Duke

Wednesday night features one of the more spirited rivalries in college sports as Texas A&M heads to Austin for the first of two regular season matchups with Texas. Think these two don't compete over nearly everything? Check out the outline of the State of Texas on the Erwin Center court, and realize that in redoing their floor at Reed Arena the folks at A&M made sure their outline was larger. Mark Turgeon's team has won thirteen straight, the last of which being a thrilling overtime win on Saturday against Missouri with Khris Middleton scoring 28 points to lead the way.

Derwin Kitchen played arguably his best game as a Seminole and as a result Florida State picked up a win that serves as a good counter to that horrific loss at Auburn. Kitchen scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Chris Singleton added 18 points and played solid defense on Kyle Singler before getting into foul trouble in the second half in a 66-61 FSU victory. Kyle Singler led Duke with 20 points, 18 of those coming in the second half.

Another day, another matchup between ranked teams in the Big East as #17 Louisville (13-2, 2-0) heads northeast to take on #7 Villanova (14-1, 3-0). The question some have in regards to Rick Pitino's team is who have they beaten of consequence on the road, and with a 2-0 mark in such games a win in Philadelphia would go a long way in cementing them as a factor in the Big East race. The Cardinals want to play fast and they want to force you to play with discomfort, which more often than not results in turnovers and transition scoring opportunities for Louisville.

If Notre Dame can play defensively against Syracuse and Connecticut the same way they did last night, Mike Brey's team will be situated well within the Top 10 at the end of a rough slate to begin Big East play. Georgetown, one of the nation's best three point shooting teams, made just four of eighteen in a 69-55 loss in South Bend. Tim Abromaitis led Notre Dame with 20 points and Tyrone Nash added a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) in a game that the Irish controlled for most of the way thanks to their defense.

Coming off of a tough loss at North Carolina, which featured a somnambulant Terrence Jones failing to shake off the after-effects of a pregame nap, the Kentucky Wildcats needed to get back on the winning track. And after a slow start against Notre Dame in the second game of the SEC/Big East Invitational, John Calipari's team woke up late in the first half and carried that effort over after the break. The end result: a 72-58 win for the Wildcats at Freedom Hall to give the SEC a sweep of the first two games (another doubleheader will be played in Pittsburgh on Saturday).

While you never want to say that a game is a "must-win", make no mistake about the importance of North Carolina getting a win over Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. While Roy Williams' team had wins over UNC Asheville and College of Charleston before losing at Illinois, UNC's play will be measured by its performance in the games against elite competition.

The question that's dominated discussion for many in regards to the Gonzaga Bulldogs has been what's up with Elias Harris. One of the best freshmen in America last season, Harris has been dealing with shoulder and knee injuries in the Bulldogs' 4-2 start. Can he increase his production on Saturday when the Bulldogs take on Illinois in Seattle? Whether or not the swingman is healthy enough to make a significant impact will determine whether or not the Bulldogs are able to knock off the Illini in an environment that while defined as "neutral" will be anything but.

Sometimes freshmen tread lightly at the start of their collegiate careers, so as not to upset the balance and tick off the upperclassmen. But Duke point guard Kyrie Irving isn't your typical freshman point guard and the many reasons why were on full display in the Blue Devils' 84-79 win over Michigan State on Wednesday night. Irving scored 31 points while also grabbing six rebounds, handing out four assists as well as blocking two shots and making two steals.

Wednesday is the final day of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and with a 4-2 lead following Tuesday's action all the Big Ten needs in order to win the competition for a second consecutive season is two victories. Will one of those two wins come at Cameron Indoor Stadium? That's the question that the Michigan State Spartans hope to answer in the affirmative in the marquee game of the event. Tom Izzo's team won two of three at the Maui Invitational (losing to eventual champion Connecticut), returning home to beat Tennessee Tech with an effort that left the coach less than pleased.

Overall Rank: #1