Monday's Pregame Beat

7:00 pm: West Virginia @ UConn: For the second straight Big Monday, UConn will be playing for their bubble lives. Last Monday, the Huskies knocked off Villanova to keep their tournament hopes alive. Tonight, they get West Virginia at home. I don't like this matchup for UConn as much as I liked the matchup with Villanova. West Virginia is better defensively in the half court and they rebound the ball very well on the offensive end of the floor. UConn has struggled to score against a good half court defense, and they have been inconsistent rebounding the ball.

If UConn is going to win this game, they need to utilize their speed and quickness advantage in the back court. As tough as West Virginia is on the defensive end, penetrating guards can give them problems since they don't have a ton of quickness in their back court. Don't be surprised in West Virginia throws the 1-3-1 zone look they've been using lately at the Huskies.

West Virginia likes to send a lot of people at the offense glass. This means that when UConn gets a defensive rebound, they are going to have numbers if they push the ball; and you better believe Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker will be pushing the ball.

Oklahoma @ Kansas: Oklahoma has been a huge disappointment this season, and Willie Warren may have been the most disappointing player in the country. In the preseason, the Sooners were a Big XII contender and Willie Warren was an all-american candidate. Today, Oklahoma is hoping to earn a bid from the NIT, while Willie Warren is missing his fifth game in the last nine thanks to a combination of an ankle injury and mono.

Kansas, on the other hand, has looked absolutely dominant over their last three or four games. With Xavier Henry starting to shoot the ball well again, the Jayhawks look like the favorite to win a national title. If they can slow down Tommy Mason-Griffin, the Jayhawks should roll.