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College basketball 5 best games of the week: James Wiseman in action for Memphis vs. Oregon

By Mike Phillips

MEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 5: James Wiseman #32 and Alex Lomax #2 of the Memphis Tigers celebrate against the South Carolina State Bulldogs during a game on November 5, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated South Carolina State 97-64. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 5: James Wiseman #32 and Alex Lomax #2 of the Memphis Tigers celebrate against the South Carolina State Bulldogs during a game on November 5, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated South Carolina State 97-64. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /
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These are the best college basketball games to watch this week, including seeing James Wiseman back in action for Memphis vs. Oregon.

There was a lot of wackiness in the first week of the college basketball season, including some big upsets (Nicholls State beat Pittsburgh in a buy game for crying out loud) and epic non-conference showdowns (see the Champions Classic, Florida State upsetting Florida). Week 2 doesn’t have as much in the pipe as Week 1, but there are still some great matchups to check out, including some solid showdowns courtesy of the Gavitt Games.

Michigan State and Seton Hall initially made the cut, but after Seton Hall lost Myles Powell to injury so the game takes on a different complexion.

College basketball games of the week

Phil Knight Invitational: Oregon (2-0) vs. Memphis (2-0)-Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

This game, which will take place in Portland, features Memphis’ highly-touted recruiting class taking on a sneaky-good Oregon team in what should be a de facto home game for the Ducks. The intrigue around this game surrounds Tigers’ center James Wiseman, who played on Friday for Memphis after a court issued a temporary restraining order against an NCAA ruling declaring him ineligible.

LSU (1-0) at VCU (2-0)-Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2

When a top-25 matchup takes place on the floor of a mid-major, it is pretty much an automatic inclusion on the list. VCU may be the A-10’s best team and are off to a 2-0 start, but they will get an opportunity to boost their resume with a win over one of the SEC’s strongest squads in LSU, which beat a pesky Bowling Green squad by nine in their home opener.

Gavitt Tipoff Games: Villanova (1-0) at Ohio State (2-0)-Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1

The Gavitt games, named after legendary Providence coach Dave Gavitt, match up Big East and Big Ten schools in a vein similar to the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. The top matchup features Villanova, which cruised to an easy win over Army in their opener, heading to Columbus to try and slow down Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson and company.

Gavitt Tipoff Games: Purdue (1-1) at Marquette (1-0)-Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1

Another good Gavitt game will feature one of the nation’s best players as Marquette and Markus Howard host Purdue. The Boilermakers went 1-1 over the first week after a tough loss against Texas at home, and they will need to rebound quickly if they want to slow down Howard, who poured in 38 points to help the Golden Eagles blow out Loyola-Maryland.

Mid-Major Game of the Week: Winthrop (1-1) at East Tennessee State (2-0)-Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+

This week’s mid-major spotlight shifts to East Tennessee State, one of the favorites to win the Southern Conference, which was one of the most compelling small conferences a year ago. The Buccaneers take on Winthrop, who should be right in the thick of things in the Big South this season.

Next. Zion and the 20 best one-and-done's. dark

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