By Jonathan Lidskin
It was a quiet Monday in college basketball. Entering the night, there were no marquee games that we were all pumped to watch. Now, that doesn’t mean there weren’t any good games because as I like to say, “if you want to watch a good game in college basketball, you can find one.” However, the results weren’t super eye-popping.
Monday Recap:
St. Peter’s pushed Rutgers for 36 minutes before the Scarlet Knights closed the game on an 11-0 run to win it 75-65. Dylan Harper led the way with 24 while Rutgers was still without Ace Bailey.
Alabama kept McNeese State at arm’s length most of the night and beat the Cowboys 72-64 behind 22 points and 8 rebounds from Grant Nelson.
Purdue struggled defensively without Daniel Jacobsen but did enough on the offensive end to beat Yale 92-84. Braden Smith poured in 22 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.
It was another good night for the Atlantic Sun as North Alabama hammered UT Martin and Austin Peay took down Chattanooga.
The performance of the night went to Mizzou’s Caleb Grill who had 33 points and 9 rebounds in the Tigers' 84-77 win over Eastern Washington.
Tuesday’s Games to Watch:
Duke vs Kentucky (Champions Classic), 9:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
Kansas vs Michigan State (Champions Classic), 6:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Florida Atlantic @ UCF, 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPN+
Keys to Champions Classic Games:
In the first game between Michigan State and Kansas, the Spartans hanging around could depend on how the bigs play. That center spot has been a problem for Tom Izzo for a couple of seasons now and Hunter Dickinson poses a big threat.
For Kentucky to beat Duke, the recipe could be not just hitting threes, but shutting down the Duke guards. The Cats are likely going to be overmatched in the front court against Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach in most lineups, but if guys like Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor are constantly getting in the lane, it could be a long night for Mark Pope’s guys.