College hoops previews: NU, Illini, DePaul, NIU
Stanford (5-4) at Northwestern (8-1)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena
TV: BTN Radio: WGN 720-AM
Skinny: The Cardinal is one of the obstacles Northwestern failed to climb the last two seasons. In order to get over the top today, the Wildcats must solve 6-foot-7, 210-pound senior forward Landry Fields. He's averaging 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. Stanford's record might not look great, but Kentucky needed overtime to win on Nov. 25 in Cancun, Mexico. Northwestern, which seeks its eighth win in a row, has made headlines lately with its 3-point-shooting prowess, but the team's secret is defense. The Wildcats are holding opponents to 38 percent shooting overall and 28 percent from 3-point range.
Illinois (8-2) vs. Georgia (4-4)
When: 6 p.m. Saturday at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga.
TV: ESPNU Radio: WIND 560-AM
Skinny: The Illini smacked around the Bulldogs 76-42 last December at the United Center, but Georgia's young nucleus is a year older and it has a new coach who should be familiar to Illinois fans. When Mark Fox was at Nevada, he didn't offer the usual bouquet of compliments as the 2004-05 Illini squad knocked off his Wolfpack in the second round en route to the NCAA final. Sophomore power forward Trey Thompkins remains a beast for the 'Dogs. He's producing 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. As for the Illini, this "neutral" contest after a week off for final exams kicks off a crucial four-game set. Illinois faces Missouri on Wednesday in St. Louis, then Northwestern (Dec. 30) and Gonzaga (Jan. 2 at the UC) are next on the docket. Are freshman guards Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson ready for the spotlight to heat up?
Texas State (3-7) at DePaul (6-4)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday at Allstate Arena
Audio: depaulbluedemons.com
Skinny: After Wednesday's home loss to American University, the Blue Demons know they have to scrap and play intelligently from the start in order to earn wins. The Bobcats don't have an attractive record, but they've faced the likes of No. 2 Texas and Arizona State on the road. They're allowing opponents to shoot 44 percent from 3-point range, which isn't one of DePaul's specialties. Senior guard Will Walker has been asked to do the lion's share of offensive work with Mac Koshwal out, so maybe he'll have to put up 12 to 15 3-pointers today to get DePaul going in the right direction.
Northern Illinois (1-6) at UIC (2-6)
When: 3 p.m. Saturday at UIC Pavilion
Net TV: horizonleaguenetwork.tv
Radio: WMVP 1000-AM, WLBK 1360-AM
Skinny: UIC wants to take advantage of its win over Oregon State on Wednesday - the Flames' first over a Pac-10 school. If you walk up to the ticket office and say "We Beat The Beavers" as you buy two seats, then you get a free blanket or scarf. It's not known how much NIU would bid for a win today, but surely it's more than a blanket or scarf in order to shed its four-game losing streak. The Huskies turned over the ball way too often against Minnesota on Tuesday, though the Gophers rank among the nation's best defensive teams. Junior forward Xavier Silas should be more in the flow after shooting 4 of 15 in 22 minutes at Minnesota.