The local college basketball weekend schedule is dominated by a pair of ESPN BracketBusters games, plus one trip east to visit an old coach. The Loyola Marymount Lions and Long Beach State 49ers will play BracketBusters games on Friday and Saturday, respectively, while the UCLA Bruins head to Madison Sqaure Garden to battle Steve Lavin and St. John's. Here is the weekend college basketball slate:
Friday
6 p.m. - Valparaiso at Loyola Marymount (ESPNU): The Lions are fresh off their biggest win of the season, a 75-60 win at No. 21 Saint Mary's, who was previously unbeaten at home. LMU finished their conference road schedule at 7-1, and have three home games left on their schedule before the West Coast Conference Tournament.
Saturday
10 a.m. - UCLA at St. John's (CBS): The Bruins will head to Madison Square Garden to battle Steve Lavin and St. John's. Lavin, who coached the Bruins for seven years, underwent successful surgery to treat prostate cancer on October 6, and has followed a reduced, modified schedule, coaching in only four games since.
7 p.m. - Long Beach State at Creighton (ESPN2): The 49ers have won 12 straight games and 15 of their last 16 contests. This could have been the sixth opponent for Long Beach State ranked in the top 25 this season, but Creighton fell from No. 13 in the AP poll two weeks ago to on the outside looking in after three straight losses.