Do you smell that? It's the aroma of college basketball rivalries and conference showdowns to kick off the new year in the right way. Today PAC-12 rivalries between Arizona and Arizona State as well as Oregon and Oregon State are renewed while a rematch of the 2015 Conference USA Tournament Championship looms in Birmingham, Alabama. 

2:00 PM EST
12-1 (0-0) #8 Arizona @ 10-3 (0-0) Arizona State

12-1 (0-0) #8 Arizona
Coming In:

---85-70 Win - Long Beach State
Resume Wins:

---88-76 - Boise State
---68-59 - Boise State (Neutral)
---68-63 @ #13 Gonzaga
---82-70 - UNLV
Only Loss:

---69-65 - Providence (Neutral)
Players to Watch:
#12 Ryan Anderson
(SR)
---15.5 PPG & 10.3 RPG.
#11 Allonzo Trier (FR)
---13.7 PPG & 3.2 RPG.
#1 Gabe York (SR)
---13.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, & 2.2 APG.

10-3 (0-0) Arizona State
Coming In:

---75-59 Win - Cal State Bakersfield
Resume Wins:

---79-76 - NC State (Neutral)
---79-77 @ Creighton
---67-54 - #18 Texas A&M 
---66-56 @ UNLV
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
---66-63 - Sacramento State
Players to Watch:
#0 Tra Holder
(SO)
---14.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
#11 Savon Goodman (JR)
---12.4 PPG & 7.9 RPG.
#4 Gerry Blakes (SR)
---11.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, & 2.2 APG.

Bennett:
The battle of Arizona is going to be fun to watch this season, as the Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats are two talented teams who excelled in non-conference play. The Wildcats have the more talent on paper, but anything can happen once you step on the court. In addition to having to deal with the likes of Tra Holder and Gerry Blakes, the Wildcats have to deal with the Sun Devils’ student section, which is one of the best in the country. A win would do wonders for Bobby Hurley in his first year with Arizona State, but Sean Miller’s crew will do just enough to come away with the win. Allonzo Trier will keep his strong play going with another big performance in the win.
---Arizona 79, Arizona State 74

Wesner:
---Arizona 73, Arizona State 70

7-5 (1-0) Wichita State @ 2-12 (0-1) Bradley

7-5 (1-0) Wichita State
Coming In:

---67-47 Win - Drake
Resume Wins:

---56-50 - UNLV
---67-50 - #25 Utah
Trouble Away From Home:

---77-67 @ Tulsa
---72-69 - USC (Neutral)
---64-60 - Alabama (Neutral)
---84-61 - Iowa (Neutral)
---80-76 @ Seton Hall
Players to Watch:
#31 Ron Baker
(SR)
---15.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
#23 Fred Van Vleet (SR)
---11.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, & 1.5 SPG.

2-12 (0-1) Bradley
Coming In:

---80-44 Loss @ Northern Iowa
Only Division I Win:

---54-53 - Ball State
Single-Digit Losses:

---67-59 - Seton Hall (Neutral)
---62-60 - Towson (Neutral)
---65-59 - North Dakota
---53-49 - TCU
Players to Watch:
#23 Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye
(FR)
---9.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
#1 Donte Thomas (SO)
---9.2 PPG & 5.8 RPG.

Bennett:
No matter the struggles that Gregg Marshall and the Wichita State Shockers have had to endure, Missouri Valley Conference play always seems to bring out the best in them, which is very bad news for the rest of the conference. While the race is more of a toss-up this season than in past years, the Shockers will be near the top come March. The duo of Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker will lead the Shockers to a big win over the Bradley Braves, in a game that could get out of hand on the scoreboard.
---Wichita State 76, Bradley 60

Wesner:
---Wichita State 75, Bradley 49

7-7 (1-0) Illinois State @ 5-8 (0-1) Drake

7-7 (1-0) Illinois State
Coming In:

---74-61 Win - Missouri State
Solid Mid-Major Wins:

---67-66 - Morehead State
---63-61 - Murray State
---66-55 - Tennessee State
Trouble Away From Home:

---71-60 @ San Diego State
---77-66 - #2 Maryland (Neutral)
---71-60 - TCU (Neutral)
---75-63 @ #1 Kentucky
---79-65 @ Saint Joseph's
Players to Watch:
#44 DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell
(SR)
---15.4 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
#24 Deontae Hawkins (FR)
---9.9 PPG & 4.6 RPG.
#11 MiKyle McIntosh (SO)
---9.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, & 1.8 APG.
#1 Paris Lee (JR)
---9.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 1.6 SPG.

5-8 (0-1) Drake
Coming In:

---67-47 Loss @ Wichita State
Solid Mid-Major Wins:

---81-79 - Western Kentucky (Neutral)
---69-53 - Pepperdine (Neutral)
Single-Digit Losses:
---79-74 @ Tulane
---79-73 - UMKC
---74-71 - DePaul
---79-71 @ Nevada
---70-64 - Iowa (Neutral)
Players to Watch:
#12 Reed Timmer
(SO)
---17.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, & 2.5 APG.
#31 Kale Abrahamson (JR)
---16.7 PPG & 4.2 RPG
#3 Graham Woodward (SO)
---12.8 PPG & 3.1 APG.

Bennett:
Reed Timmer is one of the more underappreciated stars in the Missouri Valley Conference, and the NCAA as a whole for that matter. While that may be a matter of opinion, it’s tough to ignore his on-court talents. Averaging nearly 18 points per game in 2015-16, the sophomore could keep the Bulldogs in the game on his own. On Sunday afternoon, Drake welcomes an Illinois State team to town who are looking for any sort of positive momentum. They haven’t lived up to their lofty pre-season expectations, and will be hungry for a win. Timmer and the Bulldogs will keep it close, but the Redbirds pull out the win when it is all said and done.
---Illinois State 72, Drake 70

Wesner:
---Drake 68, Illinois State 64

3:00 PM EST
8-4 (0-0) Middle Tennessee @ 10-3 (0-0) UAB
***Mid-Major Spotlight Game

8-4 (0-0) Middle Tennessee
Coming In:

---82-67 Win - Trevecca Nazarene
Very Good Victories:

---78-70 - Toledo in Great Alaska Shootout Championship
---88-81 - Auburn
---83-62 - Belmont
Single-Digit Defeats:

---62-56 - VCU
---64-62 @ Georgia State
---65-61 @ South Dakota State
Players to Watch:

#30 Reggie Upshaw (JR)
---13.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
#0 Darnell Harris (SR)
---12.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.

10-3 (0-0) UAB
Coming In:

---76-66 Win - Stephen F. Austin
Very Good Victories:

---64-57 - Georgia State
---74-61 @ Illinois State
---79-68 @ South Florida
Losses to Power Conference Opponents:

---75-74 @ Auburn
---72-58 - Illinois (Neutral)
---82-77 - Virginia Tech (Neutral)
Players to Watch:
#3 Chris Cokley
(SO)
---16.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, & 1.2 SPG.
#4 Robert Brown (SR)
---12.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 3.6 APG.

Bennett:
After starting the season with a 3-3 record, the UAB Blazers have kicked their game into another gear and ente Conference USA play riding a seven-game winning streak. During that stretch, they have scored wins over Georgia State, Stephen F. Austin, and South Florida, so it’s not like they’re beating up on weak opponents. Not to be outdone, Middle Tennessee comes in having won four of their last six. This is a rematch from last year’s Conference USA Tournament Final, when UAB took down Middle Tennessee 73-60. The Blue Raiders will have redemption on their mind, but the Blazers will hold down home court and come away with their first conference win of the year.
---UAB 80, Middle Tennessee 74

Wesner:
---UAB 65, Middle Tennessee 60

7-5 Western Illinois @ 12-3 South Dakota State

7-5 (0-1) Western Illinois
Coming In:

---82-80 Loss @ Omaha
Resume Wins:

---69-67 @ #17 Wisconsin
Single-Digit Losses:

---77-70 @ Chicago State
---72-67 @ Loyola (IL)
---82-80 @ Omaha
Players to Watch:
#31 Garrett Covington
(JR)
---17.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
#14 J.C. Fuller (SR)
---16.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

12-3 (1-0) South Dakota State
Coming In:

---68-59 Win - Denver
Very Good Victories:

---85-68 - Weber State
---83-67 @ Illinois State
---76-67 @ TCU
---84-70 @ Minnesota
---56-52 @ Florida Gulf Coast
---65-61 - Middle Tennessee
Single-Digit Losses:

---64-57 @ UMKC
---99-95 @ Weber State
Players to Watch:
#0 Deondre Parks
(SR)
---17.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
#11 George Marshall (SR)
---12.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
#24 Mike Daum (FR)
---11.6 PPG & 4.9 RPG.

Bennett:
After a season-opening upset of the Wisconsin Badgers, and a 5-0 start overall mark, the Western Illinois Leathernecks have come back to Earth after going 2-5 over their last 7 games. They head into Sunday’s showdown riding a three-game losing streak, including a loss in their Summit League opener to Omaha in their last outing. The road doesn’t get any easier, as they take on Deondre Parks' South Dakota State Jackrabbits, who are the favourites to win the conference title. South Dakota State has a ton of options on offense, and they’re playing on their home floor. That’s not a recipe for success for the Leathernecks, and South Dakota State will roll to a double-digit win.
---South Dakota State 75, Western Illinois 65

Wesner: 
---South Dakota State 72, Western Illinois 66

7:00 PM EST
11-2 (0-0) Oregon @ 9-2 (0-0) Oregon State

11-2 (0-0) Oregon
Coming In:

---88-60 Win - Western Oregon
Resume Wins:

---74-67 - #20 Baylor
---73-67 - Valparaiso
---78-63 - UC Irvine
---72-68 - Alabama (Neutral)
Only Losses:d
---80-69 @ UNLV
---74-72 @ Boise State
Players to Watch:
#24 Dillon Brooks
(SO)
---16.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
#5 Tyler Dorsey (FR)
---15.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
#23 Elgin Cook (SR)
---14.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, & 1.6 SPG
#25 Chris Boucher (JR)
---11.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, & 3.3 BPG.

9-2 (0-0) Oregon State
Coming In:

---82-61 Win - Quinnipiac
Very Good Victories:

---93-73 - Iona
---76-71 - Tulsa
Only Losses:

---63-57 - Valparaiso
---82-67 vs #2 Kansas
Players to Watch:
#1 Gary Payton II
(SR)
---16.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, & 2.5 SPG.
#3 Tres Tinkle (FR)
---11.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, & 1.5 SPG.

Bennett:
Sunday night marks the conference opener for both the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers, and a win would mean much more than opening PAC-12 play with a 1-0 record. A win in any rivalry game goes a long way for the teams involved, and the Oregon-Oregon State rivalry is no different. Both teams are expected to contend for the conference title this season, which adds more intrigue to the match-up. Oregon has won four straight games, while the Beavers are on a three-game winning streak of their own. The match-ups of Dillon Brooks versus Drew Eubanks and Tyler Dorsey versus Gary Payton, Jr will go a long way to determining the winner. In a gut-instinct pick, the Ducks prevail in the end.
---Oregon 71, Oregon State 70

Wesner:
---Oregon 82, Oregon State 68

7:30 PM EST
11-3 (0-1) #21 Utah @ 11-3 (1-0) California
***PAC-12 Spotlight Game

11-3 (0-1) #21 Utah
Coming In:

---70-68 Loss @ Stanford
Resumé Wins:

---73-63 - Texas Tech (Neutral)
---83-75 - BYU
---77-75 - #7 Duke (Neutral)
True Road Losses:
---67-50 @ Wichita State
---70-68 @ Stanford
Players to Watch:
#42 Jakob Poeltl
(SO)
---17.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, & 2.1 BPG.
#21 Jordan Loveridge (SR)
---12.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, & 2.1 APG.
#35 Kyle Kuzma (SO)
---12.1 PPG & 6.6 RPG.

11-3 (1-0) California
Coming In:

---79-65 Win - Colorado
Resume Wins:

---63-59 - Saint Mary's
---86-60 - Davidson
---79-65 - Colorado
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:

---72-58 - San Diego State (Neutral)
---94-90 - Richmond (Neutral)
Players to Watch:
#3 Tyrone Wallace
(SR)
---15.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.6 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
#0 Jaylen Brown (FR)
---14.6 PPG & 5.9 RPG.
#24 Jordan Matthews (JR)
---13.7 PPG & 3.5 RPG.
#1 Ivan Rabb (FR)
---11.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, & 1.6 BPG.

Bennett:
California is a perfect 10-0 on the road, while Utah is 0-2 on the road. Both teams come into Sunday night’s PAC-12 showdown with matching 11-3 records. One team suffered an upset loss in their conference opener, while the other routed a top contender. Utah fell in overtime to Stanford 70-68, while California rolled past Colorado 79-65. Jakob Poeltl will cause match-up problems for the Golden Bears, as they don’t have a true center who can match up with him. With that said, California has more weapons on offense (Tyrone Wallace, Ivan Rabb, etc.) that will offset the lack of an interior presence. Another loss would send Utah reeling, so expect a big time performance from the Utes. But, it won’t be enough on the road on Sunday.
---California 83, Utah 77

Wesner:
---California 69, Utah 67

Standings:
1. Wesner 167 pts (130-66)
2. Bennett 159 pts (123-73)

***Spotlight Games are worth two points in opposed to one.

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About the author
Peyton Wesner
Editor, that has loved and watched sports. He enjoys traveling the country to watch division one college basketball and professional baseball, basketball, and football. In addition, Peyton is a huge enthusiast of Missouri Valley Conference basketball and International League (Triple-A) baseball as he focuses about these topics and many more on his sports blog Courtside with PW at http://courtsidewpw.blogspot.com/?m=1. You can contact him through his email, [email protected], or his twitter, @courtsidewpw.