>While this weekend’s matchups may not be as sexy as last week’s there are some very intriguing games that might go a long way in determining how a team ends up in the conference.  There are four games featuring ranked teams and those will be previewed here.

Game of the Week: Missouri vs. Texas

   Missouri comes into the game on a two-game winning streak, having defeated both Kansas State and Iowa  State handily.  The Tigers come in at 17-3, but two of their losses have been on the road (at Colorado and at Texas A&M by two points in overtime).  Junior guard Marcus Denmon leads five Tigers in double figures with 17.3 points per game.  Missouri uses a 10-man rotation and eight of the ten play 17 minutes per game or more (the other two play 11-12 mpg).  The Tigers average 85 ppg, which is good for fifth nationally and dish out 18 ppg, which is good for sixth in the nation.  Three players could be key factors in the game, besides Denmon. Ricardo Ratliffe, who is second on the team with 12 ppg and seven rpg, will be looked upon to neutralize the Texas big men.  The other two keys are Kim English and Phil Pressey.  English was expected to have a breakout season, but has struggled early in the season and Pressey has come back from an early season wrist injury to be second on the team in assists with nearly four dimes per game.  Texas was featured in last week’s preview as well.  The team is led by the frontcourt duo of Justin Hamilton and Tristan Thompson.  Cory Joseph will be the key for Texas in this game.  How he reacts to the “Fastest Forty Minutes in Basketball” will be crucial.  The Tigers love to press and create turnovers after made baskets so how he will be able to handle the pressure will be the difference.  Joseph has only turned the ball over more than three times once and has had some of his cleanest games against UNC, UConn and USC.  Prediction:  Mizzou pulls the road upset: 78-76

Louisville at Connecticut

   The Cardinals come in having won three of their last five, including two buzzer beaters over Marquette and West Virginia.  Louisville is led by Preston Knowles, who averages just over 15 points per game and is hitting 40 percent of his three point attempts.  Two others, Peyton Siva and Chris Smith, are also averagibg double figures.  Siva, who hit the game-winner against West Virginia, is going for nearly 11 points per game and a team-high five assists per game.  Smith averages 10 ppg and leads the team, hitting nearly half of his three pointers.  Three of Louisville’s bog men (Rakeem Buckles, Jared Swopshire and Gorgui Dieng) are out with injuries.  The key could be Kyle Kuric.  He is an on and off player, who when he is hot, is able to put up 20 ppg but has also had five games of zero points.  The Huskies rely on guard Kemba Walker and their inside presence, which is helping them average 41 rebounds per game.  Walker is being considered as one of the top two contenders for NCAA POY, averaging 24 ppg, five rpg and four apg.  Big man Alex Oriakhis is the only other Huskie averaging double figures at 11, but leads the team with nine boards per game.  The key could be freshman Shabazz Napier, who is averaging 8.4 ppg and over three assists per game.  Like Kuric, he is hot and cold, going for double digits in six games, including three this month.  Prediction: The Huskies’ depth and Louisville injuries help the Huskies pull out a 75-60 win.

 Georgetown at Villanova


   Georgetown has been on a bit of a slide lately, going 4-4 in their last eight and are coming into a hostile environment on Saturday.  The Hoyas are riding a three-game winning streak, however.  They are led by Mr. Do-It-All Austin Freeman, who is averaging over 18 points per game.  The senior guard has scored in double digits in all but two games and has scored 25 points or more in two of the last three.  Georgetown has two others, Jason Clark and Chris Wright, who are averaging double digits.  Clark is pouring in 13 points a game, while wright is averaging over 10 and leads the team with 5.6 assists per game.  Guard play will be the key in this game.  If one guard is having a rough night, there will have to be others to pick up the slack. And if the guards struggle, the frontcourt has to be able to bail them out too.  After knocking off Syracuse on the road, Villanova got blown out in their game against Providence.  Villanova has won two of the three, losing the last to Connecticut on a last-second shot by Kemba Walker.  The Wildcats have three players who average double figures, including two seniors: Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes, both of whom are scoring 15 points per game.  While Stokes leads the team in free throw (94) and three point (44) percentage, Fisher is second on the team in assists per game, with five.  The other player in double figures, Maalik Wayans (13.5 ppg), also leads the team with 5.3 dimes per game. Prediction: Villanova is just too good and wins 80-65

Minnesota at Purdue

   Minnesota, on a four-game winning streak, started that streak with a home win against Purdue.  A key piece from that win, Al Nolen, is out for the season with an injury however and that has caused Blake Hoffarber to take over PG duties.  Three of the Gophers’ four losses have been on the road.  Hoffarber is one of three Minnesota players in double digits, averaging 14 points per game.  He not only leads the team in assists with 4.4 per game, but also three-point percentage, knocking in 40 percent of his treys.  Trevor Mbakwe is second in points with 13.4 and leads the team with 10.5 rebounds per contest.  Ralph Sampson III is the other Gopher is double figures, throwing in 11 ppg.  The key will be the play of Mbakwe and Sampson, as they will have to go up against the beasts of Purdue.  The Boilermakers, on the other hand, have been on a bit of a skid lately, dropping three of their last five.  JaJuan Johnson continues to be a beast for them inside, averaging nearly 21 ppg and eight rebounds per game.  Johnson has scored 20 points or more in his last five games.  He is supported by guard E’Twaun Moore, who is averaging 18 ppg.  No other Purdue player is averaging over six points per game.  The key here is for Johnson to continue his hot streak.  Prediction: Purdue pulls out a squeaker, 67-64