First minor slump of the NCAA season but nothing severe -- why I tend to limit my action before the New Year in this sport. The Lions and the Golden Bears are meeting for the second straight season, with Northern Colorado winning 80-77 in Greeley last year. These unique start times on a weekday usually greatly favor the home team. A&M has a pretty good win over Saint Joseph's on its resume. It's a standalone game, that's why we are really here, and I try to have an opinion on those.

Odd early start in this one, which might prove of some benefit to host Commerce. The Lions might deserve a schedule break after being in pretty tough the first month of the season, and of these two sides has the most impressive win with a 57-54 success against a very sticky St Joe's side on Nov. 17, on Hawk Hill to boot. The Lions have an emerging star in 6-9 soph F Jerome Brewer (13 ppg), and anxious to get back on the floor after a poor effort in the most-recent game vs. SMU. The only win in four tries away from home for the Bears came in a 1-point escape vs. Chicago State in Cancun during Thanksgiving week. Play Tex A&M-Commerce