At some point this week, you’re going to sit down on your couch and turn on the TV. It might be after you’ve stuffed yourself full of turkey and sweet potato pie, or it might be after a long day of shopping on Black Friday.
There will be football on, sure, but there’s also women’s basketball — and the games could be really, really good.
Many of the top teams in the country are playing in tournaments this week away from home, and the results could shake up the rankings heading into next week. Some of these games could be Final Four previews too.
Here’s a guide to everything you should be watching. Grab some of that leftover turkey, make a sandwich, and settle in for a few good days of hoops.
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Appetizer
No. 6 Texas A&M 80, Prairie View A&M 38
No. 6 Texas A&M prevailed in the showdown between the two A&M schools. The Aggies knocked off the Panthers 80-38 behind Chennedy Carter's 20 points. Texas A&M sprinted out of the gate going up 21-4 to start the game. The Aggies' defense also showed out, holding Prairie View scoreless for a stretch of 9:37 while scoring 24 points of their own.
Watch on: SECN+
The buzz: The battle of the A&M’s shouldn’t be close, but you should watch a bit of this game to see Chennedy Carter. The junior guard for the Aggies was an All-American and All-SEC selection last season and hasn’t missed a beat this season. The 5-foot-7 Mansfield, Texas native is averaging 24 points per-game and has the Aggies sitting at 4-0 after wins over USC, Rice, Duke and Little Rock. On Sunday, Carter and the Aggies face No. 12 Florida State on FS1. If you’re not in a food coma by then, watch that too.
Side Dishes
No. 17 Indiana vs. No. 5 South Carolina — Thursday, Nov. 28, 8 p.m. ET
Watch on: FloHoops
The buzz: Indiana is off to their best start in a while with a 4-0 record. The Hoosiers recently beat the Florida Gators by 24 points, but now face a real challenge in the Gamecocks at the Paradise Jam. The Hoosiers have been led this season by Grace Berger, who scored 23 points in the win over Florida. The Gamecocks have relied on a few stellar freshmen this season, but senior forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan impressed in a recent win over Clemson, racking up 13 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
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No. 7 Oregon State vs. No. 19 Miami — Friday, Nov. 29, 2 p.m. ET
Watch on: ACCNX
The buzz: Oregon State is undefeated to start the season while Miami is 4-1 after losing to DePaul. The Hurricanes also had a close call last week against North Carolina A&T. Miami is armed with one of the best post players in the country in Beatrice Mompremier, but clearly have some issues to work out before ACC play rolls around. Oregon State has been led by Destiny Slocum, who is averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds per-game this season.
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Main Course
No. 5 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Baylor — Saturday, Nov. 30, 8 p.m. ET
Watch on: FloHoops
The buzz: This is a potential Final Four preview. Baylor won it all last year and is off to a 5-0 start this season, beating its opponents by an average margin of 56.8 points. An early star for Baylor has been sophomore NaLyssa Smith, who had 18 points, five rebounds and three steals in a recent win over Lamar. South Carolina will be the first real challenge that Baylor has faced this season, and the Gamecocks have at least a puncher’s chance of dealing a loss to the Lady Bears.
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FloHoops is a paid streaming service, so if you have a subscription, log on a bit earlier at 3:15 p.m. ET and catch Sabrina Ionescu and No. 1 Oregon take on No. 8 Louisville too.
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And also, check these games out. Think of it as dessert.
- No. 12 N.C. State vs. Hawaii — Saturday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m. ET (BigWest.org)
- Air Force at No. 20 Tennessee — Sunday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m. ET (SECN)
- No. 16 DePaul at Northwestern — Sunday, Dec. 1, 3 p.m. ET (BTN+)
