Xavier

The final day of 2010 gives college basketball fans the treat of watching one of the sport's most intense rivalries. Kentucky makes the trek up to the KFC Yum! Center to take on a Louisville squad that while ranked has been dealing with a number of injuries. The latest loss was that of forward Rakeem Buckles, who had surgery on a broken finger and will be out a few weeks while the digit heals.

Wednesday is the final big day on the schedule before Christmas and one of the better rivalry games in college basketball will be front and center. Missouri (10-1) takes on Illinois (10-2) in St. Louis, and the game is also the first meeting this season between teams with ten wins on the season. But the Tigers will go into the game shorthanded as freshman point guard Phil Pressey, who had 15 points and 11 assists in their win over Central Arkansas, is out with a fractured finger but the recently suspended Michael Dixon returns.

Last night's game between #9 Georgetown and Temple was easier to watch than last season's meeting, a 46-45 Hoya victory in the nation's capital. A major reason for that, and also why Fran Dunphy picked up the 400th win of his coach career, was the play of junior guard Ramone Moore. With the concern for the visitors being whether or not they could compete up front with the likes of Lavoy Allen and Micheal Eric, Moore lit up Georgetown for 30 points in a 68-65 win that Temple never trailed in.

Thursday's schedule is a light one in regards to the number of games, but there are games that folks should keep an eye on. At the top of that list is Georgetown (8-0) heading up to Philadelphia to take on Temple (5-2), with the Owls looking to exact some revenge for last year's close loss in the nation's capital. The Hoyas are coming off of a week that featured wins over Missouri and Utah State, and their offensive play has been a major reason why.

Thanksgiving week is here and with that more in-season tournaments either tip off or move to the semifinal stage. Monday features four games in Maui, with a lot of eyes focused on Wichita State/Connecticut in the first game of the day. Of course there's expected national title contender Michigan State along with two other good teams in Kentucky and Washington (given the meetings on the recruiting trail many hope that the Wildcats and Huskies advance to Tuesday's semifinals).

Overall Rank: #30

So much for Butler's win over Syracuse being the story of the night.

Kansas State and Xavier essentially went shot for shot in the latter stages of regulation and the first overtime, with the backcourt tandems of Jacob Pullen/Denis Clemente and Jordan Crawford/Terrell Holloway being the main characters. But in the second overtime Pullen and company had a few more shots left in the tank, surviving by the final score of 101-96 to advance to the Elite 8.

#2 Kansas St Wildcats

Team Preview

Up 65-50 with 12:42 remaining following a Durrell Summers three pointer, Michigan State looked to be a safe bet to advance to the Sweet 16, despite losing starting point guard Kalin Lucas to an apparent Achilles' tendon injury. But the turnovers, nineteen in total, began to catch up with the Spartans as Maryland made their furious charge back into the game. Thanks in large part to senior Greivis Vasquez the Terps held an 83-82 lead with seven seconds remaining as Vasquez knocked down a driving basket.