Week Of: Feb. 18-Feb. 24

#4 Virginia @ #22 Virginia Tech

Monday, February 18, 7:00 p.m.

They call it “Big Monday” but there’s not much “big” about this Monday. This is really the only intriguing matchup, and even its intrigue has faded since Virginia Tech’s Justin Robinson has been injured. I was really excited about this matchup when the teams first met earlier this season, but the Cavaliers had an easy time with the Hokies beating them 81-59. This game is two things for Virginia Tech: a chance to redeem themselves against their in-state rival and a chance to prove to the country that they are still a capable team without their best player in Robinson. If you have watched Virginia Tech since he has been out, you can tell they sorely miss him. The Hokies are still a good team, but are they good enough to make serious noise in March? We could find out a lot from this game to help us answer that question.

Predicted Winner: Virginia

#8 North Carolina @ #2 Duke

Wednesday, February 20, 9:00 p.m.

The best rivalry in sports, in my opinion, is Carolina vs. Duke in basketball. This is the first time these two teams meet this season and it should not disappoint. If you’ve read some of my previous articles, you know I am a Carolina fan, so I will be extra invested in this one. North Carolina comes in playing pretty good ball lately. They lost a tough one to Virginia this past week, but bounced back nice with a blowout win against Wake Forest in which they shot lights out. Point guard Coby White has been stellar all season and has been playing his best ball recently. A question mark for me revolves around a few injured Tar Heels. Sterling Manley is still out, which makes Carolina real thin down low. Versatile guard Leaky Black has been out for several weeks after playing really well and becoming a reliable defender. Highly touted Nassir Little has been dealing with ankle issues since he rolled it in the Virginia game, so I’m hoping he’ll be 100%. Duke has been playing really well all year long with just two losses on the season. They rely almost exclusively on their freshmen, which usually creates concern for teams that do this, but with freshmen of their skill-level it hasn’t been a problem for the Blue Devils. Their talent has proven to overcome their inexperience so far this year. But of all the big games they have been a part of this season, none have been as big as this one. The question mark for Duke in this game will be can their talented freshmen keep composure in a game of this magnitude? Ultimately, I believe the two teams will split the season series 1-1, like usual. It seems Duke usually wins the first one, and since this game is in Durham, I believe they will come out on top Wednesday night.

Predicted Winner: Duke

Utah @ Washington

Wednesday, February 20, 11:00 p.m.

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a Pac-12 game simply because of the weakness of the conference. The Washington Huskies are quietly having a nice year, at 11-1 in the conference and 20-5 overall. I think they should be in the top-25 rankings, but the committee has them out because of the weak conference, which you can’t really argue against. The Huskies have made the Pac-12 a one-horse race up to this point, as the next best team in the conference is Oregon State at three games behind. Utah is one of several teams bunched up trying to chase down Washington, 3.5 games behind. While this game isn’t overly exciting, it is a Pac-12 game that holds some meaning. Washington is clearly the better team, but the Utes are fully capable of beating them and climbing one game closer in the conference. With this game in Seattle, I think the Huskies win by double digits.

Predicted Winner: Washington

#1 Tennessee @ #19 LSU

Saturday, February 23, 12:00 p.m.

This should be an excellent game. The Vols and the Tigers are the top two teams in the SEC, both at 11-1. Tennessee has been rated the number one team in the country for a month, but is coming off a 17-point loss to Kentucky yesterday. It’s very tough imagining them losing two games in a row to slip from the top spot in the SEC, but they will definitely need to play a much better game than they did against the Wildcats. With the veteran lineup that Tennessee has, I fully expect them to bounce back with a good game. LSU, on the other hand, is coming off a victory against Kentucky where they won on a last second, controversial tip-in. The Tigers have flew under the radar this season, but are finally being recognized for the talented team they are. With only four losses on the season, it’s about time for people to recognize this team is for real. With a win here, after beating Kentucky, college basketball fans have to acknowledge this. And it would be huge for their NCAA Tournament resume. I expect a back and forth game, with a very close finish.

Predicted Winner: LSU

#17 Florida State @ #8 North Carolina

Saturday, February 23, 3:45 p.m.

It’s a big week for North Carolina, with this being their second preview of the week. Earlier in the week I predicted a loss to Duke, so I expect this to be their rebound-game. However, Florida State is not a very good team to play in a rebound-game because they are a dangerous team. Like always, they have plenty of talent and a lot of height that gives teams, especially this Carolina team, problems. The Seminoles are just two games behind Carolina in the ACC standings, so this is a great opportunity to climb closer to the top and boost their tournament resume as well. After losing three in a row to Duke, Pittsburgh, and Boston College, they have bounced back nicely with seven straight wins. Florida State always seems to play UNC really tough, and I believe they will do the same here. However, I believe the Tar Heels will make a living on the three point line in this one and get a tough win at home.

Predicted Winner: North Carolina

Fresno State @ #7 Nevada

Saturday, February 23, 8:00 p.m.

This is a pretty big one for the Mountain West Conference. Nevada has been getting the love all year (rightfully so at 11-1 in conference), but Fresno State is just a game and a half behind. The Bulldogs are looking to avenge a 10-point loss from earlier in the season to Nevada at home. Led by former N.C. State player Caleb Martin, the Wolf Pack have won ten in a row and haven’t had many problems doing so. Fresno State is a very capable team, but have been fairly inconsistent this year. They will definitely look to guard Braxton Hughes to have a big game, but ultimately I don’t think that will be enough against a good Nevada team at home.

Predicted Winner: Nevada

#14 Kansas @ #15 Texas Tech

Saturday, February 23, 8:00 p.m.

Kansas has won the Big 12 conference 14 years in a row, but are in jeopardy of ending that streak this year. The Jayhawks have lost four games in conference so far, and while that may not sound like many, it feels like much more for a program as solid as Kansas. In the midst of their struggles a few weeks ago, I still predicted that they will figure it out and come back to win the conference once again. Ever since, they have won three straight and Big 12 leader Kansas State is coming off a loss to help close that gap. Kansas and Texas Tech are both just a half game back from Kansas State now, so I expect this one to be a very high intensity game with so much on the line. In sticking to my prediction, I think Kansas goes into Texas Tech on Saturday to get a very tough win, then beats Kansas State next week to put themselves back into that very familiar position.

Predicted Winner: Kansas

#11 Michigan State @ #6 Michigan

Sunday, February 24, 3:45 p.m.

After the Carolina-Duke game on Wednesday, I think this one will be the game of the week. These two conference and in-state rivals are tied atop the Big Ten. With the regular season in the home stretch, this game will have major implications on who may go on to win the regular season Big Ten title. However, this is just the first meeting between the two Michigan teams, so they’ll be a chance for revenge. After losing three in a row, the Spartans have won three in a row. Tom Izzo’s clubs usually play their best ball at the end of the season, so I expect this game to be a starting point for Michigan State to go on a nice little run. The Wolverines started out the season stronger than almost everyone, winning their first 17 games. However, they have two losses in their last five, including a loss to the conference bottom-feeder Penn State (which is really a head scratcher). Like UNC-Duke, I think these two teams will split their season series, but I think it will be the Spartans who strike first with a win here in Ann Arbor. It should be a very exciting race to the end of the Big Ten season.

Predicted Winner: Michigan State

Garett

College Basketball: Weekly Games to Keep an Eye On

Week Of: Feb. 18-Feb. 24