Thursday Lay-up Lines: Tennessee and South Carolina square off for the SEC East crown

Quick lay-up lines tonight. Technical difficulties. Don't ask.

• 7:00 PM: Providence (18-11, 10-7) @ Villanova (24-6, 12-5): Providence can lock up a bid with a win tonight. A loss, and they need a good performance in the Big East tourney.
  
• 7:00 PM: Tennessee (18-10, 9-5) @ South Carolina (20-7, 9-5): First place in the SEC east is on the line.
• 8:30 PM: Stanford (16-11, 5-11) @ Arizona State (21-7, 10-6)
• 9:00 PM: Illinois (23-7, 11-6) @ Penn State (20-9, 9-7)
• 9:00 PM: Dayton (24-5, 10-4) @ Xavier (23-5, 11-3): Another battle for first place, this time in the A-10.
• 10:30 PM: Oregon State (13-14, 7-9) @ UCLA (22-7, 11-5)
• 10:30 PM: Cal (21-8, 10-6) @ Arizona (18-11, 8-8): Cal is in, but Arizona probably needs to win out at home to secure a bid.
  

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Wednesday Lay-up Lines: Oklahoma-Missouri Tonight

Just a quick lay-up lines tonight as I am going to be headed to the American-Lafayette first round Patriot League game tonight. Tonight is headlined by Oklahoma (26-3, 12-2) heading to Columbia to take on the Mizzou Tigers (24-5, 11-3). Oklahoma still has a shot at winning or sharing the Big XII title, but a loss tonight would end that. This is the first meeting between these teams. If Missouri wants to win, they are going to have to score. That sounds obvious, but the reason is that when they score, they can get into their press. Willie Warren and Austin Johnson have both been playing well this season, but I am not sure how well either of them can handle Missouri's press. By making the guards play faster than they want too, Mizzou will force turnovers and minimize the advantage Blake Griffin has on the offensive end.

The other big game tonight is Marquette (23-6, 12-4) heading to Pitt (26-3, 13-3) to take on the Panthers. Marquette is small and undermanned (especially with the injury to Dom James), and it is going to be very difficult for them to control DeJuan Blair and company. I think their best option is to go small, and maybe sit back in a zone, while exploiting the mismatch that Lazar Hayward will end up with. Villanova, another smaller Big East team, was able to beat Pitt that way (Villanova, while small by Big East standards, does have Dante Cunningham and a slew of 6'6", athletic wings). Playing in Pittsburgh, this is going to be a tough one for the Golden Eagles to pull out.

The rest of Wednesday's action:

• 6:30 PM: Northwestern (16-11, 7-9) @ Purdue (22-7, 11-5): Purdue is simply playing for seedings at this point (MSU clinched the Big Ten).
  
• 7:00 PM: Seton Hall (15-13, 6-11) @ Louisville (23-5, 14-2): Louisville can guarantee at least a share of the Big East crown by winning out.
• 7:00 PM: Boston College (20-9, 8-6) @ NC State (15-12, 5-9): A win here, guaranteeing a winning record in the ACC, would probably seal up a bid for the Eagles.
• 7:00 PM: UNC (25-3, 11-3) @ Virginia Tech (17-11, 7-7): The Hokie's tourney lives probably rest in the balance with this game.
  
• 7:00 PM: West Virginia (20-9, 9-7) @ DePaul (8-21, 0-16): You don't want to be the team that allows DePaul to get their first Big East win.
• 7:30 PM: Miami FL (17-10, 6-8) @ Georgia Tech (10-17, 1-13): With the way other bubble teams (ND, G'Town, Kansas State, Maryland) have been losing, the 'Canes might be able to sneak their way into the dance if they can win out and pick up a game or two in the ACC tourney.
• 8:00 PM: Georgia (11-18, 2-12) @ Kentucky (19-10, 8-6): The Wildcats need to win this game before what can be considered a play-in game on Saturday against Florida.
• 8:00 PM: Florida (21-8, 8-6) @ Mississippi State (17-12, 7-7): What did I just say about Kentucky?
• 8:00 PM: Vanderbilt (17-11, 6-8) @ LSU (25-4, 13-1): LSU is playing for seeding. Vandy is playing for pride.
• 8:00 PM: Memphis (26-3, 14-0) @ Houston (18-9, 9-5): The Tigers have a shot at earning a #1 seed if they can win out and some of the teams ahead of them lose.
• 8:00 PM: BYU (22-6, 10-4) @ Wyoming (18-10, 7-7): The Cougars are on the cusp of earning an at-large bid after beating Utah on Saturday.
• 8:30 PM: Wisconsin (18-10, 9-7) @ Minnesota (20-8, 8-8): The bubble implications of this game are enormous. Minnesota probably needs it worse than Wisconsin does at this point, but neither team can really afford to lose this one.
• 9:00 PM: Texas A&M (21-8, 7-7) @ Colorado (9-19, 1-13): Believe it or not, if Texas Tech can win out, they probably are going to get a bid.
• 9:30 PM: Kansas (24-5, 13-1) @ Texas Tech (12-17, 2-12): Win out, and the Baby Jayhawks win an outright Big XII title. Who saw that happening in the preseason?
  

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Tuesday Lay-up Lines: Championship Week Starts Tonight!!!

There are six games on tonight with all kinds of bubble importance:

• 7:00 PM: Cincinnati (18-11, 8-8) @ South Florida (8-20, 3-13): Cincinnati absolutely has to win out if they want to make the dance, and that may not even be enough. The Bearcats are 1-8 against the RPI top 25 (the one win being against West Virginia last week), and while they don't have many bad losses, they also don't have many great wins.

• 7:30 PM: Kansas State (20-9, 8-6) @ Oklahoma State (19-9, 8-6): This might be a play-in game for the NCAA tournament. Right now, OK-State is probably in and K-State is on the outside looking in. That could change, however, with K-State winning this one on the road. The Wildcats really need to get to 10-6 in the Big XII if they want a bid because of how weak their non-conference schedule was. OK-State gets Oklahoma next, and probably won't get a bid at 8-8 in the Big XII.
• 7:30 PM: Georgetown (15-12, 6-10) @ St. John's (14-15, 5-11): It's hard to believe, but Georgetown still has an outside chance of making the dance. They need to win out, and then probably get at least one or two games in the Big East Tournament to have a chance at a bid.
• 9:00 PM: Wake Forest (22-5, 9-5) @ Maryland (18-10, 7-7): Maryland is in the dance with a win. Simple as that. With a loss, they are going to need to beat Virginia and get at least one game in the conference tourney to have a chance.
• 9:00 PM: Utah (20-8, 11-3) @ New Mexico (19-10, 10-4): Utah is a lock at this point. They are in the top 10 in the RPI, and no team with an RPI that high is going to miss the dance. New Mexico, on the other hand, needs this win to have a chance. The MWC is looking at just three teams right now (BYU and UNLV as well), but New Mexico can make a run if they can get this win. The Pit is always a tough place to play.
• 9:00 PM: Ohio State (18-9, 8-8) @ Iowa (14-15, 4-12): The Buckeyes are in pretty good shape right now. Their last two games are Iowa and Northwestern, and if they can win those two, they should be in the dance.
  

There is a lot of other basketball on tonight, headlined by a battle in the ACC between Florida State (22-7, 9-5) and Duke (24-5, 10-4). Both teams are going to be dancing, but seeding in both the NCAA and ACC tournaments will be on the line. FSU is tied for third in the conference with Wake Forest, a game up on Clemson and BC and a game behind Duke.

Duke has been playing much better since Coach K subbed Elliot Williams into the starting line-up. While Williams has been a spark on the defensive end, the biggest change has been offensively. Jon Scheyer is now playing the point. Part of his struggles earlier in the season were a result of being guarded by bigger, athletic guards. Now, he is being guarded by point guards, which he is much more effective against.

Florida State is a tough match-up for Duke simply because the 'Noles are big and athletic at every position (they start four players over 6'7", and their center is 7'1"). The key is that while guys like Chris Singleton and Uche Echefu are big, they can also get out and defend on the perimeter.

The rest of the games tonight:

• 7:00 PM: Michigan State (23-5, 13-3) @ Indiana (6-22, 1-15): Michigan State still has an outside chance of getting a #1 seed.
  
• 7:00 PM: Virginia (9-16, 3-11) @ Clemson (22-6, 8-6): Clemson lost to UVA less than a month ago in OT in Charlottesville.
• 9:00 PM: Rutgers (10-19, 1-15) @ Syracuse (21-8, 9-7): All the Orange are playing for at this point is seeding.
• 11:00 PM: Seattle (18-7) @ Washington (22-7): U-Dub scheduled this game to avoid getting rusty during their eight day lay-off.
  

Three conference tourney's kick off tonight - the Big South, the Horizon, and the Ohio Valley.

Big South (campus sites):
- 7:00 PM: #8 High Point @ #1 Radford
- 7:00 PM: #7 Coastal Carolina @ #2 VMI
- 7:00 PM: #6 Gardner-Webb @ #3 Liberty
- 7:00 PM: #5 Winthrop @ #4 UNC-Asheville

Horizon (campus sites):
- 7:00 PM: #10 Detroit @ #3 Cleveland State
- 7:00 PM: #7 UIC @ #6 Youngstown State
- 7:00 PM: #9 Valparaiso @ #4 Wright State
- 8:00 PM: #8 Loyola @ #5 Milwaukee

Ohio Valley (campus sites):
- 7:30 PM: #5 Eastern Kentucky @ #4 Morehead State
- 8:00 PM: #8 Tennessee Tech @ #1 UT Martin
- 8:00 PM: #7 Eastern Illinois @ #2 Austin Peay
- 8:30 PM: #6 Tennessee State @ #3 Murray State Continue reading...

Monday Lay-up Lines: Slow Night

Only two games of significance tonight. The first sees Villanova (23-6, 11-5) head to Notre Dame (16-12, 7-9) as the Irish take one last crack at the NCAA tournament. Their resume is about as mediocre as they come - RPI of 69, SOS of 38, 3-10 against the RPI top 50 and 1-1 against 51-100. Basically, Notre Dame needs to beat Villanova (convincingly), blow out St. John's (who has already beaten them), and then will still probably need to win at least one, maybe two or three, games in the Big East tournament to have a shot. Villanova, on the other hand, blew an opportunity to make up a game on Marquette, who currently is sitting in fourth place in the Big East (which would give them two byes in the Big Eat tournament). Marquette still has to play Pitt and Syracuse (without Dom James), which means that 'Nova still has a good chance of getting that fourth spot.

The other game tonight is Texas (19-9, 8-6) hosting Baylor (17-11, 5-9). Baylor has been one of the most disappointing teams in the country. After starting the Big XII season 3-1, the Bears have since lost eight of ten (including six in a row). The biggest issue has been defense - the Bears allowed an average of almost 82 ppg in those eight losses. Texas has been somewhat disappointing as well, although can you really blame them after losing Kevin Durant and DJ Augustin in back-to-back years. The Longhorns are just about a lock for the tourney at this point, but they still probably want to pick up another win before the season is done. As they travel to Kansas for their finale, this game becomes much more important.

The only other game you may be interested in tonight is Davidson (24-6, 17-2) heading to Elon (10-18, 7-12). Continue reading...

Friday Lay-up Lines: Siena Takes On Niagara

Only one interesting game tonight happens in Canada Niagara as the two best teams in the MAAC, Siena (22-6, 15-1) and Niagara (22-7, 12-4), go head-to-head. It is on ESPN U at 7:00 PM, so if the whole Happy Hour thing doesn't do it for you, be sure to tune in.

Nothing else on tonight, so I'll give you this: Blake Lively.



My future wife. Jealous?

We'll be back here on Saturday to spend the day blogging away. Continue reading...

Thursday Lay-up Lines: Battle atop the Pac-10, again

Last week, it was Washington playing UCLA on a Thursday. UCLA won, but went on the lose to Wazzu, meaning that tonight's game between Washington (20-7, 11-4) and Arizona State (21-5, 10-4) would be for first place in the Pac-10. The Pac-10 is as muddled as any league in the country. There are four teams within a game (in the loss column) of first place. Washington has three home games, and if they win out they will be the outright Pac-10 regular season champs. Arizona State lost to Washington at home in their first meeting 84-71, but hasn't lost since, winning five straight.

Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon combined for 55 points in the first meeting, so if the Sun Devils want to steal this one on the road, they are going to need slow down the Huskies backcourt.

There are a lot of other key games on tonight as well:

• 7:00 PM: Minnesota (20-7, 8-7) @ Illinois (22-6, 10-5): Minnesota is probably in the tournament right now, but a win here would likely lock up a bid. Illinois is not only playing for seeding in the NCAA tournament, but the Big Ten tourney as well. A loss would put them just a game up on the four teams vying for the fourth and fifth spots.
• 7:00 PM: Youngstown State (11-16, 7-9) @ Butler (23-4, 13-3): The Bulldogs avoided dropping out of the top 25 with a convincing win at Davidson. Prior to that, they had lost three of five.
• 7:00 PM: Xavier (22-5, 10-3) @ St. Joe's (14-12, 7-5): St. Joe's was alone in first place in the A-10 before a recent four game losing streak. The Hawks could give X trouble inside, as Ahmad Nivins might be the best big man you haven't seen play.
• 7:00 PM: La Salle (14-12, 5-7) @ Temple (17-9, 9-3): Temple looks to keep pace with Xavier atop the A-10 (in the loss column). Both teams are now a game up on Rhode Island and Dayton.
• 7:00 PM: West Virginia (19-8, 8-6) @ Cincinnati (17-10, 7-7): This is a huge game for Cincinnati. Not only is it a homecoming for Bob Huggins, but it is a game they almost need to win to get into the dance. Winning at Syracuse will be tough, and beating Seton Hall and South Florida to get to .500 in the Big East probably won't cut it, so tonight is probably their best opportunity to play their way in. WVU is a good match-up for them as well. Both teams play a very physical, defensive style of ball where they get a lot of their offensive off of forcing turnovers and crashing the offensive glass.
  
• 8:00 PM: NC State (15-10, 5-7) @ Wake Forest (20-5, 7-5): Wake Forest has a bad habit of losing to the bottom of the ACC.
• 8:00 PM: Miami FL (16-10, 5-8) @ Virginia (9-14, 3-9): Miami needs to win out to have a chance at an at-large.
• 9:00 PM: Memphis (24-3, 12-0) @ UAB (19-8, 9-3): Remember what happened last time Memphis played at UAB? Chris Douglas-Roberts hit a buzzer beater, and the UAB fans got into it with the Memphis players (video montage here - lyrics very NSFW).
• 9:00 PM: Purdue (21-6, 10-4) @ Michigan (17-11, 7-8): Purdue is looking to stay within a game of Michigan State atop the Pac-10, while Michigan is simply trying to stay on the bubble.
• 9:00 PM: Arizona (18-9, 8-6) @ Washington State (14-13, 6-9): Arizona snapped a seven game losing streak when they lost to Arizona State on Sunday. If they can split this weekend, they may have played their way into the tournament, which would be an impressive feat for Russ Pennell's team.
• 9:05 PM: Hawaii (13-13, 5-8) @ Utah State (25-3, 12-1): The Aggies probably need to win their conference tourney to get into the dance at this point.
• 10:30 PM: USC (16-10, 7-7) @ Cal (20-7, 9-5): USC might need to win out to earn a bid at this point. Cal, on the other hand, is more than likely in (as long as they avoid a collapse) but with the west seeming very weak this season, winning out for them could earn a top four or five seed.
• 10:30 PM: UCLA (20-7, 9-5) @ Stanford (15-10, 4-10): UCLA=Cal.
  
• 10:30 PM: St. Mary's (22-5, 8-4) @ Pepperdine (8-20, 5-7): What is more disappointing - seeing Patty Mills break his hand, meaning that there is a good chance the Gaels don't make the tourney; or seeing Dom James break his foot and knowing that Marquette probably won't be making a deep run this year?
• 11:00 PM: Gonzaga (21-5, 12-0) @ Santa Clara (14-15, 6-6): Gonzaga has already locked up the WCC crown, but SC is still playing for tournament seeding. If you are up, be sure to tune in to see SC big man John Bryant, who is another excellent big man that flies under the radar.
  

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Wednesday Lay-up Lines: UConn-Marquette Highlights A Night Full Of Games With Bubble Implications

UConn (25-2, 13-2) will travel to Marquette (23-4, 12-2) in a showdown for first place in the Big East. Marquette is currently a half-game behind UConn and Louisville in the Big East standings (and a half game up on Pitt), but the Golden Eagles will play each of those three teams in the next ten days. This is going to be a very interesting match-up to watch. Marquette has no big men. At all. But they have one of the best backcourts in the country (especially when you add in Lazar Hayward to the mix). UConn, on the other hand, has a big front line, but is hurting for depth at the guard position with Jerome Dyson out for the season. This game is going to come down to one simple thing - who can take advantage of the mismatch. Will UConn beat Marquette on the interior, or will the Marquette's guards be too much for UConn to handle defensively? I think the latter will be true, as Marquette will almost assuredly go small, forcing Thabeet to come out and guard a perimeter player (or forcing Calhoun to go zone, which he never wants to do). For all you NBA scouts out there, be ready to watch Thabeet go against a pick-and-roll.

While a battle atop the Big East is almost common place at this point, there is a ton of other good basketball on the schedule for tonight:

• 7:00 PM: Rutgers (10-17, 1-13) @ Notre Dame (15-11, 6-8): The Irish absolutely cannot lose this one.
• 7:00 PM: Dayton (23-4, 9-3) @ Rhode Island (20-8, 9-4): Rhode Island is in fourth in the A-10, but just a game out of first place behind Xavier.
• 7:00 PM: Kentucky (19-8, 8-4) @ South Carolina (19-6, 8-4): The top of the SEC plays each other quite a bit over the last two weeks of the season. With no team really asserting themselves as a lock (aside from LSU), look for someone to drop out of the bubble picture.
• 7:30 PM: Virginia Tech (16-10, 6-6) @ Clemson (22-4, 8-4): Virginia Tech might be playing their way off of the bubble after losing three in a row and five of seven. They do get some chances at statement games as they have Duke, UNC, and Florida State after Clemson, although at this point in the season, wins may be more important for Va Tech than game against the top of the ACC.
• 8:00 PM: Villanova (22-5, 10-4) @ DePaul (8-19, 0-14): Will DePaul get a win in the Big East?
• 8:30 PM: Iowa (14-13, 4-10) @ Michigan State (21-5, 11-3): The Spartans are clinging to a one game lead in the Big Ten.
• 9:00 PM: Duke (22-5, 8-4) @ Maryland (17-9, 6-6): Maryland may have played their way into the tournament, but a win tonight against Duke or next week Clemson could help ensure their standing on the right side of the bubble.
• 9:00 PM: Mississippi State (17-10, 7-5) @ Tennessee (16-10, 7-5): Even with a mediocre record playing in a mediocre conference, most pundits have Tennessee easily in the tourney because of the difficulty of their schedule. The story will be different if they keep losing.
• 9:00 PM: Kansas State (19-8, 7-5) @ Missouri (23-4, 10-2): Missouri will win the Big XII if they win out. That will be tough, as they still play Kansas and Oklahoma after KSU, but the Tigers hold their destiny in their hands. Kansas State, on the other hand, has won seven of eight in the Big XII. They have two excellent scoring guards in Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen, but those two have a tendency to turn to ball over. They cannot afford to against Missouri's press.
• 9:30 PM: Texas Tech (12-15, 2-10) @ Texas (18-8, 7-5): The Longhorns still have some work to do to ensure a berth in the tourney, although playing the Pat Knight-less Red Raiders shouldn't pose too much of a challenge.
  
• 10:00 PM: UNLV (20-7, 8-5) @ Utah (19-7, 10-2): Big game out in the MWC, especially for UNLV, who needs a couple wins to improve their tournament stock.
• 10:30 PM: Oklahoma State (17-9, 6-6) @ Colorado (9-17, 1-11): The Cowboys can not afford to lose this one.
  

There is also some good mid-major action tonight:

• 7:00 PM: UNC Greensboro (4-23, 3-15) @ Davidson (22-6, 15-2): Davidson probably needs to win the SoCon tourney at this point, so it is a moot point saying that this is a must win game.
• 7:00 PM: VCU (19-9, 12-4) @ James Madison (18-11, 9-7); William & Mary (9-18, 4-12) @ Old Dominion (18-9, 10-6); 7:00 PM: George Mason (18-9, 11-5) @ UNC Wilmington (7-23, 3-13); Northeastern (17-10, 11-5) @ Drexel (15-11, 10-6); 7:30 PM: Hofstra (19-9, 10-6), Georgia State (10-18, 7-9): The CAA winner is going to come from one of the team's playing here.
• 8:00 PM: Navy (18-9, 7-5) @ American (19-7, 11-1)
  

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Tuesday Lay-up Lines: LSU hosting Florida highlights an interesting night

LSU (23-4, 11-1) hosts Florida (21-6, 8-4) in one of the more intriguing match-ups this week. LSU remains largely a mystery to everyone outside of Baton Rouge. Playing in a joke of a weak SEC West, the Tigers best wins are against Washington State, South Carolina, and at Tennessee, all of which (except probably the win in Knoxville) are highly debatable as "quality" wins. But facts are facts, and the Tigers are, in fact, sitting at 23-4 with a three game lead over the pack in a power conference. This should be a fun one to watch. Florida likes to get out and run the floor, while LSU has a number of athletes capable of becoming youtube legends. I think LSU's size and athleticism will be too much for the Gators.

The rest of the tonight's hoops:

• 7:00 PM: Penn State (19-8, 8-6) @ Ohio State (17-8, 7-7): This game has huge implications both for the two team's bubble prospects and for rankings in the Big Ten tournament. Right now, PSU is in fourth and OSU is in seventh, but a Buckeye win would create a four-way tie for fourth in the Big Ten. Why is that interesting? Because the top five teams get a bye in the first round.
• 7:00 PM: Pitt (25-2, 12-2) @ Providence (16-11, 8-7): This may be the last chance for Providence, who has dropped five of seven after starting out the year 6-2 in the Big East. Tough match-up here, as the Friars, who are a jump shooting team don't play much defense, will be going against one of the toughest defensive teams in the country.
• 7:30 PM: Syracuse (19-8, 7-7) @ St. John's (13-14, 4-10): The Orange could really use this win after losing seven of their last ten. Right now, they are tied with Cincinnati for the eighth in the Big East. For those that don't know, the top eight get a bye in the Big East tourney.
• 8:05 PM: Northern Iowa (18-10, 12-4) @ Illinois State (22-6, 11-5); Creighton (23-6, 12-4) @ Missouri State (11-17, 3-13): First place in the MVC is on the line.
• 9:00 PM: Florida State (21-8, 8-4) @ Boston College (19-9, 7-6): Florida State might have all but locked up a NCAA tourney bid, but BC still needs to pick up a couple of wins to feel comfortable. Should be fun to watch Toney Douglas go up against Tyrese Rice.
  
• 10:30 PM: BYU (20-6, 8-4) @ SDSU (18-7, 8-4): These two teams are right on the bubble, and also tied for second place in the MWC.
  

Continue reading...

Monday Lay-up Lines: Big XII Showdown, but is Blake Griffin Playing?

Just two games of interest tonight. The first takes place in DC as Louisville (21-5, 12-2) takes on Georgetown (14-11, 5-9). This is a must win for the Hoyas. They have used up all of their margin for error, and essentially need to win out if they want to avoid an NIT trip. Louisville, on the other hand, is playing for seeding in both the Big East and the NCAA tournaments. The guy to watch in this game is Terrence Williams. I don't think anyone on Georgetown is a good match-up defensively for T-Will. Guys like Jason Clark and Jessie Sapp don't have the size or strength that Williams does, but I don't think Austin Freeman is quick enough to stay in front of him. Williams is the guy that Louisville runs their offense through, and I think that the Hoyas need to go zone tonight to slow him down.

I think the Hoyas match-up well with Louisville offensively, however. The Cardinals play a lot of zone, and Georgetown has a team that is built to beat a zone. Greg Monroe is a great passer and the Hoyas have a bunch of shooters around him.

The other game on tonight is in Norman as Oklahoma (25-2, 11-1) hosts Kansas (22-5, 11-1). The big question in this one is whether or not Blake Griffin will be suiting up. The big fella suffered a concussion on Saturday night against Texas, and while his MRI yesterday came back clean, it looks like it is going to be a game-time decision whether or not he will play (UPDATE: Blake Griffin is out for tonight). Oklahoma proved that they were still a good team without Griffin against Texas. Willie Warren had 27 points and carried the Sooners as they came back from 12 down early in the second half to take a five point lead. If AJ Abrams hadn't gone crazy down the stretch, OU would have won this thing.

Kansas is a much better team than they were getting credit for early in the season. Their 22-5 record and spot atop the Big XII standings prove that. They have a number of quality wins (Tennessee, Siena, Kansas State twice, Washington), but they are just now starting to reach their potential. You know about Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, but the biggest difference right now is the emergence of the Morris twins. Neither twin is an incredible scorer, but they are long and athletic, and when they are playing with energy can really make a difference defensively and on the glass.

Clearly, the biggest x-factor in this game will be whether or not Griffin plays, but if he doesn't, OU is going to need another big performance out of Willie Warren is they hope to hold on to first in the Big XII. Continue reading...

Friday Lay-up Lines: Bracket Busters kicks off

We get the first two games of the Bracket Busters series as Illinois State (22-5) travels to Niagara (21-7) and VCU (19-8) heads out west to take on Nevada (15-10). Personally, I am a big fan of Bracket Busters. I don't get to see a lot of MWC or MVC or WAC games here on the east coast, and these games give me (and everyone else in the country) a chance to see some of the better mid-majors play against quality competition.

If you are going to be filling out a bracket come March (and if you are reading this, then you probably will be), the I strongly suggest you watch scout some of these teams. There is just the two games tonight, but check back tomorrow for a full schedule of Saturday's Bracket Buster games. Continue reading...

Thursday Lay-up Lines: Battle atop the Pac-10

The big game of the night takes place out in Pauley Pavilion as UCLA (19-6, 8-4) hosts Washington (19-6, 10-3). The Bruins were in first place in the Pac-10 until last weekend when they got swept at the Arizona schools. Washington was able to move into sole possession of first thanks to their own sweep of the Oregon schools (UCLA now sits in third). The Huskies look, and have looked, like the best team in the Pac-10 this season. They've beaten UCLA and Arizona State (ASU on the road) and their conference losses have come to Arizona and Cal on the road, and a 3OT thriller at home against Cal (a game they would have won if it weren't for this stupidity - no condensed video, so you have to go to the 9:00 mark).

But UCLA is UCLA. They aren't quite as good defensively as they have been in the past, but until someone unseats them from atop the Pac-10, you have to keep them in the mix. U-Dub, here is your chance.

I think Washington goes into Pauley and wins this one. I don't know why, but I really like how the Huskies are playing right now. They have two great scorers in their back court in Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon, a water buffalo on the block in Jon Brockman, and a group of excellent athletes to surround those three (Quincy Pondexter, Justin Holiday, Matthew Bryan-Amaning). While I expect Josh Shipp and Darren Collison to keep Dentmon and Thomas in check, I think that the Huskies are going to be too athletic and too big inside for the Bruins.

Of note, Jrue Holiday, UCLA's stud freshman, and Justin Holiday are brothers.

As I'm writing about this game, I have gotten to thinking about who is the best team on the west coast. Is it the winner of this game? Check back tomorrow for that.

The rest of the games from Thursday (which is a pretty terrible night in terms of hoops - seriously, ESPN's games are Duke-St. John's and Wisconsin-Indiana):

• 7:00 PM: Minnesota (19-6, 7-6) @ Michigan (16-10, 6-7): Probably the second most significant game of the night given the bubble implications. Both teams really could use the win, as successful non-conference seasons have not turned into good Big Ten years. Michigan is probably in more trouble than the Gophers, as a loss drops the Wolverines to two games below .500 in the conference.
  
• 7:00 PM: Xavier (21-4, 9-2) @ Charlotte (9-15, 3-7)
• 7:00 PM: Duke (20-5, 7-4) @ St. John's (12-13, 3-10)
• 8:00 PM: Western Kentucky (17-8, 11-3) @ Arkansas Little-Rock (9-6, 12-2)
• 9:00 PM: Wisconsin (16-9, 7-6) @ Indiana (6-18, 1-11)
• 9:00 PM: Rutgers (10-15, 1-11) @ Villanova (20-5, 8-4)
• 9:00 PM: Loyola Marymount (2-24, 1-9) @ Gonzaga (19-5, 10-0)
• 9:00 PM: Cal (19-6, 8-4) @ Oregon (6-19, 0-13)
• 10:30 PM: Washington State (13-12, 5-8) @ USC (15-9, 6-6)
• 11:00 PM: San Diego (13-13, 5-6) @ St. Mary's (20-5, 7-4)
  

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Wednesday Lay-up Lines: The Night of the Bubble Watch

Nine top 25 teams take the court tonight, but the games that matter tonight happen below the realm of the ranked. By my count, there are 13 games tonight that will significantly impact the bubble. And that isn't counting the LSU or Utah State cakewalks games.

What is interesting about tonight's games is that the majority of the important bubble games are going to be happening in the big six conferences. If you believe Joe Lunardi (which you should, the guy is a god at what he does), then you know that only eight conferences are projected to get at-large bids this year - the big six plus the A-10 and MWC. Of course, that could change if a team like Utah State or Davidson loses in their conference tourney, but assuming they don't, this year will be four below the average number of conferences to get multiple bids since the tourney expanded to 64/65 teams.

Enough about the tourney, let's get into tonight's bubble games (all RPI numbers from RealTimeRPI.com):

• 7:00 PM: Miami (15-9, 4-7) @ Florida State (19-6, 6-4): This game is huge for both teams. Florida State has a ridiculous gauntlet after Miami (Va Tech twice, @ BC, @ Duke, Clemson), and dropping a home game to the 10th place team in the ACC would be a huge blow to their resume. Miami, on the other hand, is almost to the point where they cannot afford another loss. Their four games after FSU are very winnable, which means that running the table is not out of the question. With an RPI that is only ok (50, although their SOS is 12), Miami may need to get above .500 in league play to lock up a bid.
• 7:00 PM: Notre Dame (14-10, 5-7) @ West Virginia (17-8, 6-6): The Mountaineers are almost to the point that they can stamp their ticket. They have an RPI of 16 (and a KenPom rating in the top 10), and the 21 point smack down they put on Villanova gave them a signature win. Notre Dame, on the other hand, was pretty much dead in the water before they whooped up on Louisville by 33. After beating South Florida over the weekend, the Irish have worked their way back into contention. With an RPI as low as 75, the Irish will have their work cut out for them, but beating WVU on the road would go a long way towards an at-large bid.
• 7:00 PM: Georgetown (13-10, 4-8) @ South Florida (8-16, 3-9): Georgetown is just about finished. They have good computer numbers (thanks to the toughest schedule in the nation), but unless they can get to .500 in the Big East, Hoya fans can probably resign themselves to the NIT.
• 7:00 PM: Alabama (13-11, 3-7) @ Florida (19-6, 6-4): I hope Gator fans aren't feeling too comfortable just yet. While they have a pretty record, they are just 47 in the RPI (and have a SOS of 98). They have also won just two games on the road, at Auburn and Vanderbilt. Oh yeah, and the Gators still have to play LSU, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. Nick Calathes and company need to string together some wins or they may be looking at a second straight NIT, especially considering how down the SEC is.
• 7:00 PM: Penn State (18-8, 7-6) @ Illinois (21-5, 9-4): At this point, the Illini are playing for seeding (and for the Big Ten regular season - they are a game out after MSU's loss). Penn State is just about done. They have an RPI of 72 and still get Illinois again after this and have to head to Ohio State.
• 7:00 PM: Citadel (17-10, 12-4) @ Davidson (22-4, 15-1): Steph Curry is a game-time decision with a bad ankle tonight. Curry or not, Davidson is probably at the point where they must win out and then make it to the finals of the SoCon tourney for a shot at an at-large.
• 7:30 PM: Providence (16-9, 8-5) @ Louisville (19-5, 10-2): As of today, Lunardi has the Friars in (as his last team). That could change over the next five games, however, as PC has to face three top 20 RPI teams as well as Notre Dame, who will need the win just as badly.
  
• 8:00 PM: Virginia Tech (16-8, 6-4) @ Virginia (8-13, 2-8): The Hokies are in for now. But they have a brutal schedule coming up after UVa (FSU twice, @ Clemson, Duke, UNC), which makes this game so important. Unfortunately, they will be playing shorthanded as Jeff Allen's bird call got him suspended for a game.
• 8:00 PM: South Carolina (18-5, 7-3) @ Mississippi State (16-9, 6-4): At this point, MSU is here to play spoiler. They've beaten exactly no one (best win, RPI # 65 Western Kentucky) and only played three teams with RPI's in the top 50 (LSU twice at #40 and Cinci at #48). South Carolina, on the other haand, still has a really good shot at making the dance. They have an RPI of 42 and are tied for first in the more-competitive-than-you-think SEC East (Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida also inhabit the division). But, as is with every team on the bubble, they need to keep the winning going.
• 9:00 PM: Ohio State (17-6, 7-5) @ Northwestern (13-10, 4-8): The Wildcats are pretty much out of the picture, while OSU should be all but in (Lunardi has them as a five seed). The Buckeyes are being slept on this season. They have just two losses outside the RPI top 16 (at #29 Wisconsin and at #36 Minnesota) and they have beaten Miami, Notre Dame, Butler, Purdue, and Minnesota. And remember, most of this was done without David Lighty in the line-up.
• 10:00 PM: UNLV (19-6, 7-4) @ Wyoming (14-10, 3-7): Believe it or not, there are five MWC teams with a realistic shot of reaching the tourney. Lunardi has UNLV in right now, but with games left against BYU, Utah, and SDSU, the Rebels really need to pick up a win here.
  

The rest of the games on tonight's schedule:

• 7:30 PM: Georgia Tech (10-14, 1-10) @ Wake Forest (19-4, 6-4)
• 8:00 PM: Utah (18-7, 9-2) @ Colorado State (8-17, 3-8)
• 8:00 PM: Tennessee (16-8, 7-3) @ Mississippi (13-11, 4-6)
• 8:00 PM: NC State (14-9, 4-6) @ UNC (23-2, 9-2)
• 8:00 PM: SMU (7-16, 1-9) @ Memphis (22-3, 10-0)
• 8:00 PM: Butler (22-3, 13-2) @ Milwaukee (14-11, 9-6)
• 8:00 PM: Iowa State (13-12, 2-8) @ Kansas (20-5, 9-1)
• 8:05 PM: LSU (21-4, 9-1) @ Arkansas (13-10, 1-9)
• 9:05 PM: Cal St. Bakersfield (6-19, 1-13) @ Utah State (24-2, 12-1)
• 10:00 PM: St. Joe's (14-10, 7-3) @ St. Louis (15-10, 6-5)
  

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Tuesday Lay-up Lines: Purdue hosts Michigan State to Headline a Quiet Night

The big game of the night is Purdue (19-6, 8-4) taking on Michigan State (20-4, 10-2) in West Lafayette. The biggest story line of the game is that both Robbie Hummel and Raymar Morgan will be playing. Hummel missed three games with a "stress fracture of the L-5 vertebrae in his low back", but returned on Saturday against Iowa to score 2 points in 24 minutes (Hummel practiced pain-free on Monday). Morgan, on the other hand, has missed the last three games (and played just 12.5 mpg in the four before that) as a result of walking pneumonia. Both are expected to suit up tonight, although both coaches have said they expect the two to play limited minutes.

Michigan State still has an outside chance of getting a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament (right now, the consensus is that UConn, Pitt, Oklahoma, and UNC are just about locked in), but in order to do so they are going to need to win games like this on the road. This game may be at Purdue, but I still think that the Spartans are the favorite to win. Purdue is a bit undersized when compared to the Spartans, which means that a limited Robbie Hummel (who plays the four) is going to be much more of an issue than a limited Raymar Morgan. If Purdue can slow down MSU and get them playing a half court game, then rebound on the defensive end, the Boilermakers have a shot.

Here is the rest of the night's action:

• 7:30 PM: Maryland (16-8, 5-5) @ Clemson (20-4, 6-4): Believe it or not, Maryland is on the cusp of making the NCAA tournament. They have won three of their last four games (including games against Miami and Virginia Tech) and have six games left. Four are against the top of the league - UNC, Duke, Clemson, and Wake. If they win the other two, and add an upset over one of those four teams, they will be 19-11, 8-8 in a tough ACC, with non-conference wins over Michigan and Michigan State. Yes, they lost to Morgan State, but the rest of that resume is pretty impressive.
• 8:00 PM: Seton Hall (14-10, 5-7) @ Marquette (21-4, 10-2)
• 9:00 PM: Kentucky (18-7, 7-3) @ Vanderbilt (15-9, 4-6)
• 10:00 PM: New Mexico (6-9, 7-3) @ BYU (19-5, 7-3)
  

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Monday Lay-up Lines: UConn hosts Pitt for first in the Big East

There are really only two games of significance tonight (that is, if you don't count Siena (20-6, 14-1) taking on Iona (12-14, 7-8) as a game of significance). Clearly, the biggest game of the night takes place in Hartford as UConn (24-1, 12-1) hosts Pitt (23-2, 10-2) in a battle of top five teams. The best match-up in this game will come in the paint, as DeJuan Blair and Hasheem Thabeet go head-to-head head-to-chest. What makes this match-up so interesting is that these two guys play extremely different styles to accomplish the same thing. Blair is a short (relatively speaking), stocky bruiser that uses his strength, leverage, and knowledge of positioning to bully people on the block. Thabeet uses his height and length to block shots and intimidate the opposing team when they penetrate or throw the ball to the block.

I think Thabeet gets the best of this match-up. When Blair is scoring well, he is doing it by going through the defender and to the rim or by using his well-endowed-posterior to create space from the defender. Thabeet is long enough that Blair will either have his shot blocked or changed if he tries either.

Both the Huskies and the Panthers are phenomenal defensively, but I don't really see it having all that much effect on either team. Between Levance Fields and AJ Price, there is sure a lot of senior leadership on those teams.

The winner of this game is going to be decided by the winner of the Blair-Thabeet match-up. Does one of them pick up fouls early? Can Thabeet control the paint with Blair pushing on him every which way? Can Blair get offensive boards and put-backs with someone the size of Thabeet.

The only other game tonight is at 9:00 when Texas (17-7, 6-4) heads to College Station to take on A&M. Texas has struggled of late. They lost three in a row, and almost made it four out of five when lowly Colorado took them to OT. A&M, on the other hand, has been a bit disappointing in conference play, starting out 3-6. But the Aggies are still in the tournament picture right now, and what better way to turn their season around than by knocking off the 'Horns. Continue reading...

Friday Lay-up Lines

There actually is an important Big East game on tonight as West Virginia (16-8, 5-6) hosts Villanova (20-4, 8-3). Villanova has won six in a row, but West Virginia is going to be a tough match-up for them,, especially is Dwayne Anderson doesn't play. Both these teams are tough defensively, but Villanova has really been hot on the offensive end of late, scoring an average of 99.3 ppg in their last three. West Virginia is not huge, but they have a number of athletic big men. They love to get after the offensive glass. Villanova is going to need to box out, and if they can keep the Mountaineers from getting too many second chance points, they should be able to win this one on the road.

The only other game of any significance is Butler (21-2, 12-1) taking on Illinois-Chicago (11-13, 4-10).

With that, I will leave you with a couple news and notes for the day:

- UConn guard Jerome Dyson looks like he may be done for the season after tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee. Big blow to the Huskies title hopes as Dyson is UConn's second leading scorer and best perimeter defender.

- Arkansas freshman PG Courtney Fortson has been suspended indefinitely by head coach John Pelphrey. While he gives no specifics about the cause of the suspension, Fortson fouled out of a recent game and at the same time, a tech was called on the Razorback bench. Fortson was averaging 14.5 ppg and 6.5 apg.

- Playboy's hottest sportscaster. Any guess who won? Continue reading...

Thursday Lay-up Lines

Tonight's college hoops action is dominated by the West Coast. The biggest game of night pits UCLA (19-4, 8-2) at Arizona State (18-5, 7-4). UCLA, as the best team in the Pac-10, is in the running for a #1 seed come March, but it is going to take the Bruins winning games like this on the road. While they are sixth in the coach's poll, the Bruins are 11th in the AP and the mid-20's in the RPI. The Sun Devils won the first match-up against the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion in OT, but they have been inconsistent in league play (the weeks ago they were swept at home by the Washingtons). The biggest problem is that Arizona State's offense has really struggled to put up points. In their last seven games, the Sun Devils have not scored more than 71, and four times scored 55 or less (including 49 twice). The problem? Teams are really starting to key on James Harden on the perimeter as Derek Glasser, Ty Abbott, and Rihard Kuksiks struggle.

While I still have my doubts about the Bruins, they have really started to play better basketball of late. In the four games since their loss to U-Dub, UCLA has beaten Cal, Stanford, USC, and Notre Dame by an average of 22 points. A big reason for that has been the improved play of Jrue Holiday, who is averaging 12.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.8 apg, and 2.0 apg. Holiday is an excellent defender, and I see him giving Harden fits. But where ASU is going to have an advantage is in the post with Jeff Pendergraph. Alfred Aboya has really grown on me as a player, but he is still undersized for the Pac-10 (UPDATE: Drew Gordon may miss the game with back spasms).

I think UCLA pulls this one out on the road. Here is the rest of the night's games you should care about:

• 7:00 PM: Louisville (18-4, 9-1) @ Notre Dame (12-10, 3-7): The Irish need this game, and may need to win out if they want to avoid the NIT. It will be a tough one for ND, because they struggle against ... everyone?
  
• 7:00 PM: Manhattan (14-10, 8-6) @ Siena (19-6, 13-1)
• 7:00 PM: Temple (13-9, 5-3) @ St. Joe's (14-8, 7-1): With Xavier's loss to Dayton last night, St. Joe's is now all alone in first place in the A-10.
• 7:00 PM: Davidson (20-4, 13-1) @ Wofford (13-13, 7-6)
• 9:00 PM: Illinois (19-5, 7-4) @ Northwestern (13-8, 4-6)
• 10:00 PM: Oregon (6-17, 0-11) @ Washington State (12-11, 4-7)
• 10:05 PM: Utah State (23-1, 11-0) @ Idaho (10-12, 4-5)
• 10:30 PM: USC (15-7, 6-4) @ Arizona (16-8, 6-5): The Trojans and the Wildcats are both right on the bubble and right in the middle of the Pac-10 as most pundits have both teams either in their last four in or last four out. Both teams, however, has massive problems. UA is essentially a three man team, while USC has a ton of injury issues (Leonard Washington, Dwight Lewis, Keith Wilkinson, and now Marcus Johnson have missed significant time). I like Arizona getting it done at home.
• 10:30 PM: Oregon State (10-12, 4-7) @ Washington (17-6, 8-3)
• 11:00 PM: Gonzaga (17-5, 8-0) @ St. Mary's (19-4, 6-3): Think about how much more luster this match-up had two weeks ago when these two teams played.
  

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Wednesday Lay-up Lines

There are three fantastic games on tonight, starting with UConn (22-1, 10-1) hosting Syracuse (18-6, 6-5) at 7:00. The Huskies and the Orange have really been heading in opposite directions since the beginning of Big East play. UConn lost their opener at home to Georgetown, but has since reeled off 11 straight wins, taking over the country's #1 ranking. Syracuse came into the league at 12-1 and started out 4-0, but has lost five of seven since then. The Orange aren't quite in dire straits just yet, but this would be a huge win for them (as you will see, it is the theme of the night). Syracuse's biggest issue has been coming out ready to play from the tip. On Saturday, they coasted through the first 15 minutes of the game, finding themselves down by 19 to Villanova before they started to play. If that happens against UConn, this game may be over in a hurry.

The injury news for Syracuse is that Arinze Onuaku has knee tendonitis, which has really limited not only his playing time, but his performance in the last three games (averages of 18 minutes, 2.7 points, and 3.7 boards). Not the most fleet of foot player in the world when healthy, the injury has taken away much of his explosiveness. Hopefully for Syracuse fans he is healthy, because heading to Hartford without your best inside player will be a tall task.

At 9:00 is the game everyone has been waiting as UNC (21-2, 7-2) heads to Durham to take on the Dukies (20-3, 7-2). This should be a really interesting match-up to watch. Duke plays phenomenal on-the-ball, pressure defense on the perimeter, which should slow down the UNC break. The Heels should have a huge advantage on the inside with Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson, and Ed Davis. The key to this game is going to be Duke's ball pressure on the perimeter. Duke's bigs are going to have to essentially play 1-on-1 in the post (a mismatch) because of the shooting ability of Ty Lawson, Danny Green, and Wayne Ellington. If Duke's guards get out and pressure the ball on the perimeter, it makes it that much more difficult to throw a good entry pass to the guy posting on the block.

On the offensive end, Duke is going to need to take advantage of their quickness. None of UNC's bigs should be able to handle Kyle Singler (or even Dave McClure, who has been playing great glue-guy minutes of late, for that matter) on the perimeter. I also think they will have an advantage with whoever Ellington is guarding - Jon Scheyer or Gerald Henderson.

My question is who will be starting at point. I wrote this column about Greg Paulus yesterday detailing the differences between Paulus and Nolan Smith at the point. It will be a tough decision for Coach K. If there is any one guy in the country that you need to have a good defender on the floor for, it is Ty Lawson. But don't you want your general (Paulus) on the floor as much as possible?

UPDATE: Paulus is starting tonight.

The rest of the night's games:

• 7:00 PM: Xavier (20-3, 8-1) @ Dayton (21-3, 7-2): The battle for the top of the A-10 should be a fantastic one to watch. The match-up that I am looking forward to seeing (yes, I am TiVoing - LIVE BLOG TONIGHT FOR UCONN-CUSE AND DUKE-UNC) the most is Derrick Brown and Chris Wright, who are two of the best combo forwards in the country. Xavier is pretty much a lock for the NCAA tourney at this point, but a win for Dayton would all but seal up their bid.
  
• 6:30 PM: Penn State (17-6, 6-5) @ Purdue (17-6, 6-4): Purdue has dropped two in a row without Robbie Hummel, who will be a game time decision tonight. Penn State has lost two in a row, and has Minnesota, Illinois, and Ohio State coming up next. If the Nittany Lions drop this one, they should kiss the bubble goodbye.
• 7:00 PM: Wake Forest (18-3, 5-3) @ NC State (12-9, 2-6): Wake Forest got back to playing Wake basketball in the second half of a 17 point win against BC - running the floor, playing defense, getting the ball inside, and then getting out of Jeff Teague's way. Expect more of the same tonight.
  
• 8:00 PM: Tulsa (17-7, 7-2) @ Memphis (20-3, 8-0): Believe it or not, Tulsa is smack dab in the middle of the bubble right now. Beating a Memphis team that is as hot as anyone in the country would go a long way towards helping them get in. This will be a chance for a lot of people to see Jerome Jordan, Tulsa's 7-foot NBA prospect, go up against a really good front line.
• 8:00 PM: LSU (19-4, 7-1) @ Mississippi State (16-7, 6-2): A battle for first place in the SEC West.
  
• 9:00 PM: Oklahoma (21-1, 8-0) @ Baylor (15-8, 3-6): Baylor is in big trouble. Losing this game would drop them to 15-9, and 3-7 in a so-so Big XII. Must win? Just about.

Other games other little to no significance:

• 7:00 PM: Drexel (12-10, 8-5) @ Northeastern (16-7, 11-2)
• 7:00 PM: Georgia Tech (10-12, 1-8) @ Virginia Tech (15-7, 5-3)
• 7:30 PM: St. John's (12-11, 3-8) @ Cincinnati (16-8, 6-5)
• 8:00 PM: Colorado State (8-15, 3-6) @ BYU (17-5, 5-3)
• 8:00 PM: Georgia (9-14, 0-8) @ Tennessee (14-8, 5-3)
• 9:00 PM: Texas Tech (12-11, 2-6) @ Kansas State (16-7, 5-4)
• 10:00 PM: San Diego State (17-5, 7-2) @ Utah (16-7, 7-2): Big game for first place in the tough MWC.
  

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Tuesday Lay-up Lines

The game of the night is taking place in Philly as Marquette (20-3, 9-1) heads down to play streaking Villanova (19-4, 7-3). The Wildcats have won five in a row after losing at UConn, including victories over Pitt and Syracuse. Marquette, on the other hand, suffered their first defeat in conference play at the hands of South Florida. This should be a fun one to watch as both of these teams have great back court play. As much as I like Marquette, I think that Villanova wins tonight, as long as Dante Cunningham stays out of foul trouble. The Golden Eagles don't have an answer inside for Cunningham, who is turning into one of the best players in the Big East. I'm curious to see who Buzz Williams puts Jerel McNeal, the best perimeter defender in the conference, on defensively. The obvious answer in Scottie Reynolds, but do you risk putting the sometimes-flaky Dominic James on one of the Corey's?

There are a number of other good games on tonight as well:

• 7:00 PM: Michigan State (19-4, 9-2) @ Michigan (15-9, 5-6): Raymar Morgan will most likely not be playing (pneumonia), which is a break for the Wolverines who could really use this win. The Spartans are flying well under the radar right now. They are 7th in the RPI right now, 19-4 against the 7th toughest schedule, and have four losses (all to top 25 RPI teams) when they were missing either Goran Suton (first two) or Raymar Morgan (last two) in each. I don't see Michigan being able to handle the size, strength, or athleticism of the Spartans.
• 8:00 PM: Oklahoma State (14-8, 3-5) @ Texas (15-7, 4-4): The Longhorns have lost three in a row and could really use a win to boost a mediocre tournament profile. OK State, on the other hand, is one of those teams that just seems to keep hanging around the tournament discussion. They have an RPI of 31 and a SOS of 6, which means that if they can string together a couple of wins here late, they have an excellent shot at getting to the dance.
• 9:00 PM: Florida (19-4, 6-2) @ Kentucky (16-7, 5-3): Both of these teams could really use the win. Florida looks to be the safer bet to get into the dance right now, but Kentucky will be the more dangerous team if they do make it. Problem is, the Wildcats are a two man show with Jodie Meeks (who has struggled in the last three while being face guarded) and Patrick Patterson. If Florida can keep the ball out of Meeks' hands while making it difficult to get the ball inside to Patterson, the Gators should be able to pull out the victory in Rupp.
• 9:00 PM: Clemson (19-3, 5-3) @ Boston College (18-7, 6-4): All the credit Clemson recieved for beating Duke by 27 they lost after blowing a 19 point second half lead to Florida State at home. BC does own a win over North Carolina, but the Eagles still have a lot to prove to a lot of people if they want to reach the dance.

Other notable games:

• 7:00 PM: Virginia (7-12, 1-7) @ Florida State (18-5, 5-3)
• 7:00 PM: Providence (14-9, 6-5) @ South Florida (8-14, 3-7)
• 9:00 PM: Indiana (6-16, 1-9) @ Minnesota (18-5, 6-5)
• 9:00 PM: Seton Hall (13-9, 4-6) @ DePaul (8-16, 0-11)
  

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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. Continue reading...

Friday Lay-up Lines

Only one game of significance tonight as Marquette (20-2, 9-0) puts their undefeated Big East record on the line as they travel to South Florida (7-14, 2-7) to take on the Bulls.

Since there isn't much on the schedule to talk about, we'll give you these two clips of college basketball announcers at their finest. The first is Mike Patrick, who you may remember for this legendary question during an Alabama-Auburn football game. Apparently, he isn't a fan of Barry Bonds:



After the jump, find out why Eric Devendorf ... smells deuces?



I don't consider myself sexist. I actually think Doris Burke is extremely knowledgeable about the game of basketball (and if you read this blog, then you know Dana O'Neil is probably my favorite writer). But watching this clip only confirms why women have had and always will have trouble entering this profession.

I mean seriously, you are announcing a college basketball game. I'm guessing three quarters of the audience watching on TV are males in the 15-35 range. I'm also going to guess that 99% of those males in the 15-35 range are aware of what the saying "dropping a deuce" means. So why, in the name of the good lord, would you ever think it a good idea to say somebody "smells deuces", and mean it as a compliment? Continue reading...