanting Oregon in Las Vegas. Its first loss got here earlier in November at Purdue. Once more, no disgrace in shedding to dignified opponents in the course of the nonconference stretch — each Oregon and Purdue are top-20 in offensive score. However both manner, considered one of these prestigious applications will stroll away Wednesday on a shedding streak.
Like Davis, the Tide’s Mark Sears is placing up factors (16 per recreation) on deeply underwhelming splits (35.1 % from the ground). Fifth-year guys Grant Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. had been compensating with environment friendly begins, however Wrightsell’s season-ending Achilles harm is a heartbreaker. The Tide must reply on the fly, and Aden Holloway can have an opportunity to show himself after transferring from Auburn. In the meantime, freshman Labaron Philon is already climbing up NBA Draft boards.
Each groups ought to be applauded for his or her formidable early schedules. Nate Oats’ squad has wins over Illinois, Houston and Rutgers. And Hubert Davis’ group took top-ranked Kansas to the brink. The Tar Heels have been down 20 in a buzzing Allen Fieldhouse, however wound up shedding by three.
No. 2 Auburn at No. 9 Duke
9:15 p.m. ET Wednesday on ESPN
By KenPom score, Auburn has the most effective offense within the sport, and Duke has the nation’s prime protection. We will’t ask for significantly better within the first week of December.
Traditionally, Duke is menacing on this spot. It’s 37-15 when internet hosting top-10 opponents and 4-0 all-time in opposition to this specific opponent. However Auburn is downright terrifying this season, and Bruce Pearl’s group has secured two wins in opposition to top-five opponents within the final month.
Johni Broome is hellacious. He’s averaging 20.7 factors (on a 64 % efficient area purpose share) whereas main the SEC in blocks per recreation (3.1) and main all of Division I in rebounds per recreation (12.9). Broome is completely balling.
However Auburn is much from a one-man present. Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly are each taking pictures above 40 % on the 3-ball, and Tahaad Pettiford is a fearless freshman with a penchant for icy pictures down the stretch.
This scoring assault has already confirmed itself in opposition to Houston’s whirring chaos of a protection, however going up in opposition to Duke’s protection is its personal distinctive, arduous task. Opponents are changing simply 40.3 % of their 2-pointers to this point, they usually’re taking pictures beneath 28 % on 3-pointers. 5 regulars common a minimum of one steal, and Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach are averaging greater than a block per recreation. All-conference defender Maliq Brown enters Wednesday with a team-best 74.4 defensive score, and he places up a foolish 6.9 steals per 100 possessions.
Neither group is one-dimensional, in fact. Auburn’s protection is switchable across the perimeter and difficult to beat within the paint largely because of Broome. Duke’s offense is headlined by Flagg and Kon Knueppel, however Tyrese Proctor is essentially the most harmful from deep at 46.9 % on seven tries a recreation.
Large 12-Large East Battle
To not be outdone by the aforementioned interconference conflict, the Large 12-Large East motion is headlined by some slightly cool video games. This sequence has been occurring since 2019.
Protected to say, Dan Hurley didn’t have a soothing Hawaii vacation. Connecticut is again house and can look to cease its sudden slide by internet hosting Scott Drew’s formidable Baylor group on Wednesday. Elsewhere, Greg McDermott and Creighton are large underdogs in opposition to Kansas, whereas undefeated DePaul seems to be to say its legitimacy in a visit to Texas Tech. Within the earliest video games, Cincinnati (-3.5) is a slight street favourite over Villanova, and BYU is recognizing 5.5 factors at Windfall.
The Large 12 is loaded this 12 months, with 5 groups within the prime 17 AP ballot spots. The Large East boasts two ranked groups, UConn and Marquette.
No.5 Marquette at No. 6 Iowa State
8 p.m. ET Wednesday on ESPN+
The Cyclones took an excruciating L to Auburn on the buzzer final week, however with the luggage unpacked from Maui, this group ought to be well-rested and highly-motivated at house. Marquette is one other brutal nonconference problem. Shaka Good’s Golden Eagles are considered one of 10 undefeated groups within the energy conferences to this point. This ought to be enjoyable.
Iowa State is 50.9 % from the sphere this 12 months. Keshon Gilbert leads the way in which at 16.5 factors per recreation, and Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic are each taking pictures 40 % or higher from 3-point vary. Momcilovic is coming off a career-best 24 factors in a dominant win over Colorado; he shot 56.3 % from behind the arc in Maui. T.J. Otzelberger’s group is balanced, disciplined and skilled. They rank fourth within the nation in adjusted offensive score, and are twelfth in adjusted protection.
In the meantime, Marquette is a headache on protection. The Golden Eagles are sixth in adjusted score and lead all of school basketball in steals per recreation. Stevie Mitchell and Chase Ross every common virtually three swipes per outing. In November’s monumental 18-point win over Purdue, the Golden Eagles smothered the Boilermakers into unpleasant offense — 40 % from the sphere, and 16 assists to 13 turnovers.
Kam Jones makes for a sensational watch. He has elevated his scoring output and area purpose share in every of his 4 collegiate seasons. He’s averaging virtually 20 factors on 72.2 efficient taking pictures. The beginning lineup of Mitchell, Jones, Ross, David Joplin and Ben Gold have all been at Marquette for a minimum of three seasons. That stage of continuity is nearly extraordinary in 2024.
Marquette is off to its finest begin in additional than a decade. Good gained on this constructing twice when he was with Texas. This group ought to come boosted with confidence on Wednesday.
(Photograph of Johni Broome: Mitchell Layton / Getty Photos)
