Week Of: Feb. 4-Feb. 10

#15 Louisville @ #12 Virginia Tech

Monday, February 4, 7:00 p.m.

This one will be a very interesting game to keep an eye on, as both teams are 7-2 in the ACC behind only UNC, Duke, and Virginia. Louisville is coming off a loss to North Carolina, who got their redemption after an ugly loss to the Cardinals in Chapel Hill. The loss to the Tar Heels was the first loss in seven games for Louisville, who were on a roll and climbed all the way to #15 in the AP poll. They are a very solid team who has greatly overachieved expectations this season, so I’m ready to see how they will bounce back. Virginia Tech is performing how they were expected to before the season, with a strong showing thus far in the ACC. The problem with the Hokies is they are without their best player Justin Robinson for the time being with a broken toe. It looks like he will miss substantial time (six weeks to the whole season). That is a big loss, but it didn’t stop them this past Saturday on the road against ranked NC State, who they defeated and held to only 24 total points.

Predicted Winner: Louisville

#25 Florida State @ Syracuse

Tuesday, February 5, 8:00 p.m.

Staying in the ACC, this is another intriguing matchup. Currently, Florida State is the team that is ranked, but Syracuse has the better resume. Both teams have 16 wins on the season, but Syracuse is 7-2 in the ACC, whereas Florida State is only 4-4. Despite being 2.5 games back to the Orange, the Seminoles are the next team in the ACC standings. Florida State is coming off three wins in a row after losing three straight, but Syracuse will be a bigger test than any of their previous three games. Syracuse has won five of their last six, and are a team that can look very good or very bad on any given night. However, the Carrier Dome is always a tough place to go and get a win, and I believe that will push them over the edge on Tuesday night in what I expect to be a close game.

Predicted Winner: Syracuse

#11 Kansas @ Kansas State

Tuesday, February 5, 9:00 p.m.

I can’t remember the last time Kansas hasn’t won the Big 12 regular season championship, but they are currently tied for 3rd place in the conference standings. The team sitting atop the conference: Kansas State. After a rough recent stretch for the Jayhawks, they have their sights set on getting back in that familiar first place spot within the Big 12, and that starts with beating the team at the top. In-state state rival Kansas State has other plans, as they are 6-2 in the conference and doesn’t want to relinquish the top spot to the hated Jayhawks. This is also the beginning of a very tough stretch for the Wildcats, playing Baylor, Texas, and Iowa State following this game. While we certainly aren’t used to seeing Kansas in any other spot than first in the conference, I believe they will work their way back up there to win the conference again, and that it will start with this game. They just have too much talent on that team not to.

Predicted Winner: Kansas

#19 LSU @ #22 Mississippi State

Wednesday, February 6, 9:00 p.m.

LSU and Mississippi State are only separated by South Carolina in the SEC standings, so this game has some implication at the top of the conference. But it is more important for the Bulldogs to come away with a W because they are 4-4 in the conference standings, while the Tigers are 7-1. A few more losses and Mississippi State will be too far behind to think about catching up. They also have a game against Kentucky after this one, making it even more important to win. Mississippi State’s inconsistency is a big question for me, as they will win one, lose one, win two, lose two. LSU, on the other hand, is coming off a tough 1-point loss to Arkansas after winning ten straight. I believe LSU has the better overall team and it will show in this one on the road in Starkville.

Predicted Winner: LSU

#24 Wisconsin @ #5 Michigan

Saturday, February 9, 12:00 p.m.

The rematch. The last time these two conference foes met up, the Badgers handed Michigan its first loss of the season, denying them the #1 nationally ranked spot in the AP poll. Wisconsin is not a bad team by no means, but it was quite a shocker to basketball fans around the country. Even more shocking is the 15-point loss to Iowa this past weekend that gave the Wolverines their second loss on the season. Now they are sharing 1st place in the Big Ten with rival Michigan State. Wisconsin is not far behind in the conference standings however, with an 8-3 Big Ten record. They are more than capable of beating any team in the country, led by one of the best big men in the country Ethan Happ. I love watching his old-school style of play. However, it is very tough to beat the same team twice in a season, especially one as good as Michigan. With this one being played in Ann Arbor, I don’t give very high odds to the Badgers to win this game.

Predicted Winner: Michigan

#14 Villanova @ #10 Marquette

Saturday, February 9, 2:30 p.m.

The Big East will come down to these two teams. Villanova is 8-0 within the conference and Marquette is 8-1, while the next best team is 4-4. The Wildcats are winners of nine straight and look to stay undefeated in the Big East. The Golden Eagles are winners of eight straight and want to take over the top spot from the reigning national champions. This one will definitely be a heavy weight showdown and may be the game of the week. For the Wildcats to win, they will definitely need to contain Marquette guard Markus Howard, who is averaging 25 points per game. I expect this to be a very close game in front of a rowdy crowd in Milwaukee, and for the Golden Eagles to get it done.

Predicted Winner: Marquette

#2 Duke @ #3 Virginia

Saturday, February 9, 6:00 p.m.

Photo: Andrew Shurtleff/The Charlottesville Daily Progress

This game will also be a rematch of two top-ranked teams from a few weeks back when Duke got the best of the Cavaliers in Cameron. That game was very close and could’ve went either way, and I expect this one to be the same. Like I stated in my preview before their last matchup, these two teams play a completely different style of game, with Duke looking to utilize its athletic ability by pushing the pace of play, while Virginia will look to slow things down and rely on their defense. Last time the final was 72-70, but I think it will be a little more low-scoring this time around, with a four or five point victory in the mid-60s range. There are currently three teams tied atop the ACC (North Carolina, Duke, and Virginia) so this game will play a big part in determining who may win the regular season championship at the end of the season. Since this game is in Charlottesville and the two teams are so evenly matched, I don’t think the Blue Devils will come away with their second win against such a good team in just a few weeks.

Predicted Winner: Virginia

Garett

College Basketball: Weekly Games to Keep an Eye On

Week Of: Feb. 4-Feb. 10