Palm Springs will have some exciting basketball this week, with the Acrisure Classic starting on Tuesday and the Acrisure Holiday Invitational beginning on Wednesday.
The Acrisure Classic will feature the California Golden Bears (6-0), Michigan State Spartans (6-0), Arizona Wildcats (6-1) and the Vanderbilt Commodores (6-0), while the No. 6-ranked USC Trojans (4-1) will play the Seton Hall Pirates (4-1) and St. Louis Billikens (2-4) as part of the Acrisure Holiday Invitational.
Battle of the unbeatens
The first game of this tournament features Cal taking on Michigan State. Both teams are unbeaten with identical 6-0 records. So, we’ll be seeing some elite hoops from the jump. This is the first big test for both teams, as neither has faced a ranked opponent yet.
The Golden Bears are led by sophomore guard Lulu Twidale, who is currently averaging 18.3 points per game. The Spartans have an impressive backcourt of grad Julia Ayrault and junior Theryn Hallock, who are scoring a combined 26.4 points.
Can Vandy keep it going?
The 6-0 Commodores will take on the Wildcats immediately following the first game and are also looking to remain undefeated. For Vanderbilt to accomplish that, they’ll need freshman guard Mikayla Blakes to continue racking up points and sophomore forward Khamil Pierre to keep on getting double-doubles.
After yesterdays action, there’s a NEW leader atop the PER leader board as @VandyWBB 6’2 Sophomore Forward @KhamilPierre jumps to the top spot at (49.7).
19.2 points11.0 rebounds2.8 steals49.7 Player Efficiency Rating129.2 Player Offensive Rating+76.4 Net Rating144 minutes… pic.twitter.com/rZ537VSelL
— HoopHeroines (@hoopheroines) November 24, 2024
However, don’t expect the Arizona to be an easy mark for Vanderbilt. The Wildcats are a well-balanced team, but sophomore forward Breya Cunningham is their best player, leading the team in both points and rebounds.
Redemption for USC
The past few days have been rough for USC. Their loss to the Notre Dame ended the Trojans’ perfect record and dropped them from No. 2 down to No. 6 in the AP top 25 poll.
A win on Wednesday for USC would be a great way to shake off that loss and get back on track. With a stacked roster featuring sophomore star JuJu Watkins and senior forward Kiki Iriafen, along with some extra motivation after a tough result, fans should expect USC to make a statement in Palm Springs.
Tournaments schedule
All game held at Acriscure Arena in Palm Springs, CA
Acrisure Classic
Tuesday, Nov. 26
Cal vs. Michigan State (1:30 p.m. ET, truTV)
Vanderbilt vs. Arizona (4 p.m. ET, truTV)
Wednesday, Nov. 27
3rd Place Game (1:30 p.m. ET)
Championship Game (4 p.m. ET)
Acrisure Holiday Invitational
Wednesday, Nov. 27
USC vs. Seton Hall (6:30 p.m. ET, truTV)
Friday, Nov. 29
USC vs. St. Louis University (6:30 p.m. ET)
