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College Basketball Watchability Rankings: 5 games to watch in Week 2

By Nathaniel Reeves

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 13: USC guard Elijah Stewart (30) celebrates after USC guard Jordan McLaughlin (11) scores right before the 1st half buzzer during a college basketball game between the North Dakota State Bison and the USC Trojans on November 10, 2017, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 13: USC guard Elijah Stewart (30) celebrates after USC guard Jordan McLaughlin (11) scores right before the 1st half buzzer during a college basketball game between the North Dakota State Bison and the USC Trojans on November 10, 2017, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 17: Kris Wilkes #13 of the UCLA Bruins is fouled as he goes for a dunk in the first half of the game against the South Carolina State Bulldogs at Pauley Pavilion on November 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 17: Kris Wilkes #13 of the UCLA Bruins is fouled as he goes for a dunk in the first half of the game against the South Carolina State Bulldogs at Pauley Pavilion on November 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

UCLA vs. Creighton 

The four-team Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City has a small yet intriguing field, starting with what should be a high-octane matchup between Creighton and UCLA on Monday night.

UCLA checked in at No. 23 in the preseason AP Poll. although nobody is quite sure what to expect from the post-Lonzo Ball Bruins, who are also dealing with the distraction of having three players suspended from a shoplifting incident in China. The Bruins are off to a 3-0 start, although a one-possession win over shorthanded Georgia Tech and overtime triumph over KenPom No. 290 Central Arkansas don’t exactly inspire confidence.

Freshman point guard Jaylen Hands is still effectively directing what should be one of the nation’s best offenses. Fellow newcomer Kris Wilkes leads the Bruins with 17.3 points per game, while holdovers Thomas Welsh and Aaron Holiday are playing well in the early going.

Creighton also enters the tournament at a perfect 3-0, including a victory on the road over a ranked Northwestern team.The Bluejays are averaging 97,7 points per contest on the season and have one of the most entertaining offenses in the nation to watch when they are firing on all cylinders.

Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas make up a terrific Creighton backcourt and are combining for nearly 80 points per game this season. Greg McDermott might have found a hidden gem in sophomore forward Martin Krampelj, who is averaging 12 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest in his first real shot at playing time.

This will be an interesting test for both teams on Monday, as the Bluejays have a chance to announce themselves as a Big East  contender, while UCLA can prove it can still beat good teams despite having little depth at the moment.