Tuesday's Pregame Beat: Michigan State and Illinois highlight a mediocre night

7:00 pm: No. 18 Michigan State @ No. 22 Illinois: Both the Illini and the Spartans were expected to contend for the Big Ten title, and while that is still a feat that is quite possible for either team, both have been disappointing early on in Big Ten play. The Spartans have redeemed themselves a bit with back to back overtime wins against Wisconsin and Northwestern at home, but they have yet to really be tested on the road. That will happen tonight as they travel to Champaign to take on the Illini.

Illinois has struggled of late. They've lost four of their last seven games, including Penn State and Illinois-Chicago. Throw in the personal issues that Jereme Richmond has been dealing with, and this Illini team is one that could certainly use a big game in front of a raucous home crowd. There will be two keys for the Illini tonight -- get Demetri McCamey back on track and match the physicality of Michigan State's front line. Draymond Green and company haven't exactly been the Michigan State of old, but Illinois' bigs are known for their lack of strength and finesse post game.

This is an important game for both teams. Illinois cannot afford to fall three games behind Ohio State in the loss column, while the Spartans are looking to reestablish themselves as a legitimate contender. There's no way better to do that than by going into Assembly Hall and beating the Illini.

7:00 pm: Tennessee @ Georgia: Tennessee is looking to rebuild their resume -- and their confidence -- after a horrific stretch of games that saw them lose six of nine. The Vols are riding high right now, as Scotty Hopson and Brian Williams spurred on an impressive 17 point comeback against Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon. Like Michigan State, the way to prove that the Vols have finally figured it out is by winning on the road. Georgia bounced back from a tough loss at Vanderbilt to blow out Ole miss on the road. The Bulldogs already boast a win over Kentucky in Athens, but a win tonight would allow them to keep pace with Kentucky atop the SEC East standings.

8:00 pm: Clemson @ UNC: Want to hear an incredible stat? Clemson hasn't won at North Carolina in their last 54 games. Crazy, right? The Tigers are a bit of an unknown this season. They had a couple of solid performances early in the season, but then lost three straight games to high major competition. They've rebounded from it, however, winning eight in a row, including their last two in ACC play against Miami and Georgia Tech at home. That same Georgia Tech team is coming off of a 20 point win over these very Tar Heels, who have once again looked disappointing given the amount of talent on their roster.

No. 23 Georgetown @ Seton Hall: This is a bit of a make or break game for both teams. With a losing record as it stands, the Pirates cannot afford anymore losses this season, and with the return of Jeremy Hazell, they are finally at full strength as a program. Georgetown, on the other hand, has lost four of six to start Big East play and has looked, well, bad the past three weeks. Will the winner be able to turn their season around?

9:00 pm: No. 12 Kentucky @ Alabama: Kentucky should be able to roll through the Tide tonight, but the Wildcats better come to play for 40 minutes, something that they haven't really been doing of late. Alabama has a couple of talented forwards in JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell. If Josh Harrellson or Terrence Jones get into foul trouble, the Cats may have some problems.

7:00 pm: Colorado @ Nebraska: The Cornhuskers have been a tough out at home recently. They are also a big team, which could give the smaller Buffaloes some trouble. I'd recommend tuning in for at least a couple minutes of this one if you want to get a sense of whether or not Colorado is for real.

10:00 pm: TCU @ No. 9 BYU: The Jimmer Show.