Monday's Pregame Beat

7:00 pm: Georgetown @ Syracuse: Arguably the Big East's fiercest rivalry, this game comes as both teams are playing arguably their best basketball of the season. After losing to Pitt, Syracuse has reeled off six straight wins, including three roadies in the span of six days, as they have asserted themselves as a favorite to earn a #1 seed come Selection Sunday. Georgetown, on the other hand, struggled a bit earlier in the season, including a loss to Old Dominion at home, but the Hoyas have bounced back nicely, winning six of their first eight in the league. This game comes in the middle of a very tough stretch for Georgetown, as they play four top 15 teams in five games.

If the Hoyas want to spring the upset on the road, they are going to have to pound the ball into Monroe at the high post. There may not be a better passing big man than Monroe, and his height should allow him to find guys like Chris Wright and Austin Freeman, who have been arguably the best back court in the country the last month, for open looks. Syracuse, on the other hand, should look to try and force turnovers. The Hoyas back court, especially Chris Wright, have a tendency to be turnover prone and force quick shots when they are faced with some tough defense (see the UConn game), and the Orange have proven to be a very good team in transition.

9:00 pm: Missouri @ Kansas: Everyone knows about Kansas and how talented this team is. Everyone should know about Missouri and their 40-minutes-of-hell defense. The Tigers are the best team in the country when it comes to forcing turnovers. But Kansas, led by senior Sherron Collins, has a very good back court. If Mizzou wants to win this game, the are going to have to do three things: get Kansas to rush, whether it results in a turnover or a forced shot; control the defensive glass by keeping the Jayhawk's big front line from getting second chance opportunities; and hit their threes.