MIAMI, FL, Sporting Alert – The college basketball AP Top 25 games on the schedule for Thanksgiving Day.
Leading the way is the undefeated No. 8 ranked Arizona, which will feature in the 2016 Continental Tire Las Vegas International.
The Wildcats (4-0), who have won four in a row to start the season will face Santa Clara on Thursday night with the winner taking on the winner of the Butler v Vanderbilt game.
Lauri Markkanen heads into the Thanksgiving fixtures averaging 19.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and shooting 55.6 percent.
The freshman 7-footer is also shooting 65 percent inside the arc and 95.7 percent from the free throw line.
Last time out, Markkanen scored 17 points and Parker Jackson-Cartwright added a career-high 11 assists and scored 15 points for Arizona to pull away from Northern Colorado in a 71-55 victory on Monday night.
“I was just ultra-aggressive,” Jackson-Cartwright said after the game. “My teammates give me confidence every day, in practice and in games.
“I was just doing what my coaches told me and feeding off my teammates’ energy.”
Santa Clara (3-2) enters this game in good form recently after winning the last two games and scoring over 80-points in both contests.
Jared Brownridge made seven 3-pointers on his way to scoring a season-best 32 points in an 84-74 win over Sacred Heart on Monday night.
Matt Hauser has also been in good form recently after picking up back-to-back double-doubles and shot over 50-percent in both wins.
As a team, the Broncos are averaging 71.6 points per game and allowing 68.4.
UCLA is another 4-0 team on the Thanksgiving Day schedule.
The 14th-ranked Bruins have knocked off Pacific, CS Northridge, San Diego and Long Beach State in their opening four games of the season.
They will next feature against fellow undefeated side Portland in the DirecTV Wooden Legacy tournament in Fullerton, Calif.
No. 25 Florida State (4-0) which has also started the season winning four straight, will play Temple in the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.
Elsewhere on Thanksgiving, No. 11 Gonzaga (3-0) will tackle Quinnipiac in the Advocare Invitational at the HP Field House in Orlando, FL, No. 19 West Virginia (3-0) battles with Illinois (4-1) in the NIT Season Tip-Off, while No. 21 Iowa State (3-0) and Indiana State are also in action in the Advocare Invitational.
Thanksgiving Day College Basketball
Thursday, November 24
AP Top 25 Schedule
Temple vs No. 25 Florida State 12:30 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN
Indiana State vs No. 21 Iowa State 12:30 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
Illinois vs No. 19 West Virginia 2:30 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN
No. 11 Gonzaga vs Quinnipiac 6:30 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
Santa Clara vs No. 8 Arizona 10:30 PM FS1
Portland vs No. 14 UCLA 11:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
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