Monday Lay-up Lines

Just the two ESPN Rivalry Week games on tonight. West Virginia (16-7, 5-5) heads to Pitt (21-2, 8-2) to start things off tonight with the Backyard Brawl. This game is going to be a slug fest. Both teams play tenacious defense, surviving off of run outs and offensive boards. For WVU to spring the upset in this one, they are going to need to slack off of the perimeter guys for Pitt, clogging up the middle. Jermaine Dixon and Ashton Gibbs have been shooting the rock well, but I still take my chances letting the freshman try and beat me instead of allowing DeJuan Blair and company to control the paint. My prediction - whoever wins to battle of the boards wins this game. I'm going with Pitt.

At nine, Kansas (19-4, 8-0) heads to Columbia to take of Missouri (20-4, 7-2) in the Border War. Both of these teams are relatively unproved in Big XII play. I think Mizzou pulls this one out. They will press the hell out of Kansas, who struggled to handle the pressure Nebraska threw at them last week. The Jayhawks are a young team playing their first huge rivalry game in conference play. To make matters worse, it is on the road against a team that plays a vicious pressure defense. That said, Sherron Collins has been one of the best and most exciting players to watch this season. If Kansas hopes to win, he is going to have to play well and not turn the ball over.