High-Profile Matchup It will be a case of speed versus size Saturday when 11th-ranked Marquette brings its up-tempo, guard-oriented attack to the Kohl Center to face Wisconsin and its formidable group of frontcourt players.
Author: Anthony Rome
Bring on The Hoosiers As one of the most highly touted freshmen in a season with a number of standout first-year players, Indiana’s Eric Gordon has not disappointed. Luckily for the 15th-ranked Hoosiers, it looks like Gordon will get a chance to continue his stellar play on Saturday against Kentucky.
Winning Milestone If Rick Pitino thought recording career win No. 499 was tough, his first attempt at achieving a college coaching milestone might not be any easier. The Louisville coach looks to become the latest to reach 500 career victories as his 14th-ranked Cardinals face Dayton on Saturday afternoon at Freedom Hall.
Familar Faces It’s been a little more than a year since Kansas lost a regular-season, non-conference game. That loss came against DePaul. The third-ranked Jayhawks haven’t forgotten, and they look to avenge that defeat when they meet the Blue Demons on Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.
Big 10 Crushers Duke has had little trouble defeating teams from the Big Ten of late. That likely won’t change when the sixth-ranked Blue Devils host struggling Michigan on Saturday afternoon.
No Defense The Dallas Mavericks’ lack of defense has led to a frustrating slump over the last few weeks. Their misery could be extended if they can’t find a way to contain the high-scoring Utah Jazz, who visit the American Airlines Center on Saturday.
Leafs After Five Straight If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to extend their season-high winning streak to five games, they might need to generate more shots. A meeting with the Boston Bruins at Air Canada Centre on Saturday might help them do just that. The Maple Leafs (12-11-6) have scored nine goals on just 31 shots in their last two victories, including a 16-shot performance in a 6-2 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Sonics Playing Well The Seattle SuperSonics haven’t won consecutive home games in nine months. That could change with the Milwaukee Bucks coming to town. Coming off their second home win of the season, the Sonics look to beat the struggling Bucks at KeyArena for an eighth straight time on Friday night.
Offensive Power The Phoenix Suns have led the NBA in scoring in each of the last three seasons, so it’s not easy to put on an offensive display that impresses coach Mike D’Antoni. With its latest performance, however, Phoenix did just that. The Suns look to build on their highest scoring output of the season on Friday when they visit the Washington Wizards, who have been another one of the league’s top offensive teams lately despite missing Gilbert Arenas.
Skins Down Bears Todd Collins kept waiting for another chance to play in the NFL. And waiting … and waiting … and waiting. Forget about the five years without throwing for a touchdown. How about the three years without so much as attempting a pass of any sort? Collins finally was called upon Thursday night by the weary Washington Redskins, and the perennial understudy performed brilliantly. Replacing injured starter Jason Campbell, Collins tossed two TDs to lead Washington over the fading Chicago Bears 24-16, ending the Redskins’ four-game losing streak.