Men’s Basketball Big Games of the Weekend 3/3 – 3/4
North Carolina at Duke
This really is the game at the end of the season every year, isn’t it? After a crazy finish a few weeks ago in which Duke’s Austin Rivers hit a cold-blooded three as time expired, this game is for all the marbles in the ACC. After North Carolina’s win over Maryland on Wednesday night, they are now tied with Duke atop the conference standings. This game will determine the regular-season champion and the #1 seed in the ACC tournament.
Obviously, these are two of the top teams in the country. North Carolina is third in the country in scoring and first in rebounding. They boast the tallest team in college basketball, which helps the rebounding stat. They also have Kendall Marshall, who broke the UNC single-season assist record this year. He is the ultimate facilitator. Duke will try and combat the tall combo of Tyler Zeller and Jon Henson with the Plumlee brothers, who rank first and second on the team in rebounds. The Blue Devils aren’t the greatest shooting team, but they score 79 points per game which is good for top 15 in the country. This will be a dogfight in Cameron Indoor Stadium. This game is always one of the best. When it means something important, it’s that much more entertaining.
Louisville at Syracuse
This will be a great game in a great league. It means a little more for Louisville than for Syracuse who have already locked up the #1 seed in the Big East tournament. Louisville still has an outside chance for the coveted double bye in the first two rounds. The Cardinals have put together a nice season in a tough league. Rick Pitino has put together another good roster. They have been ranked all year. Junior Peyton Siva is the floor general and senior Kyle Kuric is the team’s leading scorer with 13.1 points per game.
Syracuse has only dropped a road game to Notre Dame when the Irish were making a meteoric rise in the Big East. Since then they have had a few close games. They are going to get everyone’s best shot. They have one of the deepest, experienced, and most skilled teams in the country and it shows. The development of Fab Melo has been a revelation. He leads the team in rebounds as a sophomore and the center of their offense looks different when he’s not in there. Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, and Brandon Triche lead the way for the Orange. Louisville is facing a tough task in the Carrier Dome, but Syracuse has looked vulnerable.
Georgetown at Marquette
Two of the top four seeds in the Big East face off this weekend at the Bradley Center. After Marquette’s loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday night, only a game and a half separates the Hoyas and the Eagles. Earlier this season, Marquette had Georgetown on the ropes for almost the whole game in D.C. Georgetown made a furious comeback at the end of the game to pull out the victory. John Thompson III and Buzz Williams have solidified themselves as two of the great coaches. They have put together solid rosters this season (in a year many believed was a rebuilding season for Georgetown). Marquette shares the ball well, averaging over 17 assists per game. They also don’t turn the ball over very often. Georgetown is led by seniors Jason Clark and Henry Sims. They’ve gotten great production from freshmen Greg Whittington and Mikael Hopkins. This game will come down to defense. Georgetown is better statistically at stopping shooters, but Marquette scores the most points in the conference. Whichever team gets slowed down by the opposition will come out on the wrong side of this one.
Ohio State at Michigan State
Despite Michigan State’s loss to Indiana they still hold a game lead over the Buckeyes in the Big Ten. That’s because Ohio State lost to Wisconsin last weekend. At one time Ohio State looked like a team primed for a Final Four run. They still have a good chance, but the path looks a little bleaker. The Buckeyes are 3-3 in their last six games and haven’t come close to hitting their average of 74.7 points per game in those losses. The Buckeyes have trouble when they turn the ball over. They had 12 against Wisconsin.
Michigan State’s loss to Indiana didn’t hurt them in terms of conference standings, but it was a bit surprising. The Spartans have been steady all year and just got drubbed. Lucky for them, they have already beaten Ohio State. Even if the Spartans lose, they will be the #1 seed in the conference tournament. Double-double machine Draymond Green will look to have another big day. The Buckeyes will be Michigan State’s second ranked opponent in a row. They will certainly be tested heading into the postseason.
