As always, Saturday is chock full of must-see games. Us? We'll be sitting courtside at the UConn-Georgetown game in DC before hustling home to catch the rest of the day's action.
12:00 pm: UConn @ Georgetown: The Huskies head into DC having lost three straight to the Hoyas. Right now, both of these teams have a lot of question marks. Can either team be dominant on the glass? Will either team even have a bench develop? Is UConn going to be able to score when forced into a half court game? How good is Chris Wright? Both the Hoyas and the Huskies lack a gaudy resume (although Georgetown's wins over Washington and Butler are much more impressive than UConn's wins over Seton Hall and Harvard). This game is going to be decided by who control the pace - will the Huskies turn this game into an uptempo affair, or will the Hoyas more deliberate pace win out.
12:00 pm: Florida @ Vanderbilt: Both the Gators and the Commodores had high expectations coming into this season, but neither team is playing well right now. Florida is too reliant on trigger happy guards, while Vandy is trying to find an identity while establishing AJ Ogilvy as the dominant force he was as a freshman. With the powers in the SEC crumbling, second place in the once-loaded SEC East is wide open.
1:30 pm: Mississippi State @ Ole Miss: This game pits in-state rivals, but also doubles as a match-up between the two best teams in the SEC West. MSU hasn't quite lived up to the high expectations had in the preseason as they are still dealing with the Renardo Sidney situation. Ole Miss, on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise as they are not healthy and boast one of the best backcourts in the country. If the Rebels can get to the Bulldog's shooters, they should be able to win this one at home.
1:30 pm: Purdue @ Wisconsin: You know how everyone complains about the Big Ten and how ugly and physical the basketball is? This game will do nothing to change that. Both Purdue and Wisconsin are well-coached, disciplined teams that start with defense, and finish with execution offensively. Expect a game in the 50's, and I'm going to predict that the Badgers end Purdue's undefeated season at the Kohl Center.
2:00 pm: Duke @ Georgia Tech: It is impossible to call a game this early in the season a must-win, but I think it is fair to say that the Yellow Jackets really need to pick up this win at home. Tech came into the season with high hopes as they added Derrick Favors and Mfon Udofia to a team that returned a lot of talent, but as of yet Paul Hewitt's club has not been able to put it all together. The problem here is that Duke's front line is as big and athletic as the Yellow Jackets, but Iman Shumpert and company don't compare to Duke's back court with the way Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are playing.
2:00 pm: Kansas State @ Missouri: I guess we'll find out just how good Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente are in this one. Mike Anderson's team loves to press for 40 minutes, and if the Wildcats plan on winning in Columbia, Pullen and Clemente are going to be the guys asked to break that press. Mizzou has some guys that can get hot and go for 20 points, especially when they are getting easy buckets off of turnovers. This one is going to be a lot of fun to watch.
2:00 pm: Marquette @ Villanova: The Golden Eagles have had a brutal start to the Big East season, as this will be their fourth consecutive opponent in the top 15. Villanova just beat Marquette on the road last week on a Scottie Reynolds jumper in the final seconds. Can Marquette steal one on the road? They may need another shooting night like the one they had against Georgetown to do it (12-16 from deep).
3:30 pm: Ohio State @ Minnesota: No one is really talking about either of these two teams in the Big Ten, but both the Buckeyes and the Gophers have teams that can make the Sweet 16 this season. Evan Turner makes everyone on Ohio State so much better. Slowing him down and preventing him from creating opportunities for his teammates is the key to beating OSU. Minnesota has a few big, athletic wing players that could give Turner issues.
4:00 pm: Georgia @ Kentucky: Georgia wasn't expected to do much this season, but they already have wins over Georgia Tech and Illinois. Granted, Kentucky is on a completely different level, but with Trey Thompkins playing well inside, this is a Bulldog team that is going to sneak up on a lot of people.
4:00 pm: UNLV @ New Mexico: The Rebels had a brutal start to MWC play as their first two games were at BYU and at New Mexico. There is not shame in losing to the Lobo's on the road, but with an experienced back court, UNLV may just have the horses to pick up this win. And if you haven't seen Darington Hobson play for New Mexico this season, you need to tune into this one.
4:00 pm: Northern Iowa @ Illinois State: Another test for the Panthers. Winning on the road is never an easy thing to do in the MVC, but if UNI wants to ensure themselves of earning an at-large bid should they lose in the conference tournament, these kind of wins will go a long way.
6:00 pm: Oklahoma @ Baylor: Oklahoma is looking to turn their season around, while Baylor is looking to legitimize their gaudy 12-1 record. The Bears are as tall as any team in the country, but they don't necessarily have much girth, a trait that Tiny Gallon possesses in abundance. Two excellent match-ups to watch in this one. Gallon going up against one of the most improved players in the country in Ekpe Udoh, and Willie Warren going head-to-head with LaceDarius Dunn on the perimeter.
6:00 pm: Wake Forest @ Miami FL: No one is really talking about Wake Forest, but the Demon Deacons, who are coming off of back-to-back wins over Richmond and Xavier, have looked very impressive this season. Miami has just one loss on the season, but the Canes team heads into the meat of the ACC schedule largely untested. Keep an eye on Ish Smith for Wake. Al-Farouq Aminu is the player that gets all the pub, but Smith is the guy that makes the Demon Deacon's offense go.
6:00 pm: Cincinnati @ Seton Hall: It is almost time to be calling these games must-wins for the Pirates. They have started Big East pay 0-3, having had a chance to win all three games. SHU has played a very tough schedule, but 0-4 in the league is just too big of a hole to climb out of. Deonta Vaughn has been playing much better basketball of late, scoring 17 points in each of the Bearcats three Big East games. That said, I'm not sure Seton Hall is going to be able to execute offensively against a tough, physical Cinci D.
8:00 pm: Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State: As much as you may like either of these teams, it is difficult to argue right now that either of them should deserve a spot in the tournament. The best win for these two teams outside of the Pac-10 (they are a combined 4-0 against the Pac-10)? Tech's win over UTEP. Ugh. If the Cowboys and the Red Raiders want to go dancing, they need to win a lot in the Bg XII.
8:00 pm: West Virginia @ Notre Dame: West Virginia bounced back nicely from their loss at Purdue with an beatdown of Rutgers, while Notre Dame rebounded from their loss at UConn to hold on against a scrappy South Florida team. Luke Harangody has been outstanding in league play, averaging 28.7 ppg. The Irish are not all that big and are going to have trouble on the glass, but if they can get hot and hit their threes, this is a team that can easily put up 80-90 points. The same cannot be said for West Virginia. The key to beating WVU is to play tough defense in the half court, force a tough shot, and go get the rebound. Not exactly the style Mike Brey's teams have been known for.
9:00 pm: BYU @ UTEP: Hopefully Jimmer Fredette will be healthy for this one, because if he is, there are few point guard match-ups as intriguing as this one. Fredette reminds me a bit of Dan Dickau - slick ball-handler, crafty in the paint, lights out shooter - while Culpepper is a dynamic high flyer with range out to 25 feet. UTEP could really use this win.
10:00 pm: Gonzaga @ Portland: Portland has come back down to earth after reaching the top 25 early on in the season. But this is still a talented Pilots team with size and shooting. While the WCC once again appears to be Gonzaga, St. Mary's, then everyone else, Portland is a team that an absolutely win this game at home.
10:30 pm: USC @ Cal: The Trojans may have lost to Stanford after a tough week, but this is still a team that is good enough to play in the NCAA Tournament (if they weren't banned). USC excels on the defensive end, especially out on the perimeter, and with Cal's trio of talented guards, the Trojans are going to have their work cut out for them.
Other notable games
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Saturday's Pregame Beat |
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