Tuesday Lay-up Lines

The best game of the night comes from, surprise surprise, the Big East as UConn (12-1, 1-1) travels to Morgantown to take on West Virginia (11-2, 1-0). I doubt that this is going to be anything close to a pretty game, as both teams are the most successful when the game turns into a scrappy, streetball style game which allows their athletes to take over. I am really high on the Mountaineers right now. They have been playing some of the best basketball in the country since Alex Ruoff came back against Miami OH, winning all four games by at least 26 points (against some decent teams as well). They are going to have a tough time with the Huskies, who can match up with them athlete for athlete. This game is simply going to come down to effort. Who wants this game more? Whose defense is forcing turnovers? Who is getting offensive rebounds? I think the Huskies pull this one out because of Thabeet. West Virginia makes a living going to the offensive glass, and unless the big guy gets in foul trouble, I can't see WVU getting as many easy looks at the rim (not because he is a great rebounder, mind you, but because he is going to block or change a good number of those putbacks). The game comes on a 7pm on ESPN U, so I will be sitting at a bar somewhere to watch this one (feel free to leave a comment which leads me to a good sports bar in DC).

The rest of the night's action:

• 7:00 PM: Ohio State (10-2, 1-1) @ Michigan State (11-2, 2-0): The Spartans were supposed to be one of the best teams in the country in the preseason, but struggled early on. Boy have they bounced back, as they have knocked off both Texas and Minnesota in recent weeks. Ohio State came out strong early in the season, but has really struggled since the David Lighty injury, mainly because of an inability to score. MSU is an athletic and tough defensive team, and I just don't see the Buckeyes going t0 East Lansing and pulling out this win.
  
• 7:00 PM: Longwood (7-8) @ Florida (12-2)
• 7:00 PM: Georgia (9-5) @ Georgia Tech (8-5)
• 7:00 PM: Miami OH (7-4) @ Dayton (13-1)
• 8:00 PM: Villanova (12-2, 0-1) @ Seton Hall (9-5, 0-2): The Pirates were embarrassed in their first two Big East games. Villanova is looking for a bounce-back win after losing their Big East opener to Marquette.
• 8:00 PM: Siena (10-4) @ Kansas (10-3): This is the last chance for Siena to beat a big time team.
• 8:00 PM: Illinois State (14-0, 3-0) @ Bradley (9-5, 3-0): First place in the MVC is on the line. If the blow outs of Creighton and Evansville weren't enough, I think a win at Bradley should finally convince people that the Redbirds are for real.
• 8:00 PM: TCU (9-5) @ Texas Tech (10-4)
• 9:00 PM: Coppin State (2-11) @ Missouri (12-2)
• 9:00 PM: Savannah State (7-7) @ Oklahoma State (10-3): The Cowboys are coming off of a game where they posted 122 points.
  
• 9:00 PM: Purdue (11-3, 0-1) @ Penn State (12-3, 1-1): Both teams are coming off of losses. Purdue was beaten at home by Illinois, while Penn State gave Wisconsin everything they could handle. The Nittany Lions have a nice record, but they need to beat somebody before they start getting any attention. The Boilermakers don't want to start out the season 0-2 in a tougher-than-expected Big Ten.
• 9:00 PM: Alabama (10-3) @ Clemson (14-0): These are two of the most athletic teams you are going to come across this year. Ronald Steele has been up and down this season coming off of knee surgery. The Tiger press will be a nice gauge of where he is at as a player right now.
  
• 9:00 PM: Texas (11-2) @ Arkansas (11-1): Yea, Arkansas was supposed to be down this year after losing 86% of their scoring from a year ago. But these Razorbacks have started the season 11-1 and have an upset of Oklahoma under their belts. Texas better not come out flat in Fayetteville.
• 9:00 PM: LSU (11-1) @ Utah (9-5): Despite beating Washington State at home, LSU is still looking to lend a little credibility to their gaudy record. Utah has struggled a bit this season, and they, too, are looking to boost their tournament profile before the MWC season gets into full swing.