Teams which have huge games this week are UCLA, North Carolina, and Connecticut. Who would have thought that these three teams would be fighting for a berth in the NCAA tournament? All three should be able to squeeze in, because of their quality wins and reputations. #24 UConn plays Big East leader, #9 Syracuse, while UCLA goes against the No. 1 team in the nation, Stanford. North Carolina will play #4 Duke in perhaps the greatest rivalry in college basketball. If they can win, it would provide huge boosts for these three teams, which are all struggling to find a groove. UConn still needs to find a consistent scorer, which it has lacked since Richard Hamilton left. UCLA will gladly open their arms to JaRon Rush, who will return for the first time since the third game of the season, and UNC would like to make a statement and jump back into the Top 25. After underachieving the entire season and not living up to high expectations, now is the time for these three perennial powerhouses to step up and win.
In other action, the race for first place in the tough Big Ten may be getting even tighter. It is down to Michigan State and Ohio State, but neither team seems to be willing to relent. No matter which team wins, it will be difficult to beat a league which has the likes of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Iowa. Much like last season, the team that emerges victorious in the Big Ten will probably go far into March Madness. Even if Ohio State does finish No. 1, my pick to win the whole enchilada is Michigan State, despite last week's loss to overachieving Indiana. You have to like this team. With Mateen Cleaves, Charlie Bell, Morris Peterson, Andre Hutson, A.J. Granger, and Jason Richardson, the Spartans have a complete team laden with depth and stars. If there is any team that can stop them, it may have to be out west, although Cincinnati, with the best player in the country (Kenyon Martin), may be awfully tough.
