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| The superb play of Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of the major reasons why Michigan is currently the No. 1 team in the country. (Gregory Shamus) |
Syracuse enters this matchup following the team's second loss of the season. Poor perimeter defense and overconfidence were their demise. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has begun to find its groove. They had won four straight contests before coming up short at Louisville. The Panthers will look to use their significant home court advantage to pull the surprising upset.
4. Oklahoma State (14-5, 4-3 Big 12) @ #2 Kansas (19-1, 7-0 Big 12) - 4:00 PM EST, ESPN3
Oklahoma State has had its share of ups and downs so far this season. They are entering this game with some momentum as winners of three of their last four. Since a November 13 loss to Michigan State, Kansas has gone on to win 18 straight games. Their defense has been dominant throughout the season. Freshman Ben McLemore has emerged as one of the best players in college basketball.
3. #14 Miami (16-3, 7-0 ACC) @ #19 NC State (16-5, 5-3 ACC) - 4:00 PM EST, CBS
Miami has been one of the biggest surprise stories of the college basketball season thus far. They have stormed out to a 7-0 start in ACC play, including dominating wins over then-No. 1 Duke and Florida State. NC State has been up and down in conference play. They have a win over Duke on the record as well. The Wolfpack will be glad to return home after a loss at Virginia this past week dropped their road record to 1-4 on the season.
2. #16 Mississippi (17-3, 6-1 SEC) @ #4 Florida (17-2, 7-0 ACC) - 7:00 PM EST, ESPNU
Ole Miss has been another one of this season's surprisingly successful teams. For those who have not seen them play, they run a high octane offense and rebound the ball well. The Rebels do enter the game on a sour note after their nine-game winning streak was snapped by a home loss to Kentucky. They hope to prove that they belong among the best in the SEC. Beating Florida would be a step in the right direction. The Gators have won nine straight and have emerged as the cream of the conference's crop.
1. Michigan (20-1, 7-1 Big Ten) @ #3 Indiana (19-2, 7-1 Big Ten) - 9:00 PM EST, ESPN
The Big Ten is widely considered to be the best conference in college basketball right now. Matchups like this remind us of why that is. Michigan doesn't simply have a strong record. They have been winning convincingly as well. Since December 4, the Wolverines have won every game by double digits except for two. One was a narrow defeat at Ohio State and an eight point win over Minnesota. Indiana has been a strong team as well. They have been rock solid as well with the exception of their two close losses, one in overtime to Butler and the other to Wisconsin by five at home. This is a battle to determine who is the top dog in the Big Ten as of right now at least.
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