Michigan's Trip to IU Headlines College Basketball Saturday

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)

5. #6 Syracuse (18-2, 6-1 Big East) @ Pittsburgh (17-5, 5-4 Big East) - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN

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.

Big East Power Rankings: How Good is Cincinnati?

This is my January 19th breakdown of the Big East Conference Power Rankings from top to bottom. Some questions that are begging to be answered: Can Syracuse go undefeated?; How good is Cincinnati?; Does Seton Hall have a chance of making the tournament?; How can Pittsburgh be 0-6 in Big East play?

1. Syracuse Orange, 20-0 (7-0)

Best Wins: Stanford*, Florida, Marquette

Worst Losses: N/A

Analysis: There is no denying that Syracuse is the best team in the country right now. They are undefeated, but the question I have is how good are they. The wins against Florida and Marquette are quality ones, but the rest of their competition hasn't been that tough. They have played mostly lower-tier Big East teams in conference play so far. I don't think they will go undefeated. They have too many tough games left. However, that does not mean they aren't the best team in the country.

Next Game: Saturday @ Notre Dame

2. Cincinnati Bearcats, 15-4 (5-1)

Best Wins: Notre Dame, @Georgetown, @Connecticut

Worst Losses: Presbyterian, Marshall (OT), St. John's

Analysis: December 10, 2011 was one of the ugliest days in University of Cincinnati basketball history. The team lost to Queen City rival Xavier and fell to 5-3 on the season, but that wasn't the worst of it. At the end of the game, the Bearcat players got into a fight with the Musketeer players that led Cincinnati senior Yancy Gates stomp on the head of a Xavier player. Gates and three other Bearcats were suspended as a result. However, the fight seems to be the wakeup call the team needed. Since the fight, Cincinnati has gone 10-1, including three Top 25 upsets. Bearcat sophomore guard Sean Kilpatrick has led the way on the court.

Next Game: Saturday @ West Virginia

3. Georgetown Hoyas, 15-3 (5-2)

Best Wins: @Alabama, @Louisville, Marquette

Worst Losses: Kansas*, @West Virginia, Cincinnati

Analysis: Georgetown has put together an unexpectedly good season so far. The Hoyas are off to a great start at 15-3, including an eleven game winning streak. Senior guard Jason Clark has been leading the way. Clark scored a career-high 31 points in his last game against Depaul. For the Hoyas' success to continue, they are going to need Clark to keep playing well.

Next Game: Saturday vs. Rutgers

4. Marquette Golden Eagles, 15-4 (4-2)

Best Wins: @Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Louisville

Worst Losses: LSU, Vanderbilt, Georgetown

Analysis: Marquette's season started out amazingly as the Golden Eagles were 10-0, including a upset win at in-state rival Wisconsin. But then, things fell apart as the team lost three out of five. The team has righted the ship since winning three in a row, but it is difficult to know how good this team is. They were in position to upset Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, before they let it slip away late. If this team is going to make a deep run in the tournament that is the type of wins they are going to need to get. The heart of this Marquette team is their top two seniors, Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder.

Next Game: Saturday @ Providence

5. West Virginia Mountaineers, 14-5 (4-2)

Best Wins: Kansas State (2OT), Georgetown, @Marshall

Worst Losses: Kent State, @Mississippi State, @Seton Hall

Analysis: West Virginia has had their ups and down this season. While it has been mostly ups, it is difficult to know how good the Mountaineers really are. One thing that isn't difficult to figure out is how good Kevin Jones has been this season. He is averaging 20.4 ppg and 11.4 rpg on the season. In my opinion, he is making a great case to be Big East Player of the Year and even an All-American.

Next Game: Saturday vs. Cincinnati

6. Seton Hall Pirates, 15-4 (4-3)

Best Wins: @Dayton, West Virginia, Connecticut

Worst Losses: Northwestern, South Florida, Villanova

Analysis: Seton Hall might make the NCAA tournament. Who thought that before the season?Not many people I am sure. A pair of seniors, Herb Pope and Jordan Theodore, have stepped up big for second-year head coach Kevin Willard. The Pirates got off to a fantastic 15-2 start, but have now lost two in a row to South Florida and Villanova. Since neither of those teams are very talented, Seton Hall will look to bounce back in their next game after getting a week off.

Next Game: Wednesday vs. Notre Dame

7. Connecticut Huskies, 14-4 (4-3)

Best Wins: Florida State*, Harvard, West Virginia

Worst Losses: UCF, Seton Hall, Rutgers

Analysis: Connecticut is another tough team to get a read on. A big question for the Huskies is who they are going to have on the court. Freshman guard Ryan Boatright sat out games while being investigated by the NCAA, then he was cleared to play some games, and now he is sitting out again. Without Boatright, the team loses one of their scorers and, more importantly, depth at the guard positions. One player that might be the key to success for the Huskies is freshman Andre Drummond. If Drummond can develop into a dominant post player, this team will get much better. If he does not, I am not sold on this team making a deep tournament run right now.

Next Game: Saturday @ Tennessee

8. Louisville Cardinals, 14-5 (2-4)

Best Wins: Ohio, Vanderbilt (OT), Memphis

Worst Losses: Notre Dame (2OT), @Providence, @Marquette

Analysis: Everyone thought Louisville was really good when they were 12-0, but upon examining their schedule, one realizes that it was a mere illusion. Since their 12-0 start, the Cardinals have gone 2-5. Granted some of those games were against difficult opposition, but the problem is that those are the types of teams you are going to play come tournament time. Louisville might have a balanced attack that is distributed by Peyton Siva, but this team doesn't look ready to compete with the big boys.

Next Game: Saturday @ Pittsburgh

9. South Florida Bulls, 11-8 (4-2)

Best Wins: Rutgers, @Villanova, Seton Hall

Worst Losses: Old Dominion*, Penn State*, @Auburn

Analysis: South Florida has benefited from an easy Big East schedule so far to get to this point. The Bulls only have a 7-6 record against a mediocre non-conference schedule. The fact that they have done so well in Big East play so far, doesn't bode well for the conference. Interestingly enough, South Florida's remaining schedule isn't that difficult either. If the Bulls play well, they could be looking at a possible NIT bid.

Next Game: Sunday @ Depaul

10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 11-8 (3-3)

Best Wins: Florida (2OT), Connecticut, Notre Dame

Worst Losses: Illinois State*, Richmond*, Princeton

Analysis: Head coach Mike Rice is starting to turn around the Rutgers basketball program. It's a difficult job, but he is doing a great job of it. The upset wins over Florida and UConn are the types of wins he needs to get his players to believe in him and to help him recruit the best players he can. A pair of freshman guards, Eli Carter and Myles Mack, are the main ones helping lead the Scarlet Knight turnaround. If the team keeps playing well, they will definitely be deserving of NIT consideration.

Next Game: Saturday @ Georgetown

11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 11-8 (3-3)

12. Providence Friars, 12-7 (1-5)

13. Depaul Blue Demons, 10-8 (1-5)

14. Pittsburgh Panthers, 11-8 (0-6)

15. Villanova Wildcats, 9-10 (2-5)

16. St. John's Red Storm, 8-10 (2-5)

* Game played at neutral site