Monday's Must-See Matchup

If you hadn't already heard, there's kind of a big game tonight. No. 12 Georgetown at No. 2 UConn tips off tonight at 7 p.m. The game will be on ESPN. What a way to start the Big East season, with a contest showcasing two of the top five teams in the conference.

This is a tone-setting game for the conference slate, too, because both of these teams figure to be in the top five of the league, with UConn favored to win the conference. Pitt, Notre Dame, Louisville and Syracuse will be praying for a Georgetown win -- any help in derailing UConn's title run will be appreciated by the other contenders. And if Georgetown wins, the best conference in America has a new frontrunner.

Key Matchups
Everyone talks about Hasheem Thabeet. He's probably the most intriguing newcomer to the nation's elite playerdom. At 7-3, dude swats shots. Pure and simple. Thabeet will even give a Tony Parker floater its sending orders. You're about to see more of Thabeet than you have so far this year.

But a big-time showdown with freshman sensation Greg Monroe will definitely set this party off right, as Jamie Foxx would say. Monroe is a 6-11 big fella with a little mobility. He'll have to aim high off the glass tonight, and not just because of Thabeet's reach, but also because of the ability of UConn's Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson to come off their man and swat shots.

Which leads us to another big matchup at the 4 spot between Adrien and Georgetown's best player, DaJuan Summers. Summers is supposed to be "the next Jeff Green," but he hasn't always been the same kind of player. He has the size and skill of Green, and he can operate on the perimeter like his power-forward predecessor, but he doesn't quite have the same ability to pass the ball. Still, Summers has put together a great start to the season, averaging 15 points a game. He'll need to lure Adrien away from the basket and help Monroe with Thabeet on defense.

Why I like UConn
The Huskies gutted out a win in Seattle against Gonzaga last week. And Hartford is not an easy place to play. Trust me -- I saw Pitt blow a game-long lead against UConn as the crowd got into it. UConn is just so rugged, and Georgetown has always had trouble against teams that push it around a little bit.

Georgetown is a good club. I think the Hoyas were underrated coming into the season. But winning at UConn in December in the first Big East game of the year is a tall order. I like UConn in a good, physical game.