Blockbuster Tuesday

No. 6 Texas and No. 8 Notre Dame meet tonight at 7 p.m. in the Maui Invitational. This game could turn into a track meet, given the athletic talent of Texas and Notre Dame's ability to fill it up in a hurry.

Still, the Longhorns' have a little bit more of a defensive bent than Notre Dame, and the Irish are one of the less physical teams in the Big East. It'll be fun seeing who adapts to the other more, but I think Texas might be the better team.

Best matchup: It has to be Tory Jackson vs. AJ Abrams. I've seen Jackson play a few times, and he is one of the fastest players I've ever watched in person (fastest being Darren Collison). Abrams is the most important player on Texas. Both are fast, but I give the slight edge to Abrams in terms of overall ability. In this game, this matchup might be the best indicator of who is winning.

Penn State at Penn ... just kidding.

A quietly good matchup in Dayton: Mercer at Dayton. Mercer surprised Alabama and Auburn and almost beat Georgia Tech (lost in OT), so expect the Bears to challenge a good Dayton team at UD Arena. This is the beginning of a really tough stretch for the Flyers, who host Mercer tonight, then play Auburn and No. 15 Marquette on Friday and Saturday, respectively, in the Chicago 'burbs. If Dayton is working on its Tournament resume, going at least 2-1 in this three-game period will help a lot. Undefeated will go a long way come March.

Florida-Washington in Maui. Florida needs to recover after its loss to Syracuse; Washington has less than 24 hours to change its ways. I like Florida, but this is secretly an important game for both teams.

UNC-Oregon. We know who will win this game, but if the Ducks can at least have a solid showing, it can only help, confidence-wise. Oregon has the talent, but does it have the guts?

Kansas-Syracuse for the CBE Classic title. Kansas is the favorite, but Syracuse looked good against Florida, not that that surprises anyone. But if the Orange can win again here, expect them in the Top 25 on Monday. And a win here will also quiet the always-rowdy critics in March, who always shellack Jim Boeheim for his scheduling.

Rainy Saturday Quick Hits

That man up top -- the Godfather of Basketball, Rick Pitino -- is not walking through that door in Lexington. (He's walking through another door a few hours away, actually, coaching a team that', dare I say, good.) And you have to wonder if anyone in Kentucky basketball world is wishing Rick was ambling into Rupp Arena, because the Wildcats got off to another terrible start, this time losing to VMI, 111-103.

Not even kidding. VMI.

-- Does this really surprise you? Have you seen Nick Calathes? Plus, he plays for Florida, so it figures.

-- UNC topped Penn, 86-71, today. I know you were holding your breath.

-- Really? Davidson dropped 107 points?

-- Pitt took care of business, so did UConn, Texas, Purdue, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Buzz Williams is 1-0 at Marquette. Florida, Wake and 'Nova got off on the right track, too.

-- Just wondering: Is VMI a bubble team now? Kentucky certainly is.