The Clemson mascot is certainly ready for Santa — or has a job at the mall waiting for him after the game — as evidenced by his get-up Sunday at home against South Carolina State. The Tigers won 77-41.

Clemson cheerleaders ditch the robe, beard and snowball cap and go for more traditional attire while standing at attention for the national anthem prior to Sunday's game.

If a guy's going to position on you and get a free lane to the basket, taking him down with a leg-sweep is certainly one way to keep him from scoring. That's not to say that's what happened here — perhaps Brown's Sean McGonagill simply took a tumble while trying to defend Northwestern's Dave Sobolewski during Sunday's 63-42 win by host Northwestern. We're just saying that if all else fails ...

South Carolina State's Matthew Hezekiah reaches through the rim of the basket to block a dunk attempt by Clemson's Devin Booker in the first half of Sunday's game in Clemson, S.C.

San Diego State guard Jamaal Franklin (No. 21) was all over the boards during Sunday's semifinal game of the Diamond Head Classic against Indiana State. Franklin had 15 rebounds to go with his 19 points as the 18th-ranked Aztecs won 62-55 to advance to the championship game on Christmas in Honolulu.

Brown forward Tyler Ponticelli (far left) and Northwestern guard James Montgomery III battle for a loose ball during the second half Sunday's 63-42 Northwestern win in Evanston, Ill.

Hawaii head coach Gib Arnold calls a play using the Hawaiian Shaka sign (commonly referred to as the 'hang loose' sign) during the host Warriors' game against Miami on Saturday on the first round of the Diamond Head Classic. He needed a different call, however, as the Hurricanes won 73-58.

Yes, rumors of his possible departure from Westwood are beginning to swirl again, but here on Saturday night, UCLA coach Ben Howland directs his players during the Bruins' 91-78 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday night.

George Mason's Sherrod Wright (second on left) is the man of the hour. The Patriots guard receives props from his teammates after hitting the game-winning 3 at the buzzer for a 67-64 victory over host Richmond in the Governor's Holiday Hoops Classic on Saturday. Wright finished with 22 points for the Patriots (7-4), who rallied from a 61-49 deficit in the final 7:35. The Spiders fell to 9-4.

Tulane's bench enjoys a 3-pointer by guard Jordan Callahan (left) during the Green Wave's 83-62 win over Hofstra in the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational at the Barclays Center on Saturday. Tied at the break, the Green Wave opened the second half with a 20-0 run to put the game out of reach. They improved to 10-3, while the Pride dropped to 3-9.

Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas chats with 11-year-old Buckeyes fan Jackson Watson before Saturday's home game against Kansas at Value City Arena. Thomas scored a team-high 16 points, but the seventh-ranked Buckeyes lost 74-66. OSU fell to 9-2, while the No. 9 Jayhawks improved to 10-1.

Boston College coach Steve Donahue works the sideline during the 107th meeting between BC and Providence. The host Eagles squeaked out a 71-68 win, improving to 6-5, while the Friars fell to 8-3. As for the all-time series, Providence owns a 58-49 advantage even with Saturday's defeat.

Hooter the Owl, that's who. But it probably wasn't the Temple mascot's best moment of the day — as the Owls basketball team upset No. 3 Syracuse 83-79 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon. Khalif Wyatt scored a game-high 33 points for Temple (9-2), which handed the Orange (10-1) their first loss of the season.

During Xavier's 56-55 home loss to Wofford on Saturday, Musketeers forward Justin Martin dons a jersey with the name of Sandy Hook, the Newtown, Conn., elementary school where the tragic shootings occurred on Dec. 14.

Tom Izzo coaches Michigan State to a 67-56 win over Texas at the in East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday. Derrick Nix led the 20th-ranked Spartans (11-2) with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Julien Lewis scored a team-high 16 for the Longhorns (7-5).

Spartans guard Branden Dawson reacts to a call during the Spartans' 11-point victory at Jack Breslin Students Events Center. Dawson scored six points and pulled in nine boards — MSU outrebounded Texas 36-32.

CJ Leslie slams home two of his career-high 33 points as No. 25 NC State defeats visiting St. Bonaventure at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC, on Saturday. Leslie, a junior, converted 10-of-13 shots from the field and 13-of-18 free throws for the Wolfpack (9-2). Eric Mosley led the Bonnies (7-4) with 18 points.

Butler forward Kameron Woods defends an inbound by Evansville guard Troy Taylor during the second half in Indianapolis on Saturday. Woods finished with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds as the 19th-ranked Bulldogs prevailed 75-67. It was the sixth consecutive win for Butler, which improved to 9-2, while the Aces dropped to 7-5.

The American Eagles line up before their Saturday tilt with No. 15 Georgetown at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. When it was over, the Hoyas (10-1) claimed a 65-48 victory over the Eagles (4-8).

Middle Tennessee State guard Marcos Knight reacts after pulling down a second-half rebound against Vanderbilt at Bridgestone Arena in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Friday. Knight only had five points and five boards, but his Blue Raiders knocked off the Commodores 56-52. Another Knight, Tweety Knight, scored the go-ahead layup with 1:08 left as MTSU (9-3) beat Vanderbilt (5-5) for the first time since 1995.