High-Major Men’s Basketball Games 11/21 – 11/24
Two in-state rivalry games and even an in-city contest spotlight the agenda as the high-major teams continue the non-league schedule before conference play gets underway. Of particular interest is the game between Milwaukee and Michigan State, which could be closer than some people think and could even be an upset special despite the fact it’s being played in East Lansing.
MASSACHUSETTS AT BOSTON COLLEGE (7 p.m. Monday at Silvio O. Conte Forum in Boston, Massachusetts)
An in-state rivalry between Atlantic-10 and Atlantic Coast Conference teams, this contest is a rivalry game that kicks off the high-major week. Boston College split its first two games, beating New Hampshire by three points (67-64) before losing 86-64 to Holy Cross. Leading scorer Patrick Heckmann was sidelined due to a sprained ankle in the Holy Cross game, leaving Jordan Daniels to score 15 points and John Cahill to add 13 in the losing effort. The Minutemen are averaging over 82 points a game in victories over Elon, Northeastern and NJIT, with sophomore guard Chaz Williams leading the way at 17.7 points per contest.
CANISIUS AT BUFFALO (7 p.m. Tuesday at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, New York)
Not only is this game an in-state rivalry, it is also an in-city contest. Two of Buffalo’s universities meet up in a grudge match. Buffalo, a member of the Mid-American Conference, dropped to 2-1 overall following victories over St. Peter’s and Cornell and a loss to Princeton. In that 61-53 loss to Princeton, Javon McCrea led the way with 19 points. Canisius, which belongs to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, has an 87-83 win over Longwood sandwiched between losses to James Madison and UNLV. Canisius only lost by nine points to James Madison, however, so things haven’t been as disastrous as they looked early in the Golden Griffins’ 1-2 season. Harold Washington leads the way at 21 points per game.
CAL POLY AT UNLV (10:30 p.m. Tuesday at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada)
So far UNLV hasn’t lost, as the Runnin Rebels are off to a 4-0 start. All indications are the team could celebrate Thanksgiving by going 5-0, but the team has to win this interstate matchup before that could happen. Cal Poly, members of the Big West Conference, is fed by Will Taylor’s 11 points and eight rebounds per game, but the team is off to a 2-1 start. The last win admittedly came against a struggling USC squad, 42-36, but any win against a Pac-12 school is one to celebrate. Justin Hawkins averages 17.3 points per game for the Runnin Rebels, and Mike Moser’s double-double of 14.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game is also quite potent. In the last two wins over Canisius and Morgan State, UNLV has scored over 90 points per game.
MILWAUKEE AT MICHIGAN STATE (7 p.m. Wednesday at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan)
It has been a strong start for Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as the Horizon League members are off to a 4-0 start that includes wins over Southwest State (Minn.), Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis (IUPUI), Texas Southern and Northern Illinois. Ryan Allen leads the Panthers at 13.3 points per game, and James Haarsma has 11.7 points and 12 rebounds a contest. Even with that balanced scoring, Milwaukee will likely run into problems with Michigan State, which is up to 2-2 following early losses to North Carolina and Duke and wins over Texas Southern and Arkansas-Little Rock. Draymond Green leads the way at 11.7 points and 12 rebounds a game.
IUPUI AT BALL STATE (7 p.m. Wednesday at John E. Worthen Arena in Muncie, Indiana)
The two teams’ records may not be exciting, but it is an “Interstate 69” rivalry, so to speak. Only an hour’s drive separates Muncie from Indianapolis, and the records don’t separate these teams by far. The Jaguars, who belong to the Summit League, are on a three-game losing streak following a win over Anderson (Ind.) in another in-state rivalry game. Alex Young has 14.7 points and 5.3 rebounds to lead IUPUI. Ball State only lost to Arizona by 10 points and fell by seven points against Indiana State, so the Cardinals might be onto something soon if they can keep up the close games. Jarrod Jones leads the way at 16 points and 8.5 boards per game.
Men's Basketball Games of the Week and Tournament Breakdowns
