Welcome Back

Hello everyone, welcome back to a much-anticipated installment of the Hoops Diaries. It's been a while -- Thanksgiving break was about three weeks ago -- but to be completely honest, not a whole lot has changed. UCLA, Pitt and UNC are still the teams to beat in college hoops, with a glop of tantalizing teams like Ohio State, Kansas, Florida and LSU right behind them. Then we have the teams we want to like, but the mainstream mindset that they are "mid-majors" keeps up thinking, "Hmm, maybe it's still too early..." Think Gonzaga, Butler and Wichita State. I'd be willing to bet that Gonzaga or Wichita State could give any of the teams I mentioned above a run for their money...oh, wait, Gonzaga beat UNC and Wichita State beat LSU in Baton Rouge.

Anyway, tomorrow (today) is a huge day for college basketball:

#2 Pitt is at #7 Wisconsin (more on that later) at noon on ESPN
#4 Ohio State is at surprisingly tough Cincinnati at 3:45 on CBS
#16 Gonzaga is at Georgia at 5 on ESPN2
Purdue is at #18 Butler at 1
Creighton is at Fresno State at 10
Indiana State at Missouri State is at 8:05
Kentucky-Louisville is on at 1:30 on CBS
Texas Tech is at Arkansas at 2 on ESPN

- Pitt-Wisconsin is the marquee matchup on this list, for obvious reasons. Look for a few things: 1) Aaron Gray is supposedly showing flu-like symptoms and has a fever -- if he isn't capable of playing 25-33 minutes, Pitt might be in trouble; 2) Pitt on the road, with a tip-off at 11 a.m. local time can only spell disaster; 3) Who is going to guard Alando Tucker?

Anyway, this is going to be fun -- Pitt can really establish itself and shut the critics up with a win, or they can prove the experts correct and slide down the rankings. Wisconsin is physical, talented and extremely tough at home, so Pitt winning this game would be monumental. I don't want to make predictions because I don't know how Gray is feeling, so I will stay out. In the meantime, check out ESPN.com for a nice feature on Levon Kendall.

- Cincinnati is turning out to be a tough program. Mick Cronin is a very capable coach who works hard on his kids to get the best out of them. A win over Ohio State would thrust Cincy into the Big East schedule with boat loads of confidence, and a W might also help the ol' resume if the Bearcats come knocking on the tournament's door in March.

- Georgia is widely considered a tough high-major team with the ability to ruffle some feathers among the SEC elite. The Bulldogs have a chance to make their voices heard when they host Gonzaga in the Battle of the Bulldogs. Keep an eye on this game if you can, it could show a lot about both teams. That is, if you didn't see Gonzaga handle UNC.

- Purdue at Butler will be a great showdown. Purdue is a team that could break into the top five or so of the Big Ten and make a strong case for a tournament bid. The Boilermakers are the Big Ten's version of Georgia and Cincinnati -- a team with a coach that gets the best out of his players and has his guys ready to compete. This is another good test of Butler, as well, as it gives us another chance to see them against primetime opponents.

- Creighton at Fresno State could be a preview of a 7-10, 8-9 first round game in March. Both teams are talented and hungry to make noise out of "mid-major" conferences. These guys are physical and well-coached, and that means this game will be one to watch.

- Indiana State at Missouri State is a key game in the MVC. Missouri State might have a shot to get into the tournament after it was snubbed last March. Winning big conference games like this one will help them get there. Of course, beating Wisconsin and losing to Oklahoma State by three points also helps. Keep an eye on their stud, Blake Ahearn, who has been around for a while and is an established threat in the MVC. Indiana State just beat Butler, but they also lost to Middle Tennessee State and Ball State, so they can go either way. Nonetheless, this will be a sweet MVC showdown.

- Kentucky-Louisville should be fun. It's a rivalry game, so regardless of Louisville being one of the most overrated, and in my opinion, worst teams in the Big East, it should be a decent game on CBS. Kentucky is a perennial 9 seed at this point, so I guess watching the Wildcats isn't so bad.

- Texas Tech-Arkansas has a nice ring to it. The Razorbacks are a team, much like Georgia, with the ability and talent to make some noise in the SEC. This is a chance for them to get a good win against a tough opponent. The Red Raiders are always fun to watch with Bobby Knight on the sideline, and they have a special talent in Jarrius Jackson, who I still can't see enough.

All in all, it's going to be a great day for basketball. I see no reason why I will be peeled from the TV at any point tomorrow (today). Anyway, talk to you guys soon.