The preseason tournament schedule rolls on Tuesday, and in terms of watchability, it'll be hard to beat a matchup between the No. 7 Oklahoma State Cowboys and No. 11 Memphis Tigers in the Old Spice Classic.
College basketball schedule: Memphis, Oklahoma State featured in top-25 clash
Louisville, Kansas and Kentucky are in action Tuesday, but an Old Spice Classic battle between No. 11 Memphis and No. 7 Oklahoma State is the game to watch.
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Old Spice Classic
No. 11 Memphis vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State, ESPN (8 p.m. ET)
A battle of top-15 schools will be the first challenge for both teams. Josh Pastner’s Tigers have only played one game thus far, and the 95-69 against Austin Peay wasn’t much of a test as Memphis’ wealth of guards led by Joe Jackson displayed a balanced attack. Oklahoma State is 3-0 but in the same position -- none of the opponents have been much of a match for the Cowboys.
Marcus Smart returned to Stillwater, Okla., for his sophomore season despite being considered a top-5 draft pick, and he's struggling so far in the scoring department. But it hasn't mattered with sophomore guard Phil Forte averaging 21 points per game while Markel Brown and Le'Bryan Nash are steadily scoring in double-figures as well.
Hall of Fame Tip-Off
Hartford vs. No. 3 Louisville, ESPN3 (7 p.m. ET)
The 2-2 Hartford Hawks are coming off a 74-60 victory against a regrouping Fairleigh Dickinson squad and have losses to Quinnipiac and Florida Gulf Coast on the season. The Cardinals are the heavy favorites and fresh off a 45-point shellacking of Cornell. At 3-0, coach Rick Pitino's squad hasn't won by less than 22 points in three games thus far. Russ Smith is averaging 20.3 points and five assists, while four other Cardinals are averaging double-figures.
NIT Season Tip-Off
East Carolina vs. No. 6 Duke, ESPNU (6 p.m.)
After putting away UNC-Asheville on Monday, the Blue Devils advance to the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament against East Carolina, which barely snuck by Norfolk State on Monday by a score of 76-74. Duke will need its traditionally aggressive ball pressure to disrupt guard Akeem Richmond, the 6-foot senior who is averaging 16.1 points per game and hitting 38 percent from three-point range.
The Pirates will of course have to deal with Duke's defense and related transition opportunities. Dealing with freshman Jabari Parker is no easy task.
Rhode Island vs. No. 5 Arizona, ESPNU (11 p.m. ET)
Arizona's defense squashed an early threat from Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off, and the Wildcats will present the same defensive issues for Rhode Island. The Rams had trouble holding off Division II power Metro State in advancing to face Sean Miller's team that features freshman Aaron Gordon.
Other games to watch
Iona vs. No. 2 Kansas, ESPN3 (8 p.m. ET)
Iona might be the underdogs, but Tim Cluess' team likes to run, which at the least means Andrew Wiggins and the Jayhawks will also be finding themselves in the open court.
Texas-Arlington vs. No. 4 Kentucky, ESPN3 (7:30 p.m. ET)
The Wildcats rebounded from a loss to now-No. 1 Michigan State by blasting Robert Morris on Sunday. Freshman guard Aaron Harrison stole the show in that one, exploding for 28 points by hitting four threes and knocking down all 10 of his free throws.
Vanderbilt vs. Butler, Fox Sports 1 (6 p.m. ET)
After losing head coach Brad Stevens to the Boston Celtics, the Butler Bulldogs are 2-0 with wins against Lamar and Princeton thus far. Vandy is likewise 2-0 with victories against Lipscomb and Georgia State.
Bucknell vs. St. John’s, Fox Sports 1 (8:30 p.m. ET)
Already battle-tested with a season-opening loss to Wisconsin, St. John’s is off to a 1-1 start. Bucknell will be forced to find a defensive answer for Red Storm guard D’Angelo Harrison, who has scored 27 and 25 points in his first two games.
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