The Guru NCAW Report: Penn State, the Single Local on Saturday Tries to Even Big Ten Record; Saint Joseph’s Host VCU Sunday in First of Two A-10 Top Tier Games This Week

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

As we move to ramping back up following a long break of no action for the first of the two big year-ending holidays, all but one local has one more day of scoreboard quiet and then combined with the nationals beginning Saturday its night after night of primarily conference action all the way into March Madness.

Some non-conference games are still wrapping up this weekend.

The Big Ten has several games Saturday, including Penn State, which opens at Minnesota at 4 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

At 2 p.m. Wisconsin will be at Indiana at 2 p.m. on the BTN, and at 3 p.m. new member Oregon will be at Illinois.

While some previews of the rest of the season and the mega growth after the demise for now of the PAC-12 name, one thing that didn’t get mention was the bottom three teams of the Big Ten and ACC have been cut from the playoffs, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has downsized its post season tourney in Atlantic City.

Maybe in some future universe, like the teams that miss the WNBA field, they’ll get lottery picks for drafting from the high school ranks and transfer portal.

Other Saturday games of note in the Big East Creighton is at St. Johns while at noon unbeaten Buffalo in a non-league game will be at Northeast Conference newcomer Le Moyne, which is upgrading to Division I.

The last of the zillion MTE events from mid-November and just before the break on the weekend can be found at NEC favorite Fairleigh Dickinson will host Maine at 4 p.m. after Coppin State plays Bryant at 1:30 p.m.

On Sunday it will be heavy duty local with games occurring at the same time and the national slate is big also.

Saint Joseph’s opens A-10 at home 2 p.m. hosting VCU and later in the week goes to George Mason, both top tier games in the conference.

All games are at 2 p.m. except Temple. At 3 p.m., opening American play at UAB.

Ivy contender Princeton out of league hosts C-USA favorite Middle Tennessee at Jadwin Gym, a win might be helpful on Selection Sunday if the traditional auto bid has been claimed elsewhere.

Rutgers hosts No. 10 Ohio State in the Big Ten, La Salle, which picked up an early A-10 win recently hosts George Washington at John Glaser Arena; Lehigh in non-conference play hosts Misericordia at Stabler Arena in Easton, and Drexel hosts Lebanon Valley in the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Nationally, on Day 2 FDU hosts Bryant at 3:30 p.m. after Coppin State plays Maine at 1 p.m.

In the next report we’ll give you the rest of Sunday’s highlight games.