Back on November 17, there was a 24-hour marathon of college hoops that I was silly enough to stay up for. To close out the year, and the decade we can’t seem to figure out a name for (I vote for the Noughties, the name of choice across the Atlantic), there will be a mini-marathon, stretching from noon to midnight on the East Coast.
New Year’s Eve Hoops Day Shift: Big Ten Doubleheader, Volunteer State Rivalry
This one should be a little easier to sit through, as conference matchups and some intriguing non-league battles highlight the 12 hours. If you need one, the 6 p.m. Eastern window gives you a bit of a break, thanks to one of the biggest mismatches of the season.
I’ll have more on that one later this afternoon when I look at the evening games. In the meantime, here’s more on the Big Ten twin bill and in-state battle you have to look forward to during the afternoon.
- Disappointing Michigan visits Indiana in the Big Ten opener for both. It will be the first game for the Hoosiers after the loss of star freshman Maurice Creek to a broken kneecap. Head to SB Nation's Wolverine blog, Maize N Brew, and Hoosier site, The Crimson Quarry, for more on this one.
- The second Big Ten game of the day should be a real battle, as 15th-ranked Ohio State, a team still missing All-America candidate Evan Turner, visits Wisconsin. The Badgers already own a home win over Duke. Our brand new Buckeye blog, The Buckeye Battle Cry, and Wisconsin site, Bucky's 5th Quarter will have full coverage of this big tilt.
- John Calipari left Memphis to be an even bigger thorn in Bruce Pearl's side up in Lexington. But the rivalry between Pearl's 14th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers and Josh Pastner's Tigers continues this afternoon. Interesting note, both of Memphis' losses -- against top-ranked Kansas in St. Louis and Massachusetts in Boston -- have come on national TV, each time by a single bucket. SB Nation's Vols blog, Rocky Top Talk, will have more on this one.
Here’s all the information you’ll need to follow and discuss these three games here on SB Nation.
FINAL: Indiana 71, Michigan 65
No Maurice Creek, no problem. The Hoosiers still topped struggling Michigan in their Big Ten opener.
Wolverine game preview and discussion at Maize N Brew
Hoosier game preview and discussion at The Crimson Quarry
FINAL: Wisconsin 65, No. 15 Ohio State 43
The Badgers dominated the Buckeyes to grab their first Big Ten win of the season.
Buckeye game preview and discussion at The Buckeye Battle Cry
Badger game preview and discussion at Bucky's 5th Quarter
FINAL: No. 14 Tennessee 66, Memphis 59
The Volunteers snapped the Tigers 23-game home win streak with an impressive performance.
Volunteer game preview and discussion at Rocky Top Talk
Head on over to Blogging the Bracket for a rundown of today’s other televised games.
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