3 Burning Questions & the Games to Watch

It's been awhile since I've checked in and written about what's going on in college basketball. In fact, I haven't even said anything since the non-conference schedules were still being played. A lot has changed, yet many things remain the same. The Big East is still the best conference (no matter what those ACC people are trying to make you believe), and the power conferences are continuing to dominate the top of the polls each and every week. Without further delay though, I would like to start off on the three hottest topics in the college basketball world today.

1. Who is the best team in the country right now?

Even though UConn has been playing extremely well since their loss to Georgetown (who now seems to be floundering with a loss last night to the previously 0-6 Seton Hall Pirates), I am not completely sold on them. AJ Price is far too inconsistent to be relied on every game, and Thabeet has struggled against good, versatile bigs this year, like he did against Greg Monroe in the G'Town game. If Thabeet gets in foul trouble and Price has an off game, then Jim Calhoun's team is very, very beatable.

My pick, therefore, is Duke. Coming off a 41-point thrashing of rival Maryland, the Blue Devils could not be playing any better, and it all starts with Gerald Henderson. He is having a great season on both ends of the court, being the defensive stopper and offensive force for Coach K. Another key player for Duke right now is Kyle Singler. At times, he can force shots and make bad decisions, but, for the most part, Singler is great at keeping the defense on their heels.

More important, though, is their team defense. Not only do they present fantastic on-ball defense with each and every player, but they also provide great help-side D in case their teammate gets beat. After something like this happens, their rotations happen very quickly and very precisely, which doesn't allow the offense much time to get the ball to the open man for a high-percentage shot.

North Carolina also comes into the discussion for this, as does Wake Forest and a few others, but all have shown weaknesses that can be exposed. For the Tar Heels, you need to get Ty Lawson in foul trouble, because he is the motor that makes the team go. Without him, they are a much worse team. Next, you need to attack Tyler Hansbrough and send a double-team at him whenever he puts the ball on the floor. Finally, you need to close-out on the shooters. Danny Green, Bobby Frasor, and Wayne Ellington cannot be left open, period. If you do that, keep composure, and execute on offense, North Carolina can be beat.

2. Does Kentucky have what it takes to get to the Sweet Sixteen (or possibly further) in March?

Maybe; so much of it depends on the draw (as usual). Any team with a potent perimeter scorer, Jodie Meeks, and solid interior force, Patrick Patterson, will be capable of such a run late in the season. What this team lacks in experience, they make up for in heart and desire, which is something that has definitely been missing from the Kentucky basketball program as of late.

After starting the season 0-2, the Wildcats have gone 16-2 with impressive wins over West Virginia and Tennessee, both of which were played away from home. Also, the Sweet Sixteen would not be something new for Coach Billy Gillispie. He has been-there, done-that with Acie Law IV and Texas A&M a few years ago. Finally, Kentucky has some depth, with eight guys registering at least 12 minutes per game. The depth, coaching, and play of Meeks and Patterson will be ever-vital to their postseason aspirations.

3. Blake Griffin is the odds-on favorite for the National Player of the Year Award, but who is the closest to him as of now?

Most would expect the Stephen Curry Cop-Out Answer here.But his stats aren't so great as you would expect. Yes, he's averaging 29 points per game despite having every defense ever created thrown at him. Yes, he is still making 39% of his threes, even with guys draped all over his 6-3 frame. Yes, he is dishing out 6 assists and grabbing 4 rebounds per contest. However, he is not doing what James Harden is doing.

Harden's averages might be a lot less spectacular than Curry's, but the Arizona State sophomore is not shooting nearly as much as Steph. Curry is averaging 20.5 shots per game to get his 29 points. Harden? 13 shots per game to get his 22 points per game average. Seven or eight more shots just to get seven more points?

Yet it gets better for ASU's All-America candidate. Arizona State likes to slow it down and run their halfcourt offenses. Very rarely do they get into high-scoring track meets with opponents. The result is simple. Harden's scoring is 31% of his entire team's points. Add his 4 assists per game, and the 6-5 Harden is responsible for 42% of Arizona State's scoring. Talk about carrying your team.

Finally, he shoots 54% from the field and 40% from deep. In other words, he is efficient in putting up points. James Harden is, in my opinion, one of the most over-looked superstars in college basketball. He does it all for his team and then some.

Games to Watch

Wednesday

Villanova vs. Pittsburgh: Two Big East foes face off at 7 o'clock on ESPNU (for those of you who actually get that network). It will be interesting to see the point guard matchup of the two teams: Levance Fields against Scottie Reynolds.

Duke vs. Wake Forest: Arguably the two best teams in the ACC will be on display at 7 o'clock on ESPN. Coach K may be forced to use 7-footer Brian Zoubek more than he has recently against the Demon Deacons, who have a very good frontcourt led by the freshman Aminu.

Thursday

Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga: Patty Mills against Jeremy Pargo. The up-and-coming Gaels against the usually-dominant Bulldogs. This game is a must-see event, even for those who don't follow mid-major basketball. Hope you're a night owl though: 11 o'clock start on ESPN2.

To contact this writer, you can email him at marchmadness14@gmail.com. To read more of his works, or to just read more great sports articles, visit Informative Sports.

6 Hours, 4 Wrong Predictions, and 1 Overtime Later

At ten till two, I sat down on my couch, preparing for the six hours of basketball that would follow. Yesterday, I gave you my predictions for whom would win the five best games of the day. At ten till two, I was very confident with those very predictions.

Duke 82, Xavier 64

At ten after two? Not so much. Around that time, Duke was already on their way to a rout of Xavier, a complete annihilation which surprised everyone. Xavier hadn't look so out-of-sync all season; they hadn't turned over the ball so much all season. The result of these problems was expected. The Blue Devils cruised to an 18-point victory that wasn't even so close as the score may lead one to believe.

The lead was so large so late in the game that the final ten minutes were not shown on CBS. They switched their viewers to the much more dramatic Michigan State/Texas showdown, but more on that later.

This game belonged to Duke. They jumped out to an 18-1 lead on eleven points from Jon Scheyer, whom I have been waiting all year to have a breakout game like he did today. He finished the game with 23 points on a remarkable 9-for-11 on field goals and 5-for-7 on three-pointers.

The other two players that led Duke were 7-footer Brian Zoubek and the uber-athletic Gerald Henderson. Zoubek scored the first three points of the game and finished 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, and without a missed field goal or free throw. Henderson had 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting with many of his field goals coming somewhat later in the first half.

For the Musketeers, not much was going right until the second half began. They actually outscored Duke in the last twenty minutes, but the self-dug hole they were in at halftime was too much to overcome.

In that first half, Sean Miller's squad had ten turnovers, many of which led to layups at the other end courtesy of Duke. They couldn't get in a rhythm offensively and, although they held a size advantage on their opponents, their struggles with scoring on inside shots were clear as day.

Player of the Game: Jon Scheyer, Duke: 23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals. His near-perfect shooting keyed the big 18-1 run to open the game for the Blue Devils.

Most Valuable Player: Brian Zoubek, Duke: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks. The 7-footer's presence alone deterred and altered many shots; his stat line doesn't accurately show how important of a role he plays for Coach K's team.

Best Losing Effort: Derrick Brown, Xavier: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists. He shot better than 50% from both the field and long range but didn't really get going until the second half.

Michigan State 67, Texas 63

A more exciting game than the Duke/Xavier one, but I only caught about eight or ten minutes of game action so I don't have a whole lot to say about it. From what I did see, however, Kalin Lucas has improved his play tremendously over the summer, and the return of Goran Suton for the Spartans spells trouble for the rest of the Big Ten.

Suton, in his second game back from an injury, pulled down only two boards but made his mark on the offensive end with a team-high 18 points. Kalin Lucas controlled the offense for Coach Izzo and proved that he has the ability to lead his team deep into March. Raymar Morgan, Michigan State's best player when he wants to be, had a rough game with only eight points and five rebounds, both below his season averages.

If you're Texas, there were a couple reasons you lost. First, A.J. Abrams couldn't score. They sent him off screen after screen and even had him handling the ball at times but to no avail. He finished with eight points on 3-for-10 shooting from the field. Second, the Longhorns need to handle the ball down the stretch. They had a few turnovers that cost them the game.

A Durrell Summers three with 19 seconds left put the Spartans ahead and in position to win, but Summers was more vital than just that huge bucket late in the game. He played tough D and finished with an impressive all-around stat line.

Player of the Game: Durrell Summers, Michigan State: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal. This game was a coming-out party for the 6-4 sophomore, who is a very good shooter and terrific defender.

Most Valuable Player: Kalin Lucas, Michigan State: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists to 1 turnover. Drew Neitzel's replacement is finally looking like a capable scorer and playmaker for the Spartans. His worth goes beyond the stat lines, and it showed in a game like today's.

Best Losing Effort: Damion James, Texas: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block. The 6-7 wingman recorded his fourth double-double of the year, but it wasn't enough to secure the win for his team.

UConn 88, Gonzaga 83 (Overtime)

A.J. Price is possibly the best point guard in America. Anyone who watched him today would at least agree that he's certainly in the top three. After nailing an improbable three-pointer to send the game into overtime, Price rallied his Thabeet-less troops (the big man had fouled out 22 seconds into OT) to a victory over one of the nation's elite teams.

Gonzaga took the lead roughly two minutes into the second half and held onto it until 10 seconds were left when Price sank the aforementioned shot. So the game went to overtime where Thabeet fouled out on a controversial technical foul call. Then Micah Downs and Matt Bouldin fouled out on consecutive plays to join teammate Austin Daye on the bench, since he had fouled out at the end of regulation.

The result? The Zags couldn't score. Three of their best scorers were on the bench, and the rest of the team managed only nine points in five minutes. Downs's and Daye's absences also allowed UConn slasher (and leading scorer) Jerome Dyson to get to the hoop at ease. The Huskies outscored Mark Few's squad 14-9 and were the winners of the "Battle of Seattle."

As the announcers mentioned countless times, Gonzaga was successful when they attacked the basket. It either led to a layup or a pair of free throws or a wide-open three on the kick-out. Late in the game this started to happen less and less. They forced shots that weren't there. Part of this was also UConn's great defense, but a big part of the blame falls on the Bulldogs' shoulders.

Another reason as to why they lost was Jeremy Pargo. The senior leader for the team committed a few crucial mistakes that absolutely killed Gonzaga down the stretch. He threw an errant pass way down court one time; he over-penetrated another time. After his basket twenty seconds into the second half, Pargo only scored two more points, which came when the Huskies were playing dummy defense at the very end of overtime.

His effectiveness, or lack thereof, in the second half and overtime period was directly related to their losing control of the game. As a senior point guard, that shouldn't happen. In March, it can't happen.

Co-Players of the Game: A.J. Price, UConn: 24 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds. He controlled the game, made the right decisions, and provided clutch scoring that was essential for the #2 team in the country to remain unbeaten.

Gavin Edwards, UConn: 14 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals. Off the bench, Edwards was exactly what the Huskies needed. He posted a double-double and made some very key plays in overtime and the end of regulation to win the game for his team.

Most Valuable Player: Jerome Dyson, UConn: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block. A great all-around stat line along with a 10-for-12 performance from the free throw line was invaluable to UConn. He pulled down rebounds, scored, and dished to the big guys down low after the Zags had lost some of their interior strength.

Co-Best Losing Efforts: Austin Daye, Gonzaga: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals. The versatile sophomore cemented himself as one of the best in his class today. When Heytvelt was out, he made Thabeet play him all over the court. When Heytvelt was in, Daye could have been found taking advantage of the shorter defenders. My only complaint is that he sometimes gets himself into too much trouble by dribbling into traps and over-penetrating.

Steven Gray, Gonzaga: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists. The 6-5 sophomore performed way above his season averages and provided scoring for his team when many of Gonzaga's leading scorers were fouling out.

Curry Watch

I missed the entire game because I was watching Gonzaga and UConn, but Steph Curry's stat line reads of only 13 points, way below his average of 32. Even worse is that he shot a horrid 5-for-26 from the field and 2-for-12 on threes. (That will put a damper on the shooting percentages.)

One must be happy with his eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals, but not so happy about his six turnovers. Are teams starting to figure him out? It's hard to say.

Purdue has really been the first team to keep him from scoring a bunch on them while also winning the game. The Wildcats didn't have a chance with the halftime lead of 23 being too much for them to come back from. The final score was 76-58.

Syracuse 72, Memphis 65

Between the overtime of the Gonzaga/UConn game and my dinner, I only saw about ten minutes of action in this one. From what I did see, though, Jonny Flynn is one of the best scoring point guards in the country, and Roburt Sallie is a damn good shooter.

I said before that this game would be about who doesn't make more turnovers, and that certainly proved to be the case since Memphis committed 20 turnovers in a loss. Tyreke Evans and Antonio Anderson, two starting Tiger guards, combined for eleven of them.

Player of the Game: Jonny Flynn, Syracuse: 24 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals. Today must be the breakout day for sophomores, because this particular sophomore point guard led the Orange down the stretch and sealed the game with a couple of free throws, something that was very difficult all day for Syracuse.

Most Valuable Player: Paul Harris, Syracuse: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal. Whether it was a rebound the Orange needed greatly or a three as the shot clock was expiring, Harris was everything Coach Boeheim needed him to be today.

Best Losing Effort: Roburt Sallie, Memphis. This bench player made four of his six attempts from long range and kept the Tigers in the game with his timely shooting. More playing time should be headed his way.

It will be called "The Day of the Sophomores" from now on. So six hours, four wrong predictions, and one overtime later, here I am, just happy that the college basketball season is in full swing.

To contact this writer, you can email him at marchmadness14@gmail.com.

Game-Planning 2: A Six-Hour Basketball Saturday

Tomorrow is Saturday, which, for the past three months, has meant nothing but college football. Tomorrow, however, signals the start of some great college basketball action available every Saturday from the comfort of your recliner. What to watch? When to watch? I've got you covered.

Two Great Games But You'll Only See One

#22 Michigan State vs. #5 Texas

At two o'clock on CBS, most viewers in the southwest, midwest, and far west will be watching Raymar Morgan (17 points, 6 rebounds) and Michigan State take on A.J. Abrams (21 points) and Texas. The Longhorns are obviously favored but with good reason. They have impressive wins over Villanova and UCLA; their lone loss came at the hands of a very good Notre Dame squad.

Michigan State, on the other hand, lost to Maryland and North Carolina (embarrassingly) in the comfort of their home state. The Spartans' biggest win to date has been Oklahoma State. This game, on the road in Austin, seems to be a little too much for them to handle. Their best shot at winning is getting the inconsistent Morgan involved early to get him going. Kalin Lucas also needs to have a big game to offset the Texas backcourt a little bit.

Finally, Michigan State needs to win the rebounding battle. The point guard for Texas, Gary Johnson, is even averaging six per game. Damion James needs to be boxed out perfectly every single trip down the floor because anytime he isn't, he'll get the ball.

Personally, I seriously doubt Coach Izzo's somewhat-inexperienced squad can do all that in their first tough road game of the season. Texas will win this one by about ten or twelve points.

#7 Xavier vs. #6 Duke

For everyone living on the east coast, this game will be available at two o'clock as well on CBS. This particular matchup will be played in East Rutherford, New Jersey, between what should be a mixed crowd of Dukies and Musketeer fans.

Xavier has very good size in their scorers which should cause matchup problems for Duke's defense. Even more worrisome, it could lead big scorers like Kyle Singler (17 points) and Jon Scheyer (13 points) to the bench with foul trouble.

The Musketeers do not, however, have anyone that can match the size of 7-1 Brian Zoubek, who is having a very good year with averages of seven points and five rebounds per game. Xavier will also have to deal with the stingy defense of players like Nolan Smith, Greg Paulus, and Lance Thomas.

I wouldn't expect Coach K's team to put up 80 tomorrow because defense will be the key. They do not necessarily want to push the pace too much on a team that averages 72 points per game. I would expect them to slow it down a little bit and be prepared both mentally and physically after the wake-up call sent by Michigan earlier this month.

Xavier, for a mid-major, is far from untested this year despite what some may think about their 9-0 record. They have wins over the Big East's Cincinatti, the ACC's Virginia Tech, and last year's national runner-up, #12 Memphis. For those reasons along with the size on the perimeter, I'm picking Xavier to steal one from Duke.

Two More Great Games Yet Only One for Your Viewing Pleasure

After watching one of those games, don't even change the channel because coming up next will another great set of games.

#2 UConn vs. #8 Gonzaga

This game, starting at four on CBS, is a "rebound" game for the Zags, after being upset by Arizona earlier in the week. Those in the northeast and far west should get this one. Connecticut is just looking to preserve their unblemished record and get a solid win to add to their tournament resume.

The Huskies may have wins over ranked opponents such as Miami and Wisconsin, but no team will play them tougher in their non-conference schedule than Gonzaga. The "Battle in Seattle" will be played at a neutral location before a crowd that will certainly be pro-Bulldog.

UConn boasts a team with a great starting lineup and solid depth. Seniors A.J. Price (9 points, 4 assists) and Jeff Adrien (14 points, 9 rebounds) combine with juniors Jerome Dyson (15 points) and Hasheem Thabeet (15 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) to form one of the best groups of upperclassmen in the entire nation, which is nice to see amidst all the players leaving after just one year to join the NBA ranks.

Mark Few's team, however, is a mix of the young and the old. The "old" is their point guard Jeremy Pargo, wingman Matt Bouldin, do-it-all guard Micah Downs, and big man Josh Heytvelt. The "young" refers to sophomores Austin Daye and Steven Gray, who combine to average over 20 points per game for the Zags.

The home crowd along with some payback for the loss to Arizona and a good shooting day could spell trouble for UConn. I'll take Gonzaga in the upset victory.

#20 Davidson vs. #18 Purdue

For the other four o'clock CBS game, Purdue will look for a way to stop Stephen Curry with those living in the midwest and south tuning in. Much has been made about the superstar Curry, but not so much regarding his underrated supporting cast.

Andrew Lovedale (14 points, 11 rebounds) is the perfect complimentary big man to Steph, while Barr and McKillop (the son, not the coaching dad) can stroke it from deep off penetration. Junior Steve Rossiter also contributes six points and seven rebounds and is a vital role player for the Wildcats.

Purdue is a shaky team right now. They lost two straight to ranked opponents in Oklahoma and Duke and haven't played a formidable foe since then. For them to win, their defense has to step up tremendously. They gave up 87 points to Oklahoma and 76 to Duke; that cannot happen if they want to beat Davidson, a team that has scored at least 70 points in all but one game.

Coach McKillop simply needs to have a good game out of Lovedale and Curry with contributions from the rest. I can't imagine that not happening; Davidson will win, and Purdue will fall even farther in the minds of many hoops followers.

No Regional Coverage; Everyone Sees This One

At the conclusion of either the Davidson/Purdue or UConn/Gonzaga game, flip the channel to ESPN for one last game between two ranked opponents.

#11 Syracuse vs. #21 Memphis

At Memphis, the Orange will continue to play among controversy being generated by guard Eric Devendorf, who could be out of college basketball altogether by the end of January. Can they look past that and focus on the game? That remains unclear. They weren't able to do it when they were upset by Cleveland State though.

The Tigers are still rebounding from the losses of Chris Douglas-Roberts, Derrick Rose, and Joey Dorsey. They have yet to establish a go-to scorer at the end of games and struggle mightily to put points on the board at times. Due to this, Coach Cal has made some minor changes to his offense, making the scouting report on Memphis even more difficult.

Of the five games in this article, this could be the closest one that goes down to the wire. Each team has their obvious strengths and weaknesses so it will come down to who can execute. And, honestly, who can you trust more: the inexperienced Tigers or the more-experienced-yet-still-inexperienced Orange? I'll take Syracuse because it won't be about who makes the least mistakes, but more about who doesn't make the most.

That's all, folks. Have a nice day and enjoy your college basketball; it's the best basketball there is.

Game-Planning Record This Year: 2-1

To contact this writer, you can email him at marchmadness14@gmail.com.

Game-Planning 1: Is Blake Griffin Human?

Welcome back to another year of Game-Planning from yours truly. It will be similar to last year's but with a more in-depth analysis on fewer games. This way, you'll better understand each team's strengths and weaknesses as opposed to "kinda" getting what's going on in the biggest games of the week.

The main storyline this week will certainly be the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The obvious elite matchups (Duke/Purdue, UNC/Michigan State) are on the schedule while the not-so-obvious good, yet lesser-known, games will be there as well (Ohio State/Miami, Michigan/Maryland). So let's get to it.

#7 Duke vs. #10 Purdue

Purdue's overtime loss in the NIT Final to Oklahoma proved to be very telling for the Boilermakers. They did not get to the line nearly enough (only 5 attempts to the Sooners' 46), and will absolutely have to attack the basket against Duke and expose their lack of depth in the frontcourt. If Zoubek is out, it depends on the true freshman Plumlee to do the heavy work down low. Plumlee is averaging only two points and two rebounds in ten minutes per game. He's also shooting a sub par 1-for-4 from the line.

The Blue Devils, on the other hand, need to take advantage of their superior guards and speed. Their best plays of the season have all come in transition. It also helps that Duke is playing a lot of guys (ten averaging 10+ minutes per game) so the fresh legs may tire out Purdue in the second half.

Purdue must also protect star players E'Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel, who fouled out at the end of regulation against Oklahoma. (One can only speculate on how overtime would have been different with him on the floor.) The duo has combined to average 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists in six games this season.

In the five games they have won, Purdue has allowed an average of only 58 points while Duke has been averaging 84 points of offense each game. To say it quite plainly, something has gotta give, and that something won't be Duke's offense. I'll take the Blue Devils in this one.

Southern Cal vs. #11 Oklahoma

The intriguing part about this game is the matchup between Blake Griffin, the best big man in America, versus Taj Gibson, possibly the most underrated big guy in the country. Gibson is averaging an impressive 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks for Southern Cal, a team still dealing with the loss of OJ Mayo. Gibson will have to step his play up if he wants to compete with Griffin though. The Sooners' superstar is averaging a surreal 26 points and 19 rebounds per contest.

Griffin has yet to be contained on the boards, which will be a chore for USC. In fact, he has grabbed over 20 rebounds three times this year, and the BCS-conference record for an entire season is five games (Tim Duncan currently holds it). His toppling that mark is, in a word, possible.

Other than Blake, the Trojans should keep a watchful eye on his older brother, Taylor (averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds), and Cade Davis (Oklahoma's best shooter). For Coach Capel's squad, they will have to deal with not only Gibson, who may put the Griffins in foul trouble, but also Dwight Lewis (15 points per game) and freshman sensation Demar Derozan (10 points and 5 rebounds).

Both teams are frontcourt-heavy, but USC has a better chance at getting Oklahoma's bigs in foul trouble and out of the game. It also doesn't help that if the game goes down to the wire Blake Griffin could be on the bench due to his being a free throw shooting liability. For those reasons, I'm taking Southern Cal in an upset.

#13 UCLA vs. #6 Texas

At the onset of the season, things looked promising in Westwood. Star point guard Darren Collison had decided to return for his senior year. Top recruit Jrue Holiday would be filling the shoes of NBA-bound Russell Westbrook. Even senior Alfred Aboya would be coming back after being a role player, albeit a small one, on three Final Four teams. However, Collison doesn't have the supporting cast he used to have, Holiday is no Westbrook, and Aboya can't make up for the losses of Kevin Love, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Lorenzo Mata-Real. The result? A solid top 25 team but definitely not a Final Four contender.

Texas, similarly, is dealing with the loss of DJ Augustin. The Longhorns' new best player, AJ Abrams, was forced into making the transition from sharpshooter to playmaker/scorer. So far, the transition has gone somewhat smoothly. He's averaging 17 points on 43% shooting from deep, but he's also averaging twice as many turnovers as last season. Texas, in my opinion, is no favorite to be dancing in April either.

In this particular game, Texas must focus on exploiting UCLA's weak interior. 6-7 Damion James, 6-7 Gary Johnson, and 6-10 Connor Atchley should be able to do so. For UCLA, they will be relying on Collison to make plays and find teammates for easy shots. Collison must limit his poor decisions though. Twice this year he has turned the ball over six times in one game. If he wants his team to have a chance at winning, he cannot come anywhere near six turnovers.

My opinion is simple. UCLA's perimeter defense will be able to contain Abrams but their weak frontcourt will be exposed, and the trio of James, Atchley, and Johnson will combine for a minimum of forty points. I'm taking Texas for the win.

Either way you look at it, college basketball only gets better from here. All the Duke/Presbyterian-type games are behind us and many like those mentioned in this article remain. Enjoy whatever is left of your Thanksgiving break.