Despite what the national media might have you believe, last night was actually a really solid night of hoops! My daily scoreboard has the key results on X, but we had tight games, upsets, and a buzzer-beater.
METHODOLOGY
Each game is assigned a Power Rating (1–5):
5️⃣ Must-Watch
National-impact game; typically Q1 vs. Q1.
4️⃣ High-Level Matchup
Strong game with postseason or résumé relevance.
3️⃣ Notable/Competitive
High quality mid-major matchup and/or decent high-major game
2️⃣ Worth Monitoring
Intrigue, rivalry angle, or stylistic fun; Typically the solid mid-major matchups will go here.
1️⃣ Minimal Impact
Not a major bracket game, but includes a fun storyline or a mid/low major game of interest
High-Profile/High-Major Games Tonight:
5️⃣ Game of the Night: Louisville @ Tennessee! UT is favored by 1.5 per DraftKings and 1 per KenPom. I expect this one to feature a ton of points, as the 158.5 total indicates. It’s a key matchup for both teams and likely a Q1A win for the victor. 7:00 PM on ESPN!
3️⃣Big East play continues with a couple of solid matchups:
- DePaul @ St. John’s (at Carnesecca Arena), 7:00 PM on Peacock! I expect SJU to handle business at home.
- Butler @ UConn (at PeoplesBank Arena), 8:30 PM on Peacock! Again, I see the home team rolling here.
2️⃣Toledo @ Michigan State (at Breslin Center), 6:30 PM on Peacock! I expect the Spartans to win easily. I love these fun regional matchups!
2️⃣Duke, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Arizona, BYU, Arkansas, and Kansas are all playing buy games tonight and should win big.
3️⃣ Florida State @ Dayton! After a disappointing weekend loss to UMass, the Seminoles travel to battle the Flyers. Dayton is favored by 6.5 and will look to snag a high-major win at home.
4️⃣ South Carolina @ Clemson | 7:00 PM on ESPN2 | As I often say, I love a good rivalry matchup—this one’s a battle for the Palmetto State! Clemson is favored by 12.5, and I like them to pull away. A win here for South Carolina would be monumental, not just for them but for the SEC as a whole.
Under-the-Radar Matchups:
3️⃣ UC San Diego @ Loyola Marymount | 11:30 PM on ESPN+ | This is an amazing non-conference matchup. If you’re into mid-major or West Coast games, this one’s for you!
4️⃣ Miami @ Wright State (at Nutter Center in Dayton) | 7:00 PM on ESPN+ | One of the last remaining unbeaten travels to an in-state rival in what promises to be a fun one! If Miami wins, they’ll likely be undefeated heading into their matchup @ Bowling Green on 12/30. NKY will be in attendance for this one—excited for my first trip to the Nutter Center!
2️⃣Oral Roberts @ Missouri State | 8:00 PM on ESPN+ | This is a sneaky-good mid-major matchup that should be close if that’s your vibe!
2️⃣Upset Alert: Marist @ Georgia Tech—Tech is favored by just 6.5!
Tonight will provide us with some amazing opportunities to see some teams prove it a bit. As I mentioned, I will be in attendance for the Miami/Wright State game in Dayton, but will be monitoring all of the games on this list, and will try to catch what I can from the UT/UofL game!