Category: NCAA Basketball

After playing its shortest turnaround of the season, Duke had its longest break of the season. The Blue Devils come out of their final exams break with Tuesday night’s game against George Mason. It’s the first game in a week for Duke, which played at Louisville on Dec. 8 and came back to Durham for a game that tipped off within 48 hours of the ACC opener, beating Incarnate Word on Dec. 10.

The Volunteers received 50 first-place votes from the national media panel after improving to 10-0 for only the fifth time in school history. Auburn picked up nine first-place votes from last week and had 12 total.

A decade ago, the SEC was a football-first conference. Today, it is unquestionably the strongest basketball conference in the country.

Michigan basketball lost a close game to unranked Arkansas in New York and was hurt in the college basketball top 25 rankings. Spartans did not play.

The Arkansas Razorbacks (9-2 0-0 SEC) remained unranked in the latest AP College Basketball Top 25 released Monday. Despite a primetime win over then-No. 14 Michigan last Tuesday and an 82-57 rout of Central Arkansas on Saturday, the Hogs still don't have a number by their name.

The Huskies, after their meltdown in Hawaii, have now won four straight and seem back on track entering Big East play.

Tennessee held onto No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the second consecutive week, though No. 2 Auburn closed the gap as the top five remained unchanged in the men's college basketball poll Monday. The Volunteers received 50 first-place votes from the national media panel after wins over Miami and Illinois pushed coach Rick Barnes' program to 10-0 for only the fifth time in school history. Auburn picked up nine first-place votes from last week and had 12 total.

Tennessee avoided an upset and remained No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll, but the rest of the top 10 got shuffled with losses.

There's nothing wrong with a little self improvement and that's exactly what this week will be about for Michigan basketball.

Western Carolina Catamounts (3-6) at Tennessee Volunteers (10-0) Knoxville, Tennessee; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: No. Tennessee faces Western Carolina after Jordan Gainey scored 23 points in Tennessee's 66-64 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Seton Hall Pirates (5-6) at Villanova Wildcats (7-4) Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Villanova faces Seton Hall after Eric Dixon scored 27 points in Villanova's 86-72 win over the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. The Wildcats have gone 6-1 at home.

Drake Bulldogs (9-0, 1-0 MVC) vs. Kansas State Wildcats (6-3) Kansas City, Missouri; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Drake and Kansas State square off in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wildcats have a 6-3 record in non-conference games.

Missouri State Bears (6-3) at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (1-6) Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Monday, 12 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Missouri State takes on Southeast Missouri State for a Division 1 Division matchup Monday. The Redhawks are 1-1 on their home court.

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (4-6) at Western Illinois Leathernecks (6-5) Macomb, Illinois; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Western Illinois faces Tennessee Tech after Marko Maletic scored 24 points in Western Illinois' 89-66 loss to the South Dakota Coyotes. The Leathernecks have gone 4-1 at home.

George Mason Patriots (7-3) at Duke Blue Devils (8-2, 1-0 ACC) Durham, North Carolina; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: No. Duke hosts George Mason aiming to extend its four-game home winning streak.