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As of now, we have a full slate tonight of men's games -- and, we have some big ones.
Mercyhurst at Slippery Rock - Something seems off in Erie. The Lakers' vaunted defense hasn't looked too hot as of late. Slippery Rock hasn't played in a long time. This is a good match-up for Mercyhurst, which has struggled against teams with good, big post players. Slippery Rock plays much like the Lakers -- lots of guards and not much size underneath. This is a must-win game for the Lakers. A loss tonight would put them 3 back in the West race. Morrow Field House is a tough place to play when the students are there and engaged. The Rock, despite the long layoff, has had ample time to prepare for this game. Mercyhurst has not. That's the difference. Slippery Rock, with its big, athletic guards, pulls out a narrow victory. Rock by 3
Gannon at California - The students are back, so the Angelo Dome should have a rocking 149 in there tonight. The Vulcans will be sky-high after pummeling Mercyhurst in Erie. Gannon has some nice small forwards, but somebody is going to have to deal with the monster of the Mon Valley (Philip Alston). Cal's offense seems to be either great or somewhat average on a given night. If the outside shots are falling, Gannon will be in trouble. All signs point toward Cal getting a big win tonight. Alston is going to be a match-up nightmare for the Knights, which should open several other things up. Vulcans -7
Mansfield at Shepherd - The Rams finally got a long-deserved win. They got to 65 points in the Kutztown victory. With their defense, that may be the magic number most nights. Mansfield was showing signs of life but has been blown out its past two outings. This won't be a pretty game to watch ... imagining something like 64-58. Shepherd gets the win. Rams -6
IUP at Pitt-Johnstown - UPJ seemed to be focused on this game prior to Seton Hill's visit, because the Griffins nearly pulled the upset of the year 48 hours ago before falling, 89-85. One of these two will take control of the West by 10 p.m. IUP has dominated the series the past decade, losing just once, but there's been a slew a close games. There are no surprises in this one. These two know each other better than any other teams. UPJ's John Paul Krompa and IUP's Ethan Porterfield going head-to-head should be one of the best big-man match-ups of the year. There are some injury concerns. IUP's Tommy Demogerontas has missed two straight games. It didn't matter much against Seton Hill or Clarion, but if he can't go tonight it will be a problem. Starting guard and defensive specialist Kyle Polce was also dinged up at the end of the Clarion game. If both can't go tonight, IUP is in trouble. With the injury statuses unknown, this is a PICK 'EM.
Edinboro at Seton Hill - Aside from IUP's visit, the Griffins are playing well. Edinboro has been blown out its past two games but did play California tough a couple weeks back. Greensburg can be a tricky place to play. It's claustrophobic, it can be loud and the student section can be really engaged. The most interesting match-up of the night will be the Seton Hill football players in Row 1 versus Edinboro guard Jaryn Simpson. They will go after him hard, and, he likes to talk back. If the Scots can stay focused on the game -- and, that's not always easy if the McKenna Center is hopping, Edinboro should win the game. If Simpson gets too tied up in the shenanigans, we could see a mild upset tonight. Scots -1
Shippensburg at Kutztown - The Golden Bears play hard. They have some big bodies. But, they aren't the same without star forward Moe Williams. This is a much different match-up if he's playing, but that seems doubtful. Shippensburg is too balanced for Kutztown to make a serious run. Red Raiders pull away in the second half. Ship -12
Millersville at Lock Haven - The Marauders are hot again. The holiday break funk seems to have worked itself out. The Bald Eagles aren't a pushover -- especially at home -- but struggle to play a full 40 minutes. If Millersville isn't ready to play tonight, this could be an upset. The Bald Eagles are going to get somebody this year. The Marauders are just deeper. The 'Ville -8
Clarion at Bloomsburg - Clarion is the West's version of Lock Haven. You have to be careful playing them. They are inconsistent and struggle to play full games, but they can get rolling. The Huskies, conversely, seem to stay in most games but can't finish. The Golden Eagles got beat up pretty good by IUP this past weekend. Hard to say how they'll bounce back. They should have just enough to win this one on the road. Golden Eagles -2
West Chester at East Stroudsburg - The Rams are in must-win mode the rest of the way. A loss tonight and they likely fall 4 games off the East pace. Four of WCU's losses are by single digits. The Warriors have won 5 of their past 6 games, and are finding ways to win low-scoring affairs and games in the 80s/90s. The Rams' weakness is they can get turnover happy, and that won't be a good thing tonight against a 40-minute press. Look for West Chester to hang around for 30 or 33 minutes, but ESU eventually wears them down. Warriors -7
Mercyhurst at Slippery Rock - Something seems off in Erie. The Lakers' vaunted defense hasn't looked too hot as of late. Slippery Rock hasn't played in a long time. This is a good match-up for Mercyhurst, which has struggled against teams with good, big post players. Slippery Rock plays much like the Lakers -- lots of guards and not much size underneath. This is a must-win game for the Lakers. A loss tonight would put them 3 back in the West race. Morrow Field House is a tough place to play when the students are there and engaged. The Rock, despite the long layoff, has had ample time to prepare for this game. Mercyhurst has not. That's the difference. Slippery Rock, with its big, athletic guards, pulls out a narrow victory. Rock by 3
Gannon at California - The students are back, so the Angelo Dome should have a rocking 149 in there tonight. The Vulcans will be sky-high after pummeling Mercyhurst in Erie. Gannon has some nice small forwards, but somebody is going to have to deal with the monster of the Mon Valley (Philip Alston). Cal's offense seems to be either great or somewhat average on a given night. If the outside shots are falling, Gannon will be in trouble. All signs point toward Cal getting a big win tonight. Alston is going to be a match-up nightmare for the Knights, which should open several other things up. Vulcans -7
Mansfield at Shepherd - The Rams finally got a long-deserved win. They got to 65 points in the Kutztown victory. With their defense, that may be the magic number most nights. Mansfield was showing signs of life but has been blown out its past two outings. This won't be a pretty game to watch ... imagining something like 64-58. Shepherd gets the win. Rams -6
IUP at Pitt-Johnstown - UPJ seemed to be focused on this game prior to Seton Hill's visit, because the Griffins nearly pulled the upset of the year 48 hours ago before falling, 89-85. One of these two will take control of the West by 10 p.m. IUP has dominated the series the past decade, losing just once, but there's been a slew a close games. There are no surprises in this one. These two know each other better than any other teams. UPJ's John Paul Krompa and IUP's Ethan Porterfield going head-to-head should be one of the best big-man match-ups of the year. There are some injury concerns. IUP's Tommy Demogerontas has missed two straight games. It didn't matter much against Seton Hill or Clarion, but if he can't go tonight it will be a problem. Starting guard and defensive specialist Kyle Polce was also dinged up at the end of the Clarion game. If both can't go tonight, IUP is in trouble. With the injury statuses unknown, this is a PICK 'EM.
Edinboro at Seton Hill - Aside from IUP's visit, the Griffins are playing well. Edinboro has been blown out its past two games but did play California tough a couple weeks back. Greensburg can be a tricky place to play. It's claustrophobic, it can be loud and the student section can be really engaged. The most interesting match-up of the night will be the Seton Hill football players in Row 1 versus Edinboro guard Jaryn Simpson. They will go after him hard, and, he likes to talk back. If the Scots can stay focused on the game -- and, that's not always easy if the McKenna Center is hopping, Edinboro should win the game. If Simpson gets too tied up in the shenanigans, we could see a mild upset tonight. Scots -1
Shippensburg at Kutztown - The Golden Bears play hard. They have some big bodies. But, they aren't the same without star forward Moe Williams. This is a much different match-up if he's playing, but that seems doubtful. Shippensburg is too balanced for Kutztown to make a serious run. Red Raiders pull away in the second half. Ship -12
Millersville at Lock Haven - The Marauders are hot again. The holiday break funk seems to have worked itself out. The Bald Eagles aren't a pushover -- especially at home -- but struggle to play a full 40 minutes. If Millersville isn't ready to play tonight, this could be an upset. The Bald Eagles are going to get somebody this year. The Marauders are just deeper. The 'Ville -8
Clarion at Bloomsburg - Clarion is the West's version of Lock Haven. You have to be careful playing them. They are inconsistent and struggle to play full games, but they can get rolling. The Huskies, conversely, seem to stay in most games but can't finish. The Golden Eagles got beat up pretty good by IUP this past weekend. Hard to say how they'll bounce back. They should have just enough to win this one on the road. Golden Eagles -2
West Chester at East Stroudsburg - The Rams are in must-win mode the rest of the way. A loss tonight and they likely fall 4 games off the East pace. Four of WCU's losses are by single digits. The Warriors have won 5 of their past 6 games, and are finding ways to win low-scoring affairs and games in the 80s/90s. The Rams' weakness is they can get turnover happy, and that won't be a good thing tonight against a 40-minute press. Look for West Chester to hang around for 30 or 33 minutes, but ESU eventually wears them down. Warriors -7
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