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SCS.com Seven Days, Seven Games
January 12 - 18
SCS.com

By: Jonathan
SouthernCollegeSports.com Editor
Contact Jonathan

Seven Days, Seven GamesThroughout the college basketball season, there will be many games that will have a huge impact on conference standings and the postseason fate of teams all across the country. Each week, SouthernCollegeSports.com takes a look at several of the biggest games of that seven-day period in a new feature titled Seven Days, Seven Games. Below is a look at this week's top contests....

[#4] WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
at TEXAS LONGHORNS
Tuesday   7:00 PM CDT   ESPN2   Austin, TX
Wake Forest at TexasOne of only eight unbeaten teams remaining in the entire country travels on the road for a non-conference showdown. Wake Forest has proven they can win over big names on the road (North Carolina) and even in the state of Texas (SMU). The Deacons are led by five scorers averaging in double figures, a freshman, two sophomores, and two juniors. The Longhorns have found the home court much more friendly than the road this season. However, no team as dangerous as Wake Forest has visited Austin to date. In contrast to the Deacons, three of UT's top four scorers are seniors, and only two are in double-figures.
SouthernCollegeSports.com Writers' Predictions
Jarrod Jonathan Timothy
Wake Forest Wake Forest Wake Forest
[#8] KENTUCKY WILDCATS at
[#15] MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
Tuesday   8:00 PM CDT   ESPN   Starkville, MS
Kentucky at Mississippi StateKentucky knocked off one unbeaten team in the SEC on Saturday and will go for another in Starkville on Tuesday. The Bulldogs of Mississippi State are another of the nation's only eight unbeatens, though the Dawgs haven't been without a few scares. Rick Stansbury's team is led by forward Lawrence Roberts, who is averaging a double-double on the season. UK will undoubtedly be the toughest test for MSU so far this season. The 'Cats, who have already beaten UCLA, Michigan State, Indiana, North Carolina, and Vanderbilt this season, have five scorers averaging at least 10 points per contest.
SouthernCollegeSports.com Writers' Predictions
Jarrod Jonathan Timothy
Kentucky Mississippi State Mississippi State
[#14] CINCINNATI BEARCATS
at MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES
Wednesday   6:00 PM CDT   ESPN   Milwaukee, WI
Cincinnati at MarquetteTwo of the top three teams in CUSA will do battle on national TV in Milwaukee Wednesday night. The Bearcats are yet another of the country's eight unbeaten teams, but Cincinnati hasn't played a close game all season long. Their smallest margin of victory was 19 points over Valporaiso. Marquette (and Cincy too) expects this contest to be much, much closer. The Eagles' only two losses have come to nationally ranked teams on the road in Arizona and at in-state rival Wisconsin. Unlike Cincinnati, Tom Crean's team has played seven games that were decided by 10 points or less, five of which they won.
SouthernCollegeSports.com Writers' Predictions
Jarrod Jonathan Timothy
Cincinnati Marquette Cincinnati
NC STATE WOLFPACK
at [#2] DUKE BLUE DEVILS
Thursday   8:00 PM CDT   JP*   Durham, NC
NC State at DukeNC State and Duke are not only ACC and in-state rivals, but the two schools are only about 20 miles apart. Both teams have won their first two league contests, but the most impressive victory of the four was the Wolfpack's five-point win over Florida State. FSU had not previously lost at home this season. Since a late-November loss to Purdue in Alaska, Duke has won nine consecutive games, though only five of them were in Durham. NC State's main man is obviously Julius Hodge, possibly the ACC's best player. Duke appears to be the more balanced team, with six players scoring between 9 and 14 points per game.
SouthernCollegeSports.com Writers' Predictions
Jarrod Jonathan Timothy
Duke Duke Duke
[#4] WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
at [#2] DUKE BLUE DEVILS
Saturday   12:00 PM CDT   ABC*   Durham, NC
Wake Forest at DukeWake Forest and Duke both make multiple appearances in this week's top games feature, but how could anyone argue with the potential of these matchups? Both teams will obviously be coming off of hard-fought games earlier in the week, but the Deacons should definitely be the better rested team since they will have had four days off and Duke just one. However, working in the Devils' favor is that this will be a home game, just as was the NC State matchup. Wake Forest will be playing their second road game of the week, where they've been 3-0 so far this season. Look for a down-to-the-wire ACC battle.
SouthernCollegeSports.com Writers' Predictions
Jarrod Jonathan Timothy
Duke Duke Duke
[#15] MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
at LSU TIGERS
Saturday   2:00 PM CDT   JP*   Baton Rouge, LA
Mississippi State at LSUAnother team making their second appearance in this week's top games feature is Mississippi State. The Bulldogs, perhaps surprisingly, are undefeated coming into this week, but these two SEC contests in a five-day period will tell the entire country a lot about coach Rick Stansbury's team. If not for a slip-up on the road at Houston, John Brady's LSU Tigers would also be unbeaten. The Tigers got their SEC slate off to a good start with a road win at Arkansas followed by a home victory over Alabama. Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts and LSU's Jamie Lloreda are the only two players in the SEC averaging a double-double.
SouthernCollegeSports.com Writers' Predictions
Jarrod Jonathan Timothy
LSU Mississippi State LSU
[#1] CONNECTICUT HUSKIES at
[#10] NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
Saturday   2:30 PM CDT   CBS*   Chapel Hill, NC
Connecticut at North CarolinaIt doesn't get much bigger than this in college basketball. Two tradition-rich programs, two fabulous coaches, and two very good teams in 2003 - 2004 meet up in Chapel Hill Saturday afternoon. Both UConn and UNC are ranked in the top ten by SCS.com, with the Huskies claiming the top spot. This is the Huskies' second matchup against the ACC this season; they lost a late-November game to Georgia Tech by 16 points. North Carolina has also had a couple of disappointments along the way this season, but the biggest would have to be their triple-overtime loss at home to Wake Forest.
SouthernCollegeSports.com Writers' Predictions
Jarrod Jonathan Timothy
North Carolina Connecticut North Carolina

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