As non-conference play comes to a close, a few schools are going to get an early jump on conference games as well. One of those games appears in our top five. The big event at MSG this month is the Jimmy V Classic – Missouri vs. Villanova, Marquette vs. Washington – but there’s another set of games on the schedule at The Garden that makes this list as well.
5. Princeton at Rider on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. – Not technically New York teams, but this one in Lawrenceville, NJ will be one of the best mid-on-mid games of the year in the area. Tommy Dempsey always has the Broncs competitive and they might be a sleeper in the MAAC. The Tigers are breaking in a new coach, but always have high expectations. These two schools are separated by just eight miles, so the atmosphere should be charged up.
4. Fordham at Manhattan on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. – A fun one on Wednesday night between two young teams looking to make their marks in New York. Steve Masiello will be looking for a better result than the 14-point loss the Jaspers suffered last season.
3. Iona at Hofstra on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. – Kick off your holiday weekend in style with a local MAAC-CAA battle. Last season the Gaels got a comfortable home win. Can they do the same out at the Mack Sports Complex?
2. Wagner at Long Island on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. – This Thursday night game is the kickoff to the NEC schedule for both squads. LIU crushed Wagner by 30 in this game last season, but the Seahawks almost got revenge the second time they met, falling 83-79 in overtime.
1. MSG Holiday Festival – Stony Brook vs. Rutgers at 12 p.m. and Fordham at St. John’s at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 – Park yourself in a chair at the World’s Greatest Arena and enjoy four straight hours of local college basketball during the Holiday Festival. The first game should be a really good game. The Seawolves have a lot of experience, so they might be able to take advantage of mistakes made by a young, but talented, Rutgers team.
What’d I miss? Is there another great game people should go see?
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