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Pregame Shootaround 12.4.12: All eyes on New York City for Jimmy V Classic

Georgetown

Each day, CollegeBasketballTalk brings you the “Pregame Shootaround,” which will be posted at 2 p.m. ET and lay out a preview for the slate of games that night. We’ll take a look at some key match-ups and important games, as well as make some predictions and point out what you need to watch for. Take a look below at today’s edition:

Note: The weekend editions of Pregame Shootaround will be published half an hour prior to tip-off of the day’s first game.

Game of the Day: No. 25 NC State vs. Connecticut

Mark Gottfried will square off against first-year coach Kevin Ollie in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader at the Jimmy V Classic in New York City. We take a deeper look at this match-up in the Jimmy V preview, which you can read here, but for a pretty solid Tuesday slate, this one stands out.

The point guard match-up of Lorenzo Brown and Shabazz Napier/Ryan Boatright will be one to keep an eye on, but also watch for the impact of NC State freshman T.J. Warren. The athletic wing is leading the Wolfpack in scoring and they’ll look to him again Tuesday night. Also look for Richard Howell to work down low, averaging 14.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

If Howell, along with forward C.J. Leslie, is going to be a focal point, Connecticut’s Tyler Olander and DeAndre Daniels will have their hands full.

Who’s getting upset?: No. 14 Minnesota against South Dakota State

Nate Wolters has been the darling of mid-major fanatics since last season, and there aren’t many games on tonight’s schedule that could make for a good upset pick. Because of that, let’s see what Wolters and the Jackrabbits can do. Minnesota is a good rebounding team, which will be tough for SDSU, but Wolters and his nearly 21 points per game should give them a chance Tuesday night. According to recent reports, though, Wolters turned his ankle in practice and is questionable for tonight’s game.

If an upset is going to happen, the Jackrabbits need to keep guard Andre Hollins under control. He has the ability to go off for 40 points, as he showed earlier this season against Memphis.

Mid-Major Match-Up of the Day: Lipscomb vs. Belmont

The Battle of the Boulevard is one of the most underrated rivalries in college hoops. The two schools are separated by just over two miles and have already met once this season, an 89-60 Belmont victory. Lipscomb (3-3) looks for revenge behind sophomore Malcolm Smith and his 14.0 points per game.

Expect Belmont’s duo of Ian Clark and Kerron Johnson to carry the Bruins. The two together average over 30 points per game.

Five Things to Watch For:

1) No. 5 Louisville is taking on a Charleston team Tuesday night that beat Baylor earlier this season. Baylor defeated Kentucky over the weekend, suggesting that C of C might pack some punch. Andrew Lawrence leads the way with 14 points per game.

2) Without Myck Kabongo in the lineup, sophomore Sheldon McClellan has had to step up. He’s averaging 17 points per game this season, but against Georgetown, Markel Starks could match him. Consistency has been the biggest issue for Starks, but watch that match-up.

3) Coach Mike Anderson’s son, Michael, Jr., was suspended from his role as the team’s video coordinator after being arrested for DWI. The Razorbacks take the court for the first time since that incident over the weekend Tuesday night against Oklahoma.

4) Delaware has gone up against one of the toughest schedules in the country for a mid-major to begin the season. They’re 2-6, but have played Kansas State, Pitt, Temple, and Duke. They have a very winnable game Tuesday against Radford. Jamelle Hagins is a double-double machine.

5) No. 21 UNLV responded to its first loss of the season against Oregon with three straight double-digit victories. They take on Portland Tuesday night.

The Rest of the Top 25:

No. 3 Michigan vs. Western Michigan

No. 5 Louisville vs. Charleston

No. 8 Arizona vs. Southern Miss

No. 12 Missouri vs. Southeast Missouri State

No. 13 Illinois vs. Western Carolina

No. 14 Minnesota vs. South Dakota State

No. 15 Georgetown vs. Texas

No. 21 UNLV vs. Portland

No. 25 NC State vs. Connecticut

Other Notable Games:

Oklahoma vs. Arkansas

Samford vs. Kentucky

Northwestern vs. Baylor

Georgia vs. Georgia Tech

Siena vs. St. Bonaventure (NBC Sports Network)

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_