UNLV

NO. 14 SAN DIEGO STATE (20-3, 6-1 MWC) AT NO. 16 UNLV (21-4, 5-2 MWC)

 

Time: 4 p.m. (1 p.m. PT)

 

In the latest installment of his "Coaching Greats" series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Jay Spoonhour, the son of the late Charlie Spoonhour. Spoonhour is widely regarded as the greatest coach in the history of Missouri State basketball, where he led the Bears to four conference titles and five NCAA tournament appearances. Spoonhour moved on to Saint Louis and UNLV, and he was an outstanding coach at the junior college level as well. Spoonhour passed away on February 1st at the age of 72. 

Just a few years ago the demand for throwback jerseys was impossible to ignore, with many flocking to stores in search of that item that would allow them to relive their "glory days" as a fan. But the wearing of tops has faded away somewhat, and the words of one Sean Carter in his song "What More Can I Say" may sum up why for many people.

"And I don't wear jerseys I'm 30-plus..."

While both Connecticut (14-6, 4-4) and #14 Georgetown (16-4, 6-3) enter Wednesday night's contest off of losses over the weekend, the feelings regarding each program are drastically different at this time. John Thompson III's Hoyas have been one of the Big East's pleasant surprises, thanks in large part to some veteran leaders and a young group of players who have shown themselves to be ready for Big East play.

With the announcement that starting center Fab Melo would miss Saturday's game due to an unresolved academic issue, the chances that top-ranked Syracuse would remain undefeated took a hit. But few would have thought that the Orange would have few (if any) answers in the paint as a result of his absence, and that's exactly what happened at Purcell Pavilion. Jack Cooley scored 17 points and grabbed ten rebounds and Notre Dame led by as many as 18 points on their way to the 67-58 win, the eighth in school history over a top-ranked opponent. 

On the heels of their first loss of the season, #3 Baylor (17-1, 4-1) returns home to take on #5 Missouri (17-1, 4-1) in a game that features a major contrast when it comes to team strengths. Scott Drew's Bears are one of the biggest teams in college basketball while Frank Haith's Tigers are neither as big or as deep in the frontcourt. That simply means that in addition to forwards Ricardo Ratliffe (13.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Steve Moore (4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg) all hands must be on deck of Missouri is to have any shot of leaving Waco with a victory.

NEW MEXICO (15-3, 1-1 MWC) AT NO. 20 UNLV (17-3, 1-1 MWC)

 

There weren't many opportunities to watch ranked teams play each other (there was just one, which is discussed below), but Saturday's slate provided many teams the chance to improve their resumes. Florida State and Northwestern took full advantage of their opportunities as they both knocked off Top 10 opponents at home, albeit in different ways.

The Mountain West, similar to the Ivy League and Great West, had to start conference play later than other conferences due to the fact that they've got just eight members. Saturday marks the beginning of conference play and there are two key games to keep an eye on, most notably #22 San Diego State (14-2) hosting #12 UNLV (16-2) in the day's lone matchup of ranked teams.

NO. 12 UNLV (16-2, 0-0 MWC) AT NO. 22 SAN DIEGO STATE (14-2, 0-0 MWC)

 

Time/TV: 4 p.m./NBC Sports Network