9:00 pm: Texas @ Kansas State: Texas had to hang on twice last week to remain undefeated, but the Horns are still the No. 1 team in the country. That said, the Horns aren't even favored to win tonight.
Its no secret these days that Kansas State is loaded. They have a big, athletic front line that hits the offensive glass as well as any team in the country. Their back court is actually better than the Longhorn's, as Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen are experienced player capable of putting up 30 every time they step on the court. Pullen has struggled a bit with his jumper since the start of conference play, but Clemente seems to finally be finding his rhythm.
But Texas has an excellent defensive perimeter, especially when Avery Bradley, Dogus Balbay, and Justin Mason are on the floor. They also have a big enough front line to keep the Wildcats off the glass. If K-State has any advantage, it is on the defensive end. The Longhorn's biggest weakness is ball-handling in the back court. If the Wildcats press starts clicking, they might be able to force Texas into turnovers. The more turnovers they force, the fewer shots guys like Damion James and Dexter Pittman will get.
A lot of people are picking K-State in this one, but I'm not convinced that K-State is big enough or tough enough in the paint.
7:00 pm: Syracuse @ Notre Dame: Syracuse is coming off of a big win over West Virginia on the road, and has been playing excellent basketball of late. Perhaps the most impressive performance they got on Saturday was from freshman Brandon Triche, who struggled mightily to start the game, but hit a number of clutch shots and finished with 16 points. Notre Dame is coming off of a loss to Cincinnati, but the Irish are playing well right now, including winning against West Virginia 10 days ago. With a Notre Dame win, both teams would be in a two-game tie for third place.
Other notable games
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday's Pregame Beat |
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