From Monday to Thursday on the college basketball schedule, I’ve got you covered. That pun was unintended, of course, because these weekday picks are for entertainment purposes only.
Last week I was stunned by George Washington and Tulsa knocking off top-10-ranked teams Virginia and Wichita State, respectively. This week I think I’ve learned my lesson.
With that, I present my winners (all times ET):
No. 23 LSU vs. Marquette (Brooklyn, New York), 7 p.m. Monday, ESPN2:
Two of the nation’s best and most versatile freshmen square off when LSU’s Ben Simmons and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson meet in the Legends Classic. Both are power forwards with games that aren’t limited to post play and rebounding. The Tigers have better talent surrounding Simmons, including freshmen Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Sampson.
Prediction: LSU 77, Marquette 69.
Chattanooga at No. 7 Iowa State (Ames, Iowa), 8 p.m. Monday:
The Mocs under new coach Matt McCall have already knocked off Georgia and Illinois away from home, but they face a much bigger challenge in Iowa State. Chattanooga, the preseason pick to win the Southern Conference, has the experience to make it a tough game. But the Cyclones won’t get caught slipping at home.
Prediction: Iowa State 80, Chattanooga 71.
Northwestern vs. No. 1 North Carolina (Kansas City, Missouri), 9:30 p.m. Monday, ESPN2:
The Tar Heels can add Saturday’s loss at Northern Iowa to a dubious list they have posted of second-half leads they've lost, a list that goes back to last season. How they bounce back from the loss could indicate how they will proceed. Will they be the same up-and-down Heels from the past two seasons? Monday's game is another manifestation of the Duke-Carolina rivalry, as Northwestern coach Chris Collins faced the Heels as both a player and assistant coach for the Blue Devils.
Prediction: North Carolina 85, Northwestern 70.
UNLV vs. UCLA (Maui, Hawaii), 11:30 p.m. Monday, ESPN2:
The Maui Invitational will provide the first national audience for UNLV’s 7-foot freshman center Stephen Zimmerman. He could have played almost anywhere, but he chose to stay in Vegas, where he played four years at Bishop Gorman High School. Zimmerman will battle a UCLA lineup that has plenty of size, including 7-foot sophomore Thomas Welsh and 6-foot-9, 260-pound senior Tony Parker, who averages 16.7 points and 16.0 rebounds.
Prediction: UCLA 69, UNLV 65
Valparaiso at Oregon State (Corvallis, Oregon), 9 p.m. Tuesday, Pac-12 Network:
The Beavers are off to just their second 4-0 start since 2000 and, to their credit, have collected two road wins in doing so. Gary Payton II needs one steal in his next two games to tie his father’s school record for most consecutive games at 37. Valpo gave Oregon all it wanted before suffering a six-point loss. The Crusaders are ranked 10th in defensive efficiency, according to college basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy.
Prediction: Valpo 67, Oregon State 66.
No. 8 Gonzaga vs. Washington (Nassau, Bahamas), noon Wednesday, ESPN2:
The Bulldogs and Huskies haven’t squared up since 2006. It’s also the first time since the series began in 1910 that the teams will play on a neutral court. Washington brings a lot of young talent to the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Zags, winners of eight of the past nine games in the series, bring arguably the best frontcourt led by senior forward Kyle Wiltjer. Washington is just 4-10 all time against the No. 8-ranked team in the nation.
Prediction: Gonzaga 82, Washington 73.
Texas vs. Texas A&M (Nassau, Bahamas), 7 p.m. Wednesday:
The Longhorns and Aggies will renew their rivalry for the first time since A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC before the 2012-13 season. Texas has played only two games thanks in part to its season-opening loss to Washington in China. New coach Shaka Smart is figuring out what kind of team he has. The Aggies may be a top-25-worthy team but haven’t played a tough enough opponent to prove it. That'll change in the Bahamas.
Prediction: Texas 79, Texas A&M 76;.
No. 19 Connecticut vs. No. 24 Michigan (Nassau, Bahamas), 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, AXS:
The Wolverines were embarrassed at home in an 86-70 loss to Xavier in which they were outrebounded 47-29. Led by 6-foot-7 guard Daniel Hamilton, UConn can hurt Michigan in the same way on the boards. Hamilton leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game and 19 assists. Michigan has to find a way to supplement Caris LeVert's scoring.
Prediction: UConn 78, Michigan 72.
Richmond vs. West Virginia (Las Vegas), 5 p.m. Thursday:
The Atlantic 10 as a whole has gotten off to a pretty good start this season. Richmond made up for its stumble against James Madison at home by beating Wake Forest on the road. The Spiders might have a tough time entangling the Mountaineers in their web. West Virginia is again producing turnovers at a high rate, although it's at risk of again being too reliant on its defense to generate offense.
Prediction: West Virginia 70, Richmond 62.
No. 15 California vs. San Diego State (Las Vegas), 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Fox Sports 1:
The game will be Cal’s first of the season away from home, meaning its talented freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb will have to adjust to life on the road. The Aztecs played Utah tough in a loss but generated only 43 points in a home loss to Arkansas-Little Rock.
Prediction: California 62, San Diego State 55.
Last week’s predictions record: 7-3
Season record: 7-3
