Friday Night Preview

Well Thanksgiving is next week which means that all across the country preseason tournaments are in full swing. With that in mind here is a look at some of tonight's most intriguing match ups.

Illinois-Chicago vs. Winthrop
I love mid-major basketball, and this pairing of the Big South against the Horizon League should make for a great game. Winthrop has had a strangle hold on their conference for years, and are led by a trio of seniors, including tiny guard Chris Gaynor who put up 17 points in the Eagles season opening win over Queens NC.
Illinois-Chicago is going to be fun to watch this season due in large part to another guard, Josh Mayo. The 5'10" senior has averages of 23.5 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in his first two games. His 34 point performance on 11-17 shooting against Bradley was very impressive as the Flames won their season opener.

#18 Arkansas vs. Providence
The Razorbacks have had a an easy time to start the season, winning their first two games over Wofford and the College of Charleston by 22 and 27 points respectively. Dynamic sophomore guard Patrick Beverley has picked up where he left off last season, posting averages of 15.5 points and 6 rebounds in his first two games. Senior Steven Hill has not been seeing much time in the post after many thought he would make the leap from role player to impact player this season.
The Friars escaped with a 66-64 win over Temple yesterday, and without a ton of talented size, they will likely struggle with Arkansas.

Gardner-Webb vs. Oklahoma
Could the Runnin' Bulldogs pick up another win against a BCS conference team? Don't count out the possibility. Despite dropping their first game of the season to UConn last night 78-66, Gardner-Webb has still be getting great production out of their top players. Sophomore Grayson Flittner has impressed, putting up 18 points per game in his first four contests, while undersized senior forward Thomas Sanders has been a monster, averaging 18 points and nearly 12 rebounds thus far.
The Sooners however did look solid in a 10 point loss to Memphis last night. If Oklahoma can slow down the pace of the game they should be able to hold off the 'Dogs.

#3 Memphis vs. UConn
This is the marquee game for Friday night. The Tigers have looked every bit a national title contender thus far thanks to stellar play by freshman phenom Derrick Rose and backcourt running mate Chris Douglas-Roberts. Of course the fact that Joey Dorsey has been a man possessed on the boards doesn't hurt matters either.
After struggling with Morgan State on opening night, the Huskies have picked up their play in their next two games. Jerome Dyson and A.J. Price have been pacing UConn in the backcourt, while junior Jeff Adrien has been averaging close to a double-double inside. A big key in this one will be the play of 7'3" Hasheem Thabeet who certainly has the capability of slowing down Memphis's frontcourt, but it wont be easy.