9:00 pm: No. 10 Texas A&M @ No. 11 Texas: There is an argument to be made that Texas A&M is the most surprising team in college hoops. Not much was expected of the Aggies after they lost Donald Sloan and Brian Davis to graduation, but with Khris Middleton's emergence as a go-to scorer and their typical brand of tough defense and excellent rebounding, A&M has won 16 of their first 17 games this season.
There are reasons to be skeptical, however. Perhaps the biggest question mark is that Texas A&M still hasn't played, let alone beaten, a tough opponent on the road. Nail-biting wins over Washington and Missouri at home and Temple at a neutral court are nice, but they are not exactly statement wins.
The Aggies have a chance to make a statement tonight as they face-off with Texas. The hiccup against UConn aside, the Longhorns have seemingly found their stride this season, winning eight of nine since their embarrassing loss at USC. Texas is tough defensively, but if there is an area they struggle it is on the defensive glass. They are going to have to keep the Aggies to one shot a possession tonight.
Side note: I am jacked up to see Khris Middleton and Jordan Hamilton go at each other tonight. Unfortunately, Hamilton doesn't play any defense, so I doubt he will be guarding Middleton.
7:00 pm: St. John's @ No. 15 Louisville: Here we are, midway through January, and the Johnnies are still sitting at 4-2 in Big East play. Is this team for real? Well, they are coming off of a 18 point beatdown of Notre Dame at the Garden, but that win came just a week after the Irish blew St. John's out by 20 at the Joyce Center. To compete in the Big East, you have to win on the road. And in order for St. John's to win at the Yum! Center tonight, they are going to have to avoid turning the ball over against Louisville's press and do their best to keep the Cardinals from getting hot on the perimeter.
7:00 pm: Cincinnati @ No. 16 Notre Dame: Notre Dame has been the tale of two teams. They look like a top ten team at home and an NIT team on the road. Unlucky enough for Cincy, they get the Irish in the Joyce Center. The Bearcats are still looking for a marquee win, and this would certainly be a statement. I like this matchup for Cincy. They can beat the Irish up inside and should be able to score on them. Keep an eye out for an upset here. (That said, I've been hit or miss with upset picks this year. If I don't hit a homerun, I strike out big time. I may have just jinxed you, Cincy.)
7:00 pm: Memphis @ Southern Miss: Huge game in Conference USA. The Tigers, who are still without suspended Wesley Witherspoon, head to Hattiesburg to take on the Golden Eagles. Larry Eustachy has built himself a pretty solid program at USM, and with the struggles that the Tigers have had this season, the conference is wide open this year. Eustachy's team has a chance to grab it. Will they be able too? USM is an experienced team, led by star forward Gary Flowers. It will be interesting to see how the young Tigers handle them.
8:05 pm: Missouri State @ Indiana State: Indiana State is 6-1 in the Valley, but four of those wins have come against teams below .500 in the conference. The same with their loss. They are coming off of a win over Creighton, but tonight is the real test. It is tough to win on the road in the Valley. MSU has already done so against Wichita State, Creighton, and Northern Iowa.
7:00 pm: James Madison @ Old Dominion: JMU is 15-3 overall and 5-1 in the CAA. That's tied for first in the conference. Granted, they haven't played anyone yet. We'll find out if the Dukes are for real against ODU tonight.
7:00 pm: No. 5 Duke @ NC State: Remember what happened the last time Duke played on the road? I'm sure Florida State does. The Wolfpack, however, aren't quite as good as the Seminoles.
10:30 pm: Colorado State @ UNLV: Tre'Von Willis is a gametime decision. If the Rams are going to be taken seriously this season, they have to win this game.
Other Notable Games:
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday's Pregame Beat: Texas and Texas A&M headlines a night with two key non-BCS battles |
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