Previews

With the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game between Auburn and Oregon taking center stage (the pick here is Oregon) there isn't a whole lot to keep tabs on in college basketball. But there is an important resume-boosting opportunity for arguably America's favorite cardiac program as Marquette (11-5, 2-1) looks to rebound from their loss at Pitt on Saturday. And the return to Milwaukee won't come without a challenge as Mike Brey's Fighting Irish are the visitors, and they're looking to build on a productive 2-0 week (wins over Connecticut and St. John's).

Conference play is in full swing on the second Saturday in January, but the biggest game is of the non-conference variety as #9 Connecticut (11-2) hits the road to take on #12 Texas (12-2) in their first meeting since the 2003 NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns, then led by point guard T.J. Ford, won that Sweet 16 matchup in San Antonio on their way to the Final Four and while they don't have a point guard in the mold of Ford they've got plenty of talent. At the top of that list would be sophomore wing Jordan Hamilton, who leads the Longhorns in scoring with an average of 19.6 points per game.

One of the most surprising teams in America has to be the Cincinnati (14-0) Bearcats, who remain undefeated after opening Big East play with wins over DePaul and Seton Hall. But that only gets you so far in the argument as to who the best team in the city is, a question that will get its answer on Thursday night when Xavier (8-4) comes calling in what's one of the more spirited rivalries in college basketball. Neither coach has to be particularly pleased with this game being played in early January as opposed to December but that won't diminish the focus for anyone involved.

While a number of eyes will be fixated on the in-state battle between Memphis and Tennessee (and rightfully so), that matchup sits behind the Mountain West opener between BYU (14-1) and UNLV as the game of the night. Jimmer Fredette (24.1 ppg, 4.4 apg) has lit up just about every team he's encountered throughout his storied career but he and BYU have had their fair share of issues when taking on UNLV (12-2) at Thomas & Mack.

Notre Dame (12-2) arrives at the final game of a three-game stretch of Top 10 (in last week's rankings) teams to open Big East play, and the fact that Mike Brey's team has the opportunity to win two say a little about the quality of his club. Tuesday night brings Connecticut (11-1) to Purcell Pavilion, and the Huskies are looking to put forth a better performance than they did in a loss at Pittsburgh as well as an overtime home win over USF.

Given their soft non-conference schedule, Northwestern (9-2) entered Big Ten play on Friday with a decent amount of work to do resume-wise in order to have a chance at making their first NCAA Tournament appearance. And conference play didn't get off to the best of starts for Bill Carmody's team, who fell 82-69 at Purdue and have lost two of their last three. But the good thing about being in a conference like the Big Ten is that another opportunity for a quality win is usually right around the corner, and that's the case tonight as they host Michigan State (9-4).

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.

While Mike Krzyzewski going for win number 880, which would push him past Dean Smith and into second place all-time, is a big deal that does not make Duke playing UNC Greensboro at the Greensboro Coliseum the game of the night. That distinction goes to the Big East opener for #9 Georgetown (11-1) and #15 Notre Dame in South Bend.

The Kohl Center should be rocking for the Big Ten opener between Wisconsin (10-2) and border rival Minnesota (11-1), a game that could hold even more importance come March for resume reasons. Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers have an in-season tournament title (Puerto Rico Tipoff) to their credit already, a run that includes likely valuable wins over North Carolina and West Virginia.

While the overall schedule for Monday is a light one Big East play opens up with a heavyweight battle in Pittsburgh. Undefeated Connecticut (10-0) plays their first true road game of the season, leaving the friendly confines of home to take on sixth-ranked Pittsburgh (12-1) in what should be a physical battle. Junior point guard Kemba Walker (26.5 ppg, 4.0 apg) has been one of the best players in America to this point in the season and no one's found the right answer in terms of how to slow him down.