Mention Alabama vs. Georgia in December, and you’ve got visions of two of the best teams on the gridiron. On the hardwood, however, it’s been only one side showing up.
The only way the Spartans can do anything to help their profile tonight is by routing the Wolverines. Given that they’ve won five straight over Michigan in the Breslin Center, that’s fine by them. It also means that this might get worse before it gets better for the Wolverines.
This is a must-win situation for both teams. Texas Tech needs to prove that it’s a genuine contender, and TCU’s got to avoid falling three games behind the league leader. With Houston in the rearview mirror, the Frogs hold a key tiebreaker — if they can stay in position to use it.
For the past three decades, the Cougars have felt disrespected by the Texas Power 5 schools after they got left out of the Big 12 when the Southwest Conference collapsed. Houston has gradually built itself into one of the dominant forces in college basketball, but the chip on the shoulder remains for the Cougars.
Duke, to this day, has never really figured out how to win at Cassell Coliseum. The Blue Devils are just 13-10 all-time in Blacksburg, and they’ve lost five of their past six visits to Virginia Tech.
Steve Alford left Albuquerque on his terms when he left New Mexico for UCLA, but he seems to have taken these games against his former employer personally. Since Alford took the reins at Nevada, the Wolf Pack have owned this series, going 8-0 against the Lobos under Alford’s leadership.
Rutgers and Steve Pikiell have simply tortured Matt Painter and Purdue when the Boilermakers come to New Jersey. In four meetings between Painter and Pikiell in Piscataway, the Scarlet Knights have come out ahead three times.
The Jayhawks remain dynamite at Allen Fieldhouse, but in four true road games, Kansas is just 2-2. And now they’ve got to deal with a little Hilton Magic, and the Cyclones have barely been scratched at home.
If you’ve never seen a North Texas game, prepare yourself for a true rock fight. The Mean Green love to walk the ball up and force teams into a quagmire. SMU’s not as slow-paced, but the Mustangs play excellent defense.