Thursday, December 1, 2011

JMU visits Liberty; Virginia, George Mason also in action

Quick hits on Thursday's games:

Indiana (2-3) at Virginia (5-2), Big Ten/ACC Challenge, 7 p.m.
The Cavaliers offense continues to be a work in progress, but we think Indiana will have an even bigger problem finding ways to score against a typically stingy Virginia defense. The ACC is counting on the Cavaliers to come through in this one. We don't think they'll let the league down. Virginia 68, Indiana 54

James Madison (4-0) at Liberty (3-3), 7 p.m.
First, a Devon Brown update. In a video on the Liberty website, coach Carey Green said that Brown, the Liberty star whose mother passed away last week, returned to school Tuesday night and will be available to play in tonight's game. Green indicated he will be in play-it-by-ear mode concerning how much Brown plays. Game pits two of the nation's top rebounding teams so far. The Lady Flames are always near the top of this list, but the Dukes are a somewhat surprising plus-11 on the boards so far (20th out of 336 Division I teams when the week began). Our sense is that this won't be a particularly aesthetically pleasing game and that the Dukes' superior athleticism will eventually carry the day. But the Lady Flames won't make things easy, particularly if can get something from Brown. JMU 64, Liberty 55

UMass (1-5) at George Mason (4-1), 7 p.m.
The Patriots have quietly fashioned a four-game winning streak thanks to a suffocating defense that ranks first in the CAA in fewest points allowed (54.6). In addition, senior guard Taleia Moton (21.3 ppg) has injected her name into the early CAA Player of the Year discussion - at least the one we have from time to time - by scoring 30 points in two of her last three games. It all seems like too much for the rebuilding Minutewomen. But if you happen to be at the game, say hello to UMass guard and former Old Dominion performer Carolann Cloutier for us. George Mason 59, UMass 51

Click here for more on Thursday's Richmond-VCU game.

2 comments:

  1. Virginia hasn't scored more than 69 points since the season opener, so I think we both may be a little high on how many they'll get tonight. But once again, we're in the same ballpark.

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