Men: Michigan State at PSU

SATURDAY

Tipoff: Noon, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park

Records: Michigan State (8-1, Big Ten 1-0); Penn State (8-2, Big Ten 0-1)

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: ESPN Radio 1370 & 103.7-FM State College

Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 372

Notable: Michigan State is coming off its first loss of the season, against Duke, 66-60. The Nittany Lions are coming off a 41-point loss at Indiana. … The Spartans’ Big Ten win came against Iowa, 71-52. … This will be MSU’s first true road game this year. … Penn State has lost its last four games against Michigan State, but five of Penn State’s 10 all-time wins against them have come at home. The last win for the Nittany Lions was Feb. 15, 2022 by a 62-58 margin over a then 19th-ranked Spartans team. … Jaxon Kohler leads Michigan State in scoring (14.2), followed by Jeremy Fears Jr. (11.6), Coen Carr (11.1) and Carson Cooper (10.3). … Penn State’s top scorer, Kayden Mingo, is the highest-scoring freshman in the Big Ten at 15.4 points-per game. Other offensive help comes from Freddie Dilione V (13.3), Melih Tunca (12.8) and Josh Reed (10.8). … The Lions lead the Big Ten in steals, averaging 8.1 per-game.

Mirror prediction: Michigan State 77, Penn State 66

Mirror prediction record: 10-0

— Scott Franco

Men: Pitt at Villanova

SATURDAY

Tipoff: 4:30 p.m., Finneran Pavilion, Villanova

Records: Pittsburgh (5-5, 0-0 ACC); Villanova (7-2, 0-0 Big East)

TV: TruTV, HBO Max (Brendan Glasheen, Greg Anthony and Autumn Johnson)

Notable: Pitt has lost four out of the last five games, with the lone win coming on a Damarco Minor last-second 3-pointer against Ohio State … Lincoln Park High School graduate Brandin Cummings scored 34 points off the bench for Pitt in a loss to Hofstra on Sunday … Villanova lost to BYU in its opener, won seven straight and then lost at Michigan, 89-61, on Tuesday … The Wildcats were picked seventh in the Big East preseason rankings … Former Pitt player Kevin Willard is in his first season as head coach at Villanova, with previous head coaching stops at Iona, Seton Hall and Maryland. Willard is married to Glendale High School graduate Julie Wagner … Villanova has six players averaging at least 9.9 points per game with James Madison transfer guard Bryce Lindsay leading the way (16.4). Grand Canyon 6-foot-10 transfer Duke Brennan averages 10.6 points and 12.0 rebounds … Pitt leads the all-time series, 33-32 and has won the last six meetings. Villanova last beat Pitt, 78-76, in the 2009 NCAA Tournament regional final.

Mirror prediction: Villanova 74, Pitt 67

Mirror prediction record: 7-3

— Buck Frank

Men: Saint Francis at Temple

SUNDAY

Tipoff: Noon, Liacouras Center, Philadelphia

Records: Saint Francis (2-8, 0-0 NEC) at Temple (5-5, 0-0 American)

TV: ESPN+

Live stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=609960

Notable: For those making the trip to Philadelphia, it’s Ugly Sweater Game day at the Liacouras Center. … SFU’s Paris Papadatos was named NEC Rookie of the Week for the week of Dec. 1-7. It is the freshman’s first conference honor. … The Owls are led by guard Derrian Ford. The senior is one of four Temple players averaging double digits scoring through 10 games this year with 17.5 ppg and has a team-leading 41 rebounds. Alden Tobiason (14.6 ppg), Gavin Griffiths (10.3 ppg) and Jordan Mason (10.0 ppg) have also started all 10 games for the Owls so far this season, and Jordan also boasts a team-high 46 assists while Griffiths has grabbed 45 rebounds. Babatunde Durodola has started nine of 10 games this season, and is tied with Masiah Gilyard with 38 rebounds each.

Mirror prediction: Temple 88, Saint Franics 69

Mirror prediction record: 8-2

— Dan Isenberg

Women: PSU at South Carolina

SUNDAY

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m., Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.

Records: Penn State (6-3, 0-1 in Big Ten); South Carolina (9-1)

TV: ESPN

Notable: South Carolina is ranked No. 3 and its only loss is by two points to No. 2 Texas. … Penn State won the first-ever meeting between the schools in 1980, but South Carolina has won the last four matchups. … The Lady Lions do not return home until New Year’s Eve when they host UCLA at 2 p.m. on Peacock. … South Carolina has four players averaging at least 13.1 points per game.

Mirror prediction: South Carolina 104, Penn State 66

Mirror prediction record: 8-1

– Michael Boytim

Women: SFU at Xavier

SUNDAY

Tipoff: 1 p.m., Cintas Center, Cincinnati

Records: Saint Francis (0-8); Xavier (7-3)

TV: ESPN+

Notable: Xavier leads the all-time series 3-0. … Saint Francis has not played in 15 days since Nov. 29 when they lost to Maine after having its game against Delaware State cancelled on Dec. 6. … The Red Flash outrebounded the Black Bears by a 36-32 margin. SFU is shooting just 63-percent (70-of-111) as a team from the foul line. … Mariyah Noel leads the Musketeers in scoring at 15.9 per game, while MacKenzie Givens follows with 13.1.

Mirror prediction: Xavier 81, Saint Francis 45

Mirror prediction record: 7-1

— Nate Ritchey

NBA

For Thunder, Cup is trophy that got away

LAS VEGAS — All Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did last season was lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA title, win a scoring crown, claim the league’s MVP award and cap it all off by winning NBA Finals MVP.

Only one thing was missing.

Silly as it might sound for a team that went 68-14 in the regular season and won the NBA title and is off to a record-tying 24-1 start this season, the NBA Cup is very much a motivator for the Thunder. They played in the Cup final last year and lost. They’re back in Las Vegas for the Cup semifinals this season, knowing the only trophy that got away last year is just two wins away.

“It would be phenomenal,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, whose Thunder are a staggering 88-17, including playoffs, since losing last season’s Cup final to Milwaukee. “Every game I play, we play as a team, we wake up in the morning and before the game starts we want to win the game. … Whenever you get a chance to play for something and win, it’s always the goal to win. It’s always the same feeling. So it would be phenomenal to win, that’s for sure.”

The semifinals are Saturday: New York vs. Orlando from the Eastern Conference side of the bracket, San Antonio — with Victor Wembanyama back — vs. Oklahoma City on the Western Conference side.

“Their record is that for a reason,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “And until someone knocks them off, obviously they are the champs.”

The winners will play Tuesday in the title game, one that won’t count in the season’s stats or standings.

“You’ve got to give the NBA credit,” New York coach Mike Brown said. “Everybody naturally fights change or wants to say something against change. I was one of those guys when they came up with the Cup idea, I was like, ‘Oh, man, for what? In the middle of the season? We are trying to do this and that and practice and blah, blah, blah.’ … Initially I doubted them on the Cup, initially I doubted them on the play-in games, and they are both phenomenal. So, I really don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.”

Brown lauded Commissioner Adam Silver for the innovations like the NBA Cup and the Play-In Tournament, both of which have been widely considered as smashing successes.

The teams that are here have clinched $106,187 in prize money per player (half that amount for two-way players) so far. Semifinal winners see their total pushed to $212,373 and for winning the Cup, the number goes to $530,933.