10 Games to Watch: Jan. 9th

Time to mix it up a bit. Rather than just list a bunch of games on Saturday, I'm going to proceed in a more organized fashion and list 10 games to pay attention and watch if possible. Oh, and one mid major special. Got it? Good. Let's begin:

Mid-Major Special:

UNLV @ New Mexico: Everyone's favorite mid-major surprise team, the Lobos, are an early victim of the Mountain West's depth (lost @ San Diego State) and could very easily be 0-2 after Saturday night when a good UNLV team comes into town. The Runnin' Rebels are looking for another good win to accompany their upset of Louisville.

10. Florida @ Vanderbilt: Two teams who will likely be fighting for one spot in the tournament come March, especially if Tennessee looks fine, as they did Wednesday against Charlotte.

9. Wake Forest @ Miami: Another good bubble game. Miami has a lot of wins but not a lot of quality ones, and Wake has played well since their loss @ Purdue.

8. Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State: I get this feeling Okie State is getting by due to a weak schedule and is about to plummet down the Big 12 ladder. Could this be the beginning of that fall? Or will I look like an idiot for saying that? Come on, people, I'm practically selling these games for you. Who needs NFL playoffs when you can see if Matt looks like an idiot? Okay, I'll stop talking.

7. Kansas State @ Missouri: Maybe I've been reading a little too much Ken Pomeroy lately (Mizzou is 9 in Pomeroy's ratings) but I think this Tigers team is going to give a lot of Big 12 powers problems over the next few months, beginning with K-State this weekend.

6. Marquette @ Villanova: How much you want to bet Marquette will be the most picked lower seed to advance in the first round of the NCAA Tournament? Either them or Cornell.

5. Ohio State @ Minnesota: Made infintely more interesting after the return of Evan Turner. Is he 100%? Can Ohio State beat Minny on the road with an 80% Turner? 90%? We'll see.

4. Mississippi State @ Mississippi: Two teams nobody is talking about but are pretty darn good. One is Baylor. Another is the Bulldogs of Miss St. Yes, I know they've had some bad losses this year. But they're strong defensively and have the best shotblocker in the country (Jarvis Varnado). Can they shut down the Rebels' high-powered offense?

3. Duke @ Georgia Tech: The vibe I get from GT this year: a young team that is on the verge of great things but their inexperience has hurt them at key times this year. Favors and Lawal have been outstanding this year, but this is a Duke team that is prepared to handle size in the paint and has been playing some good basketball recently. My opinion: if Mfon Udofia doesn't have a big game, Duke shuts down the GT offense.

2. UConn @ Georgetown: The Huskies have been somewhat suspect this season offensively, and for a good defensive team like G-Town, that doesn't bode well for UConn. The Hoyas can also match UConn's size inside and speed outside. Then again, I also feel like G-Town has all the talent in the world sometimes and they don't play at the level they're capable of. Still, I like the Hoyas in a home win.

1. Purdue @ Wisconsin: You didn't really think this game wasn't going to be #1, right? Wisconsin legitimately scares me. The Badgers will not be rushed, they will not turn the ball over, and they will find good shots. They've got two very good offensive players in Jon Leuer and Trevon Hughes and several other guys who can score in given situations. They are also strong defensively. As a Purdue fan, I have to accept two truths: one, we will very likely lose (and this is one of those spots it could happen), and two, if we are a top 5 team, we win this game. Obviously we are good enough, and we should, win. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if Wisconsin takes us down. Should be entertaining though... if you like scores of 54-53. Ah, Big Ten Basketball... where two teams are needed to break the century mark.