College Hoops TV Guide
By Steve Merril
Covers.com
Wednesday - Marquette at Villanova
Marquette comes into this difficult road game at Villanova with a solid 12-4 SU record. The Golden Eagles are led by star freshman Henry Ellenson who is averaging 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Marquette will face a talented Villanova team that is 14-2 SU on the season. The Wildcats return home off a come from behind 60-55 win at Butler on Sunday night; they are capable of playing much better than they did in that game.
Thursday - Iowa at Michigan State
Iowa beat Michigan State 83-70 at home back on December 29th. The Hawkeyes were catching the Spartans at the perfect time for that game as Michigan State was playing just their second game without their best player, Denzel Valentine. The Spartans get the rematch on their home court, and they will also have Valentine back in the starting lineup for this game.
Friday - George Washington at Dayton
Two very strong teams from the Atlantic 10 will play on Friday night, and it’s nice to see the teams will get some exposure on national TV. George Washington is 14-3 SU on the season, including a solid home win over Virginia. Dayton is 12-3 SU on the season (as of this writing) with solid wins at Vanderbilt and on a neutral court over Iowa. This is a terrific matchup between two well-coached teams.
Saturday - West Virginia at Oklahoma
West Virginia and Oklahoma are two of the best teams in the Big 12, so this should be a highly competitive game on Saturday afternoon. The Mountaineers rank #1 in the country in turnover percentage, #1 in offensive rebounding percentage, and #2 in three-point defense. The Sooners lone loss came in three overtimes at Kansas, and their offensive and defensive numbers at home have been off the charts.
Sunday - Virginia at Florida State
Virginia and Florida State is a clash of styles. The Cavaliers play at an extremely slow pace while the Seminoles want to play fast while getting up and down the court. Virginia has a terrific defense, but they’ve been vulnerable to quick and efficient offensive teams this season. Florida State’s defense has been torched by teams that play a similar style to them, but Virginia does not possess an explosive offense, so the Seminoles are not overmatched in this game.
Monday - Syracuse at Duke
Syracuse was in an excellent spot for their home game against North Carolina last Saturday night. The Orange were catching the Tar Heels off a 109-point performance, and Syracuse was getting head coach Jim Boeheim back from his 9-game suspension. That wasn’t enough as the Orange were non-competitive. Duke will have a pair of tough games before Syracuse, but the Blue Devils have cruised in their home games so far this season.
Tuesday - Butler at Providence
Since moving to the Big East conference, Butler has been unable to beat the top two teams in the league each season. But the Bulldogs have been a competitive bunch against the rest of their conference opponents. Providence has played much better than preseason predictions, and the Friars have one of the best players in the country in Kris Dunn. Butler blew an 11-point halftime lead at home to Providence when the Friars beat them on New Year’s Eve, so the Bulldogs will be ready for the rematch on Tuesday night.