Previews

There are some good matchups on the schedule for today, from Washington State and Baylor playing in the Diamond Head Classic to Oakland's Keith Benson taking on Ohio State sensation Jared Sullinger. But the best meeting may be that between Georgetown (10-1) and Memphis (9-1) at the FedEx Forum in front of what will be a raucous crowd. The Hoyas have already picked up one win in a hostile environment (despite it being a "neutral" court), beating Missouri in Kansas City in late November.

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.

There's just one game between ranked teams on Tuesday night and it sets up to be an enticing matchup to watch while wrapping those gifts. UNLV (10-2) hits the road to take on Kansas State(9-2) in Kansas City in what will be anything but a "neutral" environment despite the designation. Both teams have dealt with disappointing losses within the past week and poor shooting was largely to blame in both instances. UNLV shot 29% for the game in a loss to UCSB last Thursday while K-State shot a frigid 22% in the second half of their loss to Florida on Saturday.

Finals week kicked off last week with Louisville and Tennessee picking up big wins on Saturday as the Cardinals beat UNLV while the Vols handled Pittsburgh. And what did both teams do in their next act? They lost games many expected them to win to Drexel and Oakland respectively. A key trait of teams who tend to reach high levels come March is the ability to maintain focus and take care of business regardless of the opponent, and that's why the matinee between Jacksonville (6-3) and Florida (8-2) is a game to keep an eye on.

Saturday usually marks the transition from the fall semester to winter break for most schools and with that comes the mid-season additions that many like to analyze in regards to their possible impact. And no addition may be bigger than that of freshman guard Josh Selby to the Kansas Jayhawks, who host USC at Noon. Bill Self's team has done fine without him in the win column as they're still undefeated on the season. But a look at their backcourt thus far reveals the need for a player who can make things happen in an explosive fashion, and the Baltimore native fits that role to a T.

Some games are simply more interesting than others, whether it be to the quality on display, the importance of the game, or the pace of play. These fives games will get you excited, not just for 2 hours, but for what's to come in March.

#12 BYU at UNLV - 4:00 Versus

College basketball is in full momentum mode now with dozens of games each week that have major implications on the NCAA Tournament. All of the games below matter in a big way.

Florida vs Mississippi St - 1:30
-- In most bracketology projections, Florida has been left out of the field in recent weeks while MSU has been in. That could all change this weekend as the Gators host  an MSU team that has lost 3 of 4. Its conceivable that only 1 of these two teams make the dance, and that this game is a strong deciding factor.

February is a great time for college basketball, but with 149 D1 games scheduled on Saturday, there's sure to be some duds. The games below are hideous, either due to the wide disparity in opponents or the utter lack of quality between the sides.

#25 Cornell vs Brown - 7:00
-- Brown is 5-14 against D1 competition. Meanwhile, Cornell's won their last 3 Ivy games by 36, 34, and 26. This will get ugly, real ugly.

Jackson St vs Alcorn St - 6:30