Rankings the Big Mondays

I'll be honest.

I love Big Monday. Maybe its because I grew up in Big East country. Maybe its because I have an awkward love for color commentary of Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery. Maybe its because I am the only person in the country that thinks Brent Musberger and Bobby Knight are entertaining as announcers. Maybe its because something needs to fill the void of Monday Night Football.

Or maybe its because I simply adore starting off my week with two big-time matchups, which just so happen to be the only games of significance each and every Monday. If you can't get excited for Big Monday, then we can't be friends anymore. Sorry. The door's over there.

I have a point to all of this (I swear).

On Thursday, the Big East released their Big Monday schedule. The Big XII announced their portion back in July, which means that I now know exactly how I will be spending each and every Monday in January and February.



Hit the jump to see our rankings of which Big Mondays we are looking forward to the most:

(Ed. Note: We aren't including the first three weeks in our rankings. If we were, they would be at the bottom. Two games are always better than one.)

1. January 17th: Villanova @ UConn; Kansas State @ Missouri; Syracuse @ Pitt; Kansas @ Baylor

I mean, isn't this obvious? The 17th is Martin Luther King, Jr., day, and what better way to celebrate your Monday off from work than eight solid hours of Big East and Big XII hoops? The day tips at 3:30pm (all times EST) with Villanova heading to UConn. Now, the Huskies are going to be down this season, but they still have Kemba Walker who will need to have a big game against Villanova's loaded back court. The good news for UConn is that the game will, in fact, be played at Gampel Pavilion, their on-campus arena, as opposed to the Hartford Civic Center. The other MLK Day Big East game will be one of the best of the season. Pitt and Syracuse, along with Villanova, are the favorites to finish atop the conference, and its by a pretty wide margin. There is a lot to like about this game, but the matchup that intrigues me the most will be Pitt's sophomore big man Dante Taylor going up against stud Syracuse freshman Fab Melo. I get the feeling NBA scouts will like that as well.

UConn beat Nova in Philly last year.
(photo credit: Stamford Advocate)

On the Big XII side, the games will be just as entertaining. The first game pits Kansas State and Mizzou, two of the more exciting teams to watch in this league. Kansas State has a ton of size and length along their front line, but their back court is relatively inexperienced after all-american Jacob Pullen. That's not ideal considering the Tiger's 40 minutes of hell defense. Mizzou is deep, especially in the back court, with a lot athletes that really can get after it defensively. It may not be the prettiest game to watch, but it will be exciting. The night ends with Kansas heading to Waco, TX, to take on Baylor. Both the Bears and the Jayhawks have potential all-americans on their roster in LaceDarius Dunn and Marcus Morris. But they also boast two of the most-hyped recruits in the country in Josh Selby and Perry Jones.


2. February 14th: West Virginia @ Syracuse; Kansas @ Kansas State

It may be Valentine's Day, but love is rarely in the air when Kansas and Kansas State get together. The atmosphere is always fantastic when the Jayhawks enter the Octagon of Doom, and this season should be no different. Marcus Morris will have his hands full with the Wildcat front line, but the matchup that everyone will want to see is freshman phenom Josh Selby going up against senior and all-american Jacob Pullen.

Jacob Pullen and the Wildcats have a great home court.
(photo credit: USA Today)

In the early game, Bob Huggins will bring his West Virginia Mountaineers to the Carrier Dome to take on Jim Boeheim's Syracuse Orange. The Orange are definitely the more talented team, with guys like Kris Joseph and Fab Melo looking like potential first round picks, but the Mountaineers are a scrappy bunch led by senior Joe Mazzulla. With Kevin Jones and Deniz Kilicli seemingly primed for big years inside, it should surprise no one if WVU gives Syracuse a game.


3. February 7th: Pitt @ West Virginia; Missouri @ Kansas

Rivalry games are what it is all about in college hoops, and these two rivalries are about as entertaining as it gets. West Virginia fans are notoriously rowdy, and the last time the Panthers came to visit, it ended with a Pitt assistant coach being hit by a coin thrown from the stands. With both teams once again loaded with physical, tough basketball players, I wouldn't be surprised if this year's installment of the Backyard Brawl ended up in an actual brawl.

Marcus Morris and Kim English will be two of the best players in the Big XII next year.
(photo credit: Statsheet)

You know a rivalry is good when it has its own nickname. Pitt-WVU is the Backyard Brawl, while Kansas-Missouri games are known as the Border War. This year, the Tigers will be traveling to the Phog to take on a very good Jayhawk team. Kansas will be playing with a freshman point guard in Josh Selby, which is never ideal when you are facing the kind of pressure that Mizzou puts on for 40 minutes.


4. February 21st: Syracuse @ Villanova; Oklahoma State @ Kansas

A late February game between two of the favorites to win a conference? Yes please! The outcome of this Syracuse and Villanova game will, in all likelihood, have a major impact on the top of the Big East standings. Villanova may not have answers for Kris Joseph or Fab Melo, but can the Orange zone contain the Wildcat's tremendous back court?

Oklahoma State travels to Kansas in the night cap. The Cowboys lost their star James Anderson to the NBA this offseason and return a young roster. Okie State does have a couple of solid post players and some young talent in their back court, but winning in the Phog is never an easy task.


5. February 28th: Villanova @ Notre Dame; Kansas State @ Texas

Texas lost quite a bit of talent, but with freshmen Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson coming in, and Jordan Hamilton returning, there's reason to believe this Texas team could make a run at a Big XII title. Kansas State is likely a top ten team this season, which means that if the Longhorns get a couple of breaks this year, this game could end up being a fantastic way to end the Big Monday season.

Notre Dame lost a bunch of talent as well, as Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson graduated. But with guys like Ben Hansbrough, Tim Abromaitis, and Carleton Scott returning, as well as a healthy Scott Martin being added to the rotation, this Irish team may sneak up on some people. But if Villanova is in the mix for a Big East title at this point in the year, will the Irish be able to compete with a determined Villanova team?


6. January 24th: Notre Dame @ Pitt; Baylor @ Kansas State

There's an argument to be made that Jacob Pullen and LaceDarius Dunn at the two best guards in the country. Would I make that argument? Not necessarily, but I would argue that watching those two go back and forth in a game with as much size, length, and athleticism as there is on both sides of the ball in this game will be immensely entertaining.

If Notre Dame continues to play the way they did down the stretch last season, then this matchup with Pitt might struggle to hit the 50's. If Notre Dame decides to try and take more advantage of some of the offensive talent they have on their roster, it may end up being a higher-scoring affair. But will Notre Dame then be able to compete with a very good Pitt team?


7. January 31st: Louisville @ Georgetown; Texas @ Texas A&M

Both of these games are quite similar. Georgetown loses Greg Monroe, but they return a talented and experienced back court that could end up being one of the best in the country. Its part of the reason they are considered one of the four best teams in the conference. Louisville, on the other hand, lost quite a bit of senior leadership and will head into this season with a younger group of kids.

As we mentioned, Texas lost some talent, but has a solid core of young guys that will lead them. The 'Horns, like Georgetown, should be considered one of the top four or five teams in their league, while the Aggies will have lost a lot of their senior leadership.