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| TUNE THE TUBE!...THE WEEK'S TOP GAMES | |
| Week of February 28 - March 6, 2005 | |
| Jonathan, SCS.com Editor | Contact Jonathan |
Charlotte at Louisville
Thursday : 6:00 PM CST : ESPN2
Sure, Sunday's ACC battle between in-state rivals Duke and North Carolina is huge. It's the season finale involving two of the nation's premier programs. But Thursday's showdown between Conference USA co-leaders Charlotte and Louisville will decide that league's regular season champion, and because of that, SCS.com has chosen that battle as the nation's best for the upcoming week.
Louisville is ranked not far from where they started the season, and as expected, Rick Pitino's squad is one of the tops in CUSA. Junior forward Francisco Garcia, an All-American candidate, is leading the way for UL at nearly 16 points a contest. Four other Cardinals, Larry O'Bannon, Taquan Dean, Ellis Myles, and Juan Diego Palacios, all score between ten and fourteen each night out. Pitino can also go into his bench for an additional three players who score between five and six per game. Louisville has gone 13-1 since the second week of January, the lone loss being a blowout at home to Memphis. Since that embarrassment, the Cards have gone on to win four straight, including a road win against the Tigers last weekend.
Charlotte is a squad that was projected by SCS.com to finish second in CUSA back in November. The 49ers are led in scoring by Curtis Withers, another player with All-America aspirations. The junior scores more than 17 a contest, while seniors Eddie Basden and Brendan Plavich round out the double-figure scorers for Charlotte. Like Louisville, the 49ers are also able to go into their bench for production and points. Five players score between five and nine points for Coach Bobby Lutz's squad. The 49ers have won nine of their last ten and seven in a row, including an early February victory over Cincinnati.
With both teams tied atop the CUSA standings at 12-2 in league play, this one looks to determine the league title. Though both teams still have a weekend game remaining, since this is the only meeting between the two in regular season play, the tiebreaker (and therefore the champion) will be decided Thursday evening.
Charlotte seems to have a knack for hanging around and making things close, so expect a tough battle that goes down to the wire. With so much on the line, look for Louisville to respond at home on senior night and come away with a league-clinching victory.
The Editor Says: Louisville
THE WEEK'S OTHER TOP MATCHUPS...
Pittsburgh at Boston College
Monday : 6:00 PM CST : ESPN
The Panthers have had an up-and-down year but could pick up a big win on the road late in the season. Though Pitt is likely in the NCAA Tournament already, a win like this could help the Panther fans rest easy and improve the team's postseason seeding. However, BC has yet to lose at home this season and won't start now.
The Editor Says: Boston College
Washington at Stanford
Saturday : 3:00 PM CST : CBS Regional
The Huskies picked up two huge wins against Arizona State and Arizona this past week, earning a season split with the Wildcats. Stanford is squarely on the NCAA bubble, but a victory over a top ten squad could solidify a spot for the Cardinal. UW, however, will stay in the hunt for the PAC 10 title.
The Editor Says: Washington
Syracuse at Connecticut
Saturday : 3:00 PM CST : CBS Regional
After a big run to start the Big East schedule, the Orange have found the month of February a little tougher to handle. The Huskies have boosted their stock with recent big wins over Notre Dame and Pittsburgh and could still end up at the top of the Big East standings. A win here keeps them in the race.
The Editor Says: Connecticut
Maryland at Virginia Tech
Saturday : 3:00 PM CST : JP Regional
With the Hokies and Terps both dropping weekend games, each squad sits with just seven wins heading into the final week of the regular season. VT could pick up that crucial eighth win mid-week at Clemson, but a trip to Blacksburg is the only remaining game for Maryland. With a bid possibly on the line, give it to Gary Williams.
The Editor Says: Maryland
Duke at North Carolina
Sunday : 3:00 PM CST : CBS
If you choose to make this your personal game of the week, I surely cannot argue against it. The Devils and Heels are among the ACC's top three teams, and with a little help, Roy Williams' squad could find themselves in a position to play for at least a portion of the league title. Home court does the trick.
The Editor Says: North Carolina
BEST OF THE REST...
Valparaiso at UMKC - Monday
The Editor Says: UMKC
Oklahoma at Texas - Monday
The Editor Says: Texas
Virginia Tech at Clemson - Tuesday
The Editor Says: Virginia Tech
St. Joseph's at George Washington - Tuesday
The Editor Says: George Washington
Mississippi State at Arkansas - Tuesday
The Editor Says: Arkansas
Georgia Tech at Wake Forest - Wednesday
The Editor Says: Wake Forest
Georgetown at Connecticut - Wednesday
The Editor Says: Connecticut
Missouri at Iowa State - Wednesday
The Editor Says: Iowa State
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - Wednesday
The Editor Says: Vanderbilt
LSU at Mississippi - Wednesday
The Editor Says: LSU
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State - Wednesday
The Editor Says: Oklahoma State
Ohio State at Iowa - Wednesday
The Editor Says: Iowa
DePaul at UAB - Wednesday
The Editor Says: UAB
NC State at Virginia - Wednesday
The Editor Says: NC State
Miami at Duke - Thursday
The Editor Says: Duke
Pacific at Cal State-Fullerton - Thursday
The Editor Says: Pacific
Oregon State at UCLA - Thursday
The Editor Says: UCLA
Dayton at Xavier - Saturday
The Editor Says: Xavier
Louisville at DePaul - Saturday
The Editor Says: Louisville
Clemson at Georgia Tech - Saturday
The Editor Says: Georgia Tech
Alabama at Mississippi State - Saturday
The Editor Says: Alabama
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame - Saturday
The Editor Says: Notre Dame
Cincinnati at Memphis - Saturday
The Editor Says: Cincinnati
Arizona at Arizona State - Saturday
The Editor Says: Arizona
Oklahoma at Texas Tech - Saturday
The Editor Says: Texas Tech
UAB at Houston - Saturday
The Editor Says: UAB
Vanderbilt at LSU - Saturday
The Editor Says: LSU
Texas at Oklahoma State - Saturday
The Editor Says: Oklahoma State
Kentucky at Florida - Sunday
The Editor Says: Kentucky
Illinois at Ohio State - Sunday
The Editor Says: Illinois
Kansas at Missouri - Sunday
The Editor Says: Kansas
Wake Forest at NC State - Sunday
The Editor Says: Wake Forest
Rice at Lamar
Days: Tuesday
BYU at Oklahoma State
Days: Tuesday / Wednesday
Georgia at Georgia State
Days: Wednesday
BYU at Oral Roberts
Days: Thursday / Friday / Saturday
Arizona State vs North Carolina
Days: Friday
Georgia vs Ohio State
Days: Friday
Nebraska vs Rice
Days: Friday
Southern Cal vs Texas A&M
Days: Friday
Clemson at Auburn
Days: Friday / Saturday / Sunday
Texas at Arizona
Days: Friday / Saturday / Sunday
Long Beach State at Baylor
Days: Friday / Saturday / Sunday
UC-Santa Barbara at Washington
Days: Friday / Saturday / Sunday
North Carolina vs Ohio State
Days: Saturday
Rice vs Southern Cal
Days: Saturday
Notre Dame vs Rice
Days: Sunday
Nebraska vs Southern Cal
Days: Sunday
The Editor's CBB Records:
Last Week: 34 - 23 (.596)
To Date: 440 - 191 (.697)
Game of the Week: 11 - 3 (.788)
