Conference play gets its jumpstart this week with several great matchups, which, because the last couple weeks have been a bit of a dry spell in terms of big games, should make fans very excited. The highlight of this week should be Illinois traveling to Purdue to take on the Boilermakers. Along with that showdown, there are some other serious conference play clashes to look forward to.
Wednesday, Jan. 3: No. 16 Clemson at Miami; 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
The first high-quality matchup of the week features Clemson taking the trip to South Beach to take on Miami. The Tigers enter the matchup as a one-loss team, with that lone defeat coming on the road at Memphis. They are led by P.J. Hall, who averages over 20 points per game. His complements include the veteran Joseph Girard III and the big man Ian Schieffelin. Miami comes in as a two-loss squad, with those coming to Kentucky and Colorado. They are led by Nijel Pack and Norchad Omier, two of the biggest stars in the ACC. These two teams should both be at the top of the league when the season starts to wind down, so this one should be very important for ACC seeding. Because of all that, this one, which Clemson is slightly favored in, should be one to watch.
Friday, Jan. 5: No. 9 Illinois at No. 1 Purdue; 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1
As for this week's “game of the week,” this one is definitely the frontrunner, and for good reason. A top-10 conference matchup is always something to look forward to, which makes this clash between Purdue and Illinois all the more exciting. Purdue boasts the No. 1 team in the land, led by Zach Edey, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith. They seem like they may be unbeatable at home, where they are for this game, but Illinois has a great team that could possibly pull off the upset. The Illini are led by Marcus Domask, Coleman Hawkins and Dain Dainja, and are required to take on more of a leadership role with their star, Terrence Shannon Jr. out with legal issues. Despite this setback, the Illini are poised to shock the Big Ten world and beat the top-ranked Boilermakers on the road, in a game that is definitely one to keep your eye on.
Saturday, Jan. 6: No. 8 North Carolina at No. 16 Clemson; Noon ET on ESPN2
Another big game this week features the 16th-ranked Clemson Tigers, at home against UNC. This game becomes all the more interesting if the Tigers beat Miami on Wednesday, but if not this one is still an interesting matchup. Since the Tigers’ impact players were already mentioned in the Miami game rundown, we’ll jump straight to the Tar Heels. They are led by R.J. Davis. Harrison Ingram and Armando Bacot, all of which have All-ACC potential. Since the game is at Clemson, the likelihood of an upset is high, as the Tigers’ crowd should be rocking for the top-10 Tar Heels’ visit. All in all, this should be a good matchup, one that UNC is favored in, but one where Clemson is hungry for the upset.
Saturday, Jan. 6: No. 23 Providence at Creighton; 2 p.m. ET on FS1
A ranked Big East matchup tips off on Saturday, as Providence travels to Creighton to take on the BlueJays. Providence has just two losses on the season, while Creighton comes into the game with four. The Friars already have a marquee conference win against Marquette, and are looking for another one here in Omaha. They are led by Bryce Hopkins and Devin Carter, both of whom are looking like All-Big East type players. They go up against the leaders for Creighton, Baylor Scheierman, Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner. These three should be the difference, as Creighton is favored in this one, but don’t be surprised if the Friars pull off the upset.
Saturday, Jan. 6: No. 22 Ole Miss at No. 5 Tennessee; 6 p.m. ET on SECN
The undefeated Ole Miss Rebels will finally be tested when they travel to Knoxville to take on the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. These Rebels are one of only three remaining unbeatens, which has Ole Miss ranked in the polls. They are led by Matthew Murrell, Allen Flanigan and Jaylen Murray. While the Rebs don’t have a loss, the experts overwhelmingly pick them to get their first one here because of the competition. Despite the three losses, the Vols are seriously good and are led by Dalton Knecht, Jonas Audio and Zakai Ziegler. Especially at home, this Tennessee team will be hard to beat, which should make for a tough test for Ole Miss. Because of all this, all eyes should be on this clash come Saturday night.
Elms' Essentials: Week 12
