On The Menu: December 19, 2015

Game information courtesy Matt College Sports on TV Website, which has even more games listed.

All times listed are Eastern, adjust accordingly.

Lunch Highlights

Wichita State Shockers at Seton Hall Pirates, 12 p.m. (FOX)

One week ago, the Shockers handled Utah, and now look to be back on track with Fred Van Vleet back on the floor. They'll look to hand the Pirates, off to a decent 8-2 start, their first host loss of the season.

Utah Utes vs. No. 7 Duke Blue Devils, 12 p.m. (ESPN)

The Utes season ended with a six-point loss to the Blue Devils in the Sweet Sixteen, and that score didn't truly reflect Duke's domination. Today, Utah will attempt to gain a bit of revenge for that loss and to grab a much needed marquee win in the process.

No. 12 Villanova Wildcats at No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers, 12 p.m. (ESPN2)

Such is the power of Duke that this matchup between two of KenPom's top four is relegated to ESPN2. Both squads have been particularly good at limiting their opponents offensively—other than in their respective losses to Oklahoma and George Washington, with Nova's weakness in scoring from the perimeter looking like a difference-maker.

Auburn Tigers at No. 10 Xavier Musketeers, 12 p.m. (FS1)

This one could get ugly for the visitors early.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at No. 19 Louisville Cardinals, 12 p.m. (ESPNU)

See above.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Georgia Bulldogs, 12 p.m. (SEC Network)

The basketball edition of "Clean, Old Fashioned Hate" sees Tech heading to Athens aiming to win their fourth straight—and they looked impressive in topping VCU on Tuesday—while the hosts have yet to defeat a power conference foe this season.

No. 1 Michigan State Spartans at Northeastern Huskies, 12:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

This contest, part of MSU athletic director Mark Hollis' efforts to get the Spartans men's and women's hoops teams and ice hockey teams to all play at historic Matthews Arena this weekend is the most unlikely road game for a top-ranked team since Virginia visited Chaminade back in 1982.

CBS Sports Classic

No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 22 UCLA Bruins, 1 p.m. (CBS)

The Bruins head to Brooklyn as the winners of five straight, but will they be able to stop the Tar Heels, especially as UNC will be motivated after dropping their last game away from Chapel Hill, last Saturday's two-point loss at the buzzer in Austin.

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats, approx. 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Game two at the Barclays Center could be as much of a blowout as UK's win over UCLA in this event last December.

Crossroads Classic

Indiana Hoosiers vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Fighting Irish can sweep the Big Ten's "I" schools with a win in Indianapolis this afternoon, but the Hoosiers badly need a quality non-conference win right now. Victories over Creighton and St. John's probably won't cut it.

No. 17 Butler Bulldogs vs. No. 9 Purdue Boilermakers, 5 p.m. (BTN)

The Bulldogs' prolific offense will be challenged by the top defense in KenPom's efficiency rankings, as well as the Boilermakers' intimidating front line.

Other Afternoon Snacks

Northwestern Wildcats at DePaul Blue Demons, 2 p.m. (FS1)

Considering the Blue Demons lost by 22 to Little Rock the last time they took the floor in Rosemont, the Wildcats have a good chance at claiming Chicagoland bragging rights this afternoon.

Creighton Bluejays at No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners, 2 p.m. (ESPNU)

Last November, the Bluejays stunned the Sooners in Omaha, one of the few highlights of a poor season. Don't look for them to repeat the feat in Norman this afternoon.

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles at LSU Tigers, 2 p.m. (SEC Network)

The Summit contenders are another potentially dangerous opponent for Ben Simmons and the Bayou Bengals.

No. 23 Cincinnati Bearcats at VCU Rams, 4 p.m. (CBSSN)

Just one day shy of a year ago, the Rams blew out the Bearcats by 21 in the Queen City. Cincy is poised to return the favor today, which would extend VCU's losing streak to three.

Colorado State Rams vs. Kansas State Wildcats at Wichita, 4 p.m. (FS Kansas City/ESPN3)

The Rams haven't defeated a Division I foe since topping Portland in the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic semifinals on Black Friday. They'll struggle to end that streak against a Wildcat team that's better than expected.

Big Four Classic

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Drake Bulldogs, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

The 4-6 Bulldogs will likely drop their fourth in a row as they take on a Hawkeye team still seething over its December 10th collapse at Iowa State.

Northern Iowa Panthers vs. No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones, approx. 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

If the Panthers' defense was at last year's level, they'd have a chance to pull the upset. However, the Cyclones are in position to romp.

Orange Bowl Classic

Florida Atlantic Owls vs. Florida State Seminoles, 5 p.m. (select FSN outlets)

The Owls, who have one win against Division I opposition, shouldn't trouble the Seminoles.

Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Florida Gators, 8 p.m. (FS1/FS Florida)

The Gators have dropped two in a row, though their defense kept them in last Saturday's loss at Michigan State until almost the end. The question is whether they can score enough to topple the Cowboys in front of what should be a friendlier crowd.

The Dessert Cart

No. 16 Baylor Bears at No. 24 Texas A&M Aggies, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

The Bears defeated the Aggies 77-63 last December in Waco. With both teams likely NCAA contenders, tonight's meeting should be even more exciting. Billy Kennedy's Aggies are looking for their third win over a former conference foe this season, as they defeated Texas in the Bahamas and Kansas State last Saturday at Reed Arena.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels at No. 13 Arizona Wildcats, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

On Wednesday, Arizona State rolled past the Rebels at Thomas & Mack. They'll be challenged to earn a Cactus State split by a Wildcat team that's really clamped down on the defensive end of late.

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs at Seattle, 11 p.m. (ESPNU)

The Bulldogs look to win for the first time in three Saturdays, with home losses to Arizona and UCLA responsible for their fall from the Top 25.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Oregon State Beavers at Portland, 11 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks National and Oregon)

Circle this one for potential bubble implications, though both teams will likely need more than a win tonight to have a chance on Selection Sunday.

Texas Longhorns at Stanford Cardinal, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Cardinal topped the Longhorns after overtime last season in Austin. If Stanford can complete the series sweep in Maples tonight, it will have its best win of the season by far.

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