gpikePreviewing Big Monday's action
January 16th 2011 21:40
With the football season about over, basketball now takes precedence. ESPN as part of Martin Luther King day has scheduled four great games to pass the time Monday.
Villanova at Connecticut: Two top-10 tens battling it out for position in the Big-East. Villanova (16-1) sits at the seventh ranking, while Connecticut (14-2) is ninth. The Wildcats are coming off a tough win over Maryland, 74-66 Saturday. Jay Wright's team is tied for first in the conference with Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. This is a huge game for Connecticut to try and keep pace as their two losses come from conference games. Villanova's only loss was to Tennessee, 78-68. Villanova has knocked off fellow top-25 teams in the Big-East, Louisville and Cincinnati as part of their schedule so far. The starting backcourt of Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher lead the way for the Wildcats, scoring about half of their points. Connecticut has the one-man show in senior guard Kemba Walker, who is amongst the nation's leaders scoring 26 pooints per game. Connecticut needs big performances from Alex Oriahki and Roscoe Smith in the middle to have a chance.
Kansas State at Missouri: The second game pits two Big-12 rivals who need a win in the conference. Kansas State has struggled to a 13-5 record, losing their first two games of conference play before gaining a victory Saturday, over Texas Tech by 34 points. The Wildcats began the year with tons of expectations, but a tough schedule has pushed them down. Doesn't get any easier now with conference play. Senior guard Jacob Pullen paces the Wildcats with 17 points and four assists. Missouri(15-3) lost a heartbreaker Saturday in overtime to Texas A&M, 91-89. A high scoring attack led by Marcus Denmon puts Missouri in place to win most games. Another high-scoring game is expected here with the winner gaining a big win for conference.
Syracuse at Pittsburgh: Two top-five teams facing off. Syracuse (18-0) is off to quite a start this season. The Orangemen are 5-0 in conference play, and dominating opposing teams, winning with great defense. The inside-outside combination of Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine are the go-to guys on the court. Joseph averages 15 points and five rebounds. Jardine chips in 14 points and six assists. Pittsburgh's only loss came to Tennessee, 83-76, and they sit 17-1 on the season. Junior guard Ashton Gibbs averages 16 points per game, leading a balanced scoring team, that averages 80 points. A game of strength versus strength, figures to be a great barometer of who the best team in the Big-East is early on.
Kansas at Baylor: Third-ranked Kansas struggled with Nebraska, Saturday. If they play like that versus Baylor, expect an upset to take place. Baylor (12-4) is coming off a disapointing loss to Iowa State, 72-57 on Saturday. The Bears have been up and down so far this season, losing to Washington State, Florida State, and Gonzaga in addition to the Cyclones. Guard Lacedarius Dunn is amongst the conference leaders scoring 22 points per game. Kansas has barely gotten by their last three games, just edging Michigan, Iowa State and now Nebraska. They are primed for a loss. The Morris brothers, Marcus and Markieff, lead the Jayhawks in scoring and rebounding. This is Baylor's game to get back on track. Kansas will need to play great to avoid the upset.
Villanova at Connecticut: Two top-10 tens battling it out for position in the Big-East. Villanova (16-1) sits at the seventh ranking, while Connecticut (14-2) is ninth. The Wildcats are coming off a tough win over Maryland, 74-66 Saturday. Jay Wright's team is tied for first in the conference with Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. This is a huge game for Connecticut to try and keep pace as their two losses come from conference games. Villanova's only loss was to Tennessee, 78-68. Villanova has knocked off fellow top-25 teams in the Big-East, Louisville and Cincinnati as part of their schedule so far. The starting backcourt of Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher lead the way for the Wildcats, scoring about half of their points. Connecticut has the one-man show in senior guard Kemba Walker, who is amongst the nation's leaders scoring 26 pooints per game. Connecticut needs big performances from Alex Oriahki and Roscoe Smith in the middle to have a chance.
Kansas State at Missouri: The second game pits two Big-12 rivals who need a win in the conference. Kansas State has struggled to a 13-5 record, losing their first two games of conference play before gaining a victory Saturday, over Texas Tech by 34 points. The Wildcats began the year with tons of expectations, but a tough schedule has pushed them down. Doesn't get any easier now with conference play. Senior guard Jacob Pullen paces the Wildcats with 17 points and four assists. Missouri(15-3) lost a heartbreaker Saturday in overtime to Texas A&M, 91-89. A high scoring attack led by Marcus Denmon puts Missouri in place to win most games. Another high-scoring game is expected here with the winner gaining a big win for conference.
Syracuse at Pittsburgh: Two top-five teams facing off. Syracuse (18-0) is off to quite a start this season. The Orangemen are 5-0 in conference play, and dominating opposing teams, winning with great defense. The inside-outside combination of Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine are the go-to guys on the court. Joseph averages 15 points and five rebounds. Jardine chips in 14 points and six assists. Pittsburgh's only loss came to Tennessee, 83-76, and they sit 17-1 on the season. Junior guard Ashton Gibbs averages 16 points per game, leading a balanced scoring team, that averages 80 points. A game of strength versus strength, figures to be a great barometer of who the best team in the Big-East is early on.
Kansas at Baylor: Third-ranked Kansas struggled with Nebraska, Saturday. If they play like that versus Baylor, expect an upset to take place. Baylor (12-4) is coming off a disapointing loss to Iowa State, 72-57 on Saturday. The Bears have been up and down so far this season, losing to Washington State, Florida State, and Gonzaga in addition to the Cyclones. Guard Lacedarius Dunn is amongst the conference leaders scoring 22 points per game. Kansas has barely gotten by their last three games, just edging Michigan, Iowa State and now Nebraska. They are primed for a loss. The Morris brothers, Marcus and Markieff, lead the Jayhawks in scoring and rebounding. This is Baylor's game to get back on track. Kansas will need to play great to avoid the upset.
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