Tuesday's Pregame Beat

7:00 pm: Wake Forest @ Virginia Tech: This is a huge game for the Hokies. Va Tech has a gaudy record as they sit at 20-4 and 7-3 in the ACC, but they have played just three teams in the RPI top 50, beating only one. Their strength of schedule is 202nd. Simply put, the Hokies need some big wins to bolster their resume, and with Wake currently sitting at 11th in the RPI, this game easily qualifies.

It will be easier said than done, however. Wake Forest might be the most underrated team in the country. They've got some very good wins (at Gonzaga, Richmond, Xavier), but have struggled on the road in conference play.

9:00 pm: Kentucky @ Mississippi State: This game provides what I'm hoping will be one of the most entertaining 1-on-1 matchups of the season as DeMarcus Cousins takes on Jarvis Varnado. Varnado has a shot to become the all-time leader in blocked shots before his career is over, I don't know if he has ever faced a big man with the ability of Cousins. Varnado's strength is his length, his timing, and his athleticism while Cousins's strength is, well, strength, especially for someone with his quickness. I see Cousins getting the best of this matchup. Varnado excels as a weak side shot blocker. He is not a great 1-on-1 defender, where Cousins is a phenomenal scorer with his back to the basket. And you should probably expect Cousins to be a little more fired up than usual.

There are two keys for Mississippi State if they want to win this game. This first is that they must hit their threes. The Bulldogs have a lot of solid shooters in their line up rely very heavily on the three ball. They also are going to need a good performance out of Dee Bost. Bost is a talent, but he's incredibly inconsistent and not the best decision maker.

Bubble Watch

• 7:00 pm: Cincinnati @ South Florida: There is so much bubble impact in this game it is ridiculous. The Big East right now looks like they are headed for seven, or even eight, bids, and both Cinci and USF are on the wrong side of the equation.
• 7:00 pm: Towson @ Old Dominion: ODU cannot overlook this one, which is an obvious trap game. The Monarchs will be playing on national television Friday night in Bracketbusters against Northern Iowa with a chance to solidify an insurance at-large bid.
• 8:00 pm: Texas Tech @ Baylor: Texas Tech lost a tough one to A&M on Saturday, but as with so many teams in the country, they still have a chance to play their way in if they can keep winning. This stretch will make or break the Red Raider's season - at Baylor, Texas, and Kansas State over the next seven days.
• 8:00 pm: SDSU @ TCU: The Aztecs picked up a couple important wins last week, including knocking off UNLV at home. That got them back on the bubble. Winning games like this will keep them on the bubble.
  
• 8:05 pm: Creighton @ Northern Iowa: Northern Iowa has to win this game. A loss may not eliminate them from at-large consideration just yet, but playing Old Dominion without their starting center may do the trick.
• 9:00 pm: UNC @ Georgia Tech: Can we say that Tech is on the bubble? They haven't won anything on the road and are 5-6 in the ACC. They have a ton of good wins and played a very tough schedule, but they cannot afford to lose games like this.
  

Other notable games

• 7:00 pm: Michigan State @ Indiana
• CAA:
  • 7:00 pm: Northeastern @ UNC-Wilmington
  • 7:00 pm: William & Mary @ George Mason
  • 7:00 pm: Drexel @ VCU
• 9:00 pm: Michigan @ Iowa
• 9:00 pm: Rutgers @ DePaul