Monday, December 18, 2006

The Week Ahead

Although Christmas is right around the corner, and colleges across the country are heading home for Winter Break, the college basketball world never stops moving. With all the quality games this upcoming week, it might be tough leaving your couch to get your last-minute shopping done.

Missouri State at Saint Louis (Monday): Two teams looking for a quality win to pad their potential resumes before the the New Year. Another chance for an MVC team to pick up a road victory.

Oklahoma State at Tennessee (Monday): Could another unbeaten fall? Mario Boggan could have a field day inside against the Vols, but Tennessee's athleticism will give Ok State trouble.

Santa Clara at Kentucky (Tuesday): Santa Clara picked up a big road win at Stanford over the weekend, and look to carry that momentum over to Tuesday. Kentucky is picking up their play lately.

Drexel at Syracuse (Tuesday): Syracuse hasn't been overly impressive this season, but they are tough to beat at home. Drexel is a contender in the Colonial, but have struggled on the road.

Loyola (Chicago) at Bradley (Tuesday): Two potential contenders in their respective conferences. Loyola is coming off of a win over Northern Iowa, while Bradley beat Iowa State over the weekend.

Illinois at Missouri (Tuesday): Border war rivalry game. Illinois needs some momentum heading into Big Ten play, while Missouri could use a quality win after getting blown out by Purdue last game.

South Florida at UNLV (Tuesday): Two teams with surprisingly solid records. USF hasn't played anyone, but they have some good players, while UNLV has a big win over Nevada on their resume.

Alabama at North Carolina State (Wednesday): Alabama is looking like an SEC title contender if they get Ronald Steele healthy, but NC State is not an easy team to beat at home.

Memphis at Arizona (Wednesday): Expect a lot of points in this shootout. Arizona can score with anyone, while Memphis loves to get up and down the floor for transition baskets.


Arkansas at Texas (Wednesday): Two teams still trying to find the right rotation after the influx of several newcomers on both sides. Texas' Kevin Durant vs. Arkansas' Sonny Weems will be an interesting battle.


LSU at Washington (Wednesday): One of the best games of the week. LSU has arguably the nation's best player in Glen Davis, but Washington is tough to beat at home and are hungry for a quality win.


Virginia Tech at Seton Hall (Thursday): Both teams need a win here to get some momentum heading into league play. Tech has struggled so far this season, while Seton Hall is off to a 6-1 start.

Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State (Thursday): The Cowboys' second test of the week and Pitt's second in six days. The match-up between Mario Boggan and Aaron Gray inside is going to be outstanding.

Duke vs Gonzaga (Thursday): Too bad this game wasn't played last year. Either way, it will still be a good game. Gonzaga's explosive offense against Duke's stout defense? Should be fun to watch.


San Diego State at Washington State (Thursday): Two teams from the West Coast that will be factors during conference play. SDSU is a favorite in the MWC, while WSU is off to a surprising 10-1 start.

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