Big East/Big XII Big Monday Marathon

Missouri hosting Kansas State is the next course, setting up the main event, a heavy weight showdown between Syracuse and Pittsburgh, before Kansas closes out the night in Waco against the Baylor Bears.

Missouri and Kansas State (already underway, 5:30 start time) have both lost two of their first three conference games, including losses to the suddenly hot Colorado Buffaloes, so today’s game is a key contest for NCAA tournament credentials. Both currently have RPI ranks below their national reputation in the polls (#40 for Missouri; #50 for Kansas State in RPI). It’s too early for the dreaded bubble word, but these types of games can be the swing contests that a committee will look at when evaluating tourney worthiness. Missouri has a commanding 43-28 lead at the half.

Syracuse (18-0; #4 Sagarin, #3 RPI) travels to Pittsburgh (17-1, #3 Sagarin, #5 RPI) for a 7:30 tip, in a game that likely could produce at least one of the #1 seeds by season’s end.  The Orange are playing their third true road game of the year, and by far the toughest, without their leading scorer Kris Joseph, who suffered a head injury in the game against Cincinnati.  Mike Waters of the Orange Scouting Report provides us with a breakdown of the matchups. The ‘Cuse have the height advantage along the front line, but the Panthers are physical as always. If Syracuse wins this one on the road, it would be a major statement.

Baylor (12-4; #71 Sagarin, #101 RPI) hosts undefeated and second-ranked Kansas (17-0). This is almost a must-win game for a Baylor team that came in with top 10 aspirations; they’ve played a fairly weak schedule, lost to every decent team they have played, and are coming off a 15-point loss at Iowa State. A signature win over Kansas would dramatically affect their outlook.

I pulled some personal connections, so the Baylor breakdown comes courtesy of Baylor graduate Brent Wilson. According to Wilson, Lacedarius Dunn is probably the best pure scorer in the conference, but needs someone to set him up. He is not very good at creating for others, and point guard Tweety Carter from last year’s elite 8 team is missed (along with high draft pick Ekpe Udoh).  Perry Jones, highly projected in the NBA draft, is playing really well on the offensive end, but has been a liability on defense. The Bears, the tallest team in the country, usually play a 2-3 matchup zone, that sometimes looks more like a 1-3-1 because the wings extend so high.  

We’ve seen teams hang with the Jayhawks recently playing lots of zone (Michigan and Nebraska), and I do think that if you are going to pick your poison against Kansas, being able to play zone to disrupt the Morris twins and Thomas Robinson may be the way to go. Baylor has the length to defend Kansas inside. Will Tyshaun Taylor, Josh Selby, Brady Morningstar, and Tyrell Reed penetrate the zone (primarily Taylor) and hit the open shots that can be generated? I think that’s the key. If Kansas is on from the outside, they win. If they relatively struggle, you may see the Bears stick around and have a chance to win. Baylor needs it. Look for a focused effort.

[photo via Getty]