A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Brian Murphy:

What a night it was in college basketball on this Wednesday!  With multiple top-25 and rivalry match-ups, it had all the makings of an early March game night.

#21 UNC 73 vs. #5 Duke 79: North Carolina absolutely dominated the first half of the first game this year between the best rivals in college basketball.  The Tar Heels took a 14 point lead into the half, but of course you can never count out Duke in Cameron Indoor.  The Blue Devils came out of the locker room like they actually visited Hell and were on fire, getting their first lead of the game with 9:14 remaining in the second half.  They did not look back the rest of the game.  Led by Seth Curry’s 22 points, Duke made clutch three after three and nailed their free throws to seal another great one between Tobacco Road’s finest.

#10 Villanova 76 vs. Rutgers 77: Looking at tonight’s games, no one would have thought that this game would be the most exciting finish of all.  Let’s fast-forward to the second half where ‘Nova had a 12 point lead with only 3:34 left and then 10 with 2:52 left.  Rutgers’ Jonathan Mitchell and James Beatty decided to do the uncanny and hit five 3-pointers combined in the final 1:50.  Now get this: the Wildcat’s James Bell hit a 3 to go up by 5 with 16 seconds left. Game over right?  Not so much in the RAC said the Scarlet Knights as James Beatty cut it to a 2-point game with 11 seconds left.  Villanova’s Corey Fisher made one free throw to go up by 3 with 9 ticks left.  Then the unthinkable happened: Jonathan Mitchell for Rutgers caught a deep pass and put up a 3 that swished in!!….AND 1!!  Mitchell was fouled on his made 3-pointer and went to the foul line with .8 left in a tied-up ball game.  Mitchell shoots it and…..Buckets!  The Rutgers fans stormed the court and craziness ensued in Jersey!

#15 Louisville 79 vs. #7 Notre Dame 89 (OT):  Many folks that follow these teams will tell you that when you match up the Cardinals and Fightin’ Irish, there is a good chance the game will go into overtime.  On Wednesday night, overtime was needed yet again to determine the winner of this classic Big East battle (5th OT game in last 9 meetings).  Louisville, led by Kyle Kuric and his 28 points, had the lead most of the game.  It was never a big enough lead that ND was out of the game and they tied it up and went up by a couple many, many times.  Louisville had the final shot to win it in regulation but it fell short. Once overtime started, Notre Dame, led by Ben Hansbrough’s 25 points, came out like wildmen and just blew out Louisville scoring the first 14 points of overtime.  Notre Dame is further strengthening its case as the best team in the Big East.  They are currently in second place in the Big East standings, only behind Pittsburgh who ND beat on the road.

#11 Georgetown 64 vs. #13 Syracuse 56: In arguably the most back and forth game of the night, the visiting Hoyas pulled away in the final four minutes to give Syracause another Big East lost.  The game had seven lead changes and numerous ties as Georgetown won its seventh game in a row.  Syracuse lost its third straight in the Dome, which is only the third time that has happened in coach Jim Boeheim’s 35 year tenure there.  This game definitely showcased two teams going in opposite directions.  The Hoyas are hot and making quite the Big East run, whereas the Orange have been struggling big time as of late in the Big East and are plummeting in the standings.

As if those four games weren’t enough for you, there were two top-25 teams not in the Big East or ACC who had scares on the road.  #14 Wisconsin needed overtime to beat the lowly Hawkeyes of Iowa on the road by only three points.  Similarly, #22 Texas A&M needed overtime to squeak by Colorado by three points.  Is this a glimpse of what college basketball in March this season will be like.  I bet yes, is it March yet?!

The Syracuse Orangemen survived a late rally by the Georgetown Hoyas, to improve to 12-2 in the conference and 25-2 overall. Early on it looked as though the 5th ranked would rout the 10 ranked Hoyas on their home floor, jumping out to a 15 point halftime lead. Syracuse led by as much as 23 points, with 12:30 left on the clock, but the Hoyas weren’t going to go down without a fight. Georgetown kept chipping away at the lead, and with a minute remaining just one point separated the two top ranked teams.  Georgetown had a chance to take the lead but missed, and Syracuse forward Kris Johnson responded, giving the Orangemen the 3 point lead with 7 seconds remaining. Free throws decided the rest of the game and Syracuse remains undefeated on the road.

With four games to go Syracuse has a half game lead on Villanova for the conference. The two teams face off for conference supremacy on February 27th (though WVU and Pitt could still overtake them, each 2 1/2 games back). Right now I think the conference is Syracuse’s when it is all said and done. The Orange finish out at Providence, home against Villanova and St. Johns, then their last game at Louisville. Providence and St. Johns are two of the weaker teams in the conference so the ‘Cuse should have no problems there. Louisville is always a dangerous team and beat Syracuse in the Carrier Dome earlier this season, but I think Syracuse can take them.

Their tough test will be at home against Villanova, not because Villanova is ranked 4th in the nation, but because its at home. Amazingly, their only losses are at home this season, in the Carrier Dome, one of the hardest venues in college basketball for away teams to play in. Syracuse is actually really lucky how their schedule turned out, with no back-to-back away games in the final stretch, and with an easy game before each of their tough matchups. Villanova on the other hand isn’t so lucky. Their final five games are a bit tougher; they are at 21st ranked Pittsburgh (and the Peterson Events Center may rival the Carrier Dome in terms of home court advantage), home vs South Florida, who has played some great basketball against top teams this year, at Syracuse and Cincinnati back to back, before finishing up with 8th ranked West Virginia at home. While anything can happen in the Big East, the Orangemen will likely hold on to their half game lead for the regular season title (the Big East Tournament is a completely different animal).

By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Geoff Nelowet

The Georgetown Hoyas are coming off one of their most uninspired and sloppy performances of the season in a 72-64 home loss to unranked upstart South Florida. The game before that, the Hoyas took down perennial superpower and then eighth-ranked Duke in a blowout home win. If the last two results for the Hoyas are any indicator, this team has the potential to knock off the best – as long as they play with intensity every time they are on the court. Otherwise, they fall back to the middle of the pack, and in the Big East, arguably the most competitive conference in the country, a team such as the Hoyas cannot afford to lose to anyone other than the conference elite.

And the conference elite is now in town, as Georgetown is facing a reversal of roles – they are now playing the underdog. Albeit a slight underdog, the Hoyas are facing second-ranked Villanova. ‘Nova is 20-1 on the season and 9-0 in the conference. They already defeated Georgetown on their own court three weeks prior. It was a game in which the Wildcats were in control for almost its entirety, led by fifteen at halftime and finished with a five-point victory. Georgetown, even at home, will have to put forth a much better effort to walk away with a win.

The Hoyas boast one of the best triads of players in the nation. Austin Freeman, Greg Monroe and Chris Wright each average nearly fifteen points per contest, and Monroe is one of the best rebounders in the conference at 9.7 per game. Jason Clark is the only other player averaging double figures at 10.5 point per.

Unlike the Hoyas’ balanced attack, much of the Wildcats’ offense flows through senior guard Scottie Reynolds. Reynolds, who nearly left last season for the NBA, is fifth in the conference in scoring at 18.5 points per game. ‘Nova, though, has five other players on the roster that average nine points or more. Reynolds may control a high volume of shots, but the Wildcats do not lack in depth or talent, and their 20-1 record reflects that.

Georgetown was frustrated against USF, and they will undoubtedly play with more effort and determination. The Hoyas are also looking to avenge a loss, and at home, this looks like an opportune time for Georgetown to pull the upset. This will be no easy task, though, as Villanova is one of the premier teams in the nation – they will not go down without a fight. Final score: Georgetown 88 Villanova 84

By Contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet

A year ago the Georgetown Hoyas fell to a disappointing 16-15 on the season and a birth in the NIT. That 2008-09 team was built around a freshman center, and they were lead by a freshman point guard. In other words, last year’s squad was deplorably inconsistent. This year’s team loses two starters in F DaJuan Summers and G Jessie Sapp, but expect a huge turnaround this year from a more seasoned core of players.

Fortunately for Georgetown, that freshman center – Greg Monroe – is a definite all-American candidate, and he will likely be in the NBA this time next year. Monroe averaged nearly 13 points and 7 boards as freshman a year ago. He may be the most dominant big man in the Big East this season, and he is now surrounded by a solid collection of talented and experienced players. Guards Chris Wright, Austin Freeman, and Jason Clark are all a year older, and they will be key contributors averaging double figures this season.

The biggest obstacle for the Hoyas this season will be the difficulty of the Big East Schedule. Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Connecticut are all ranked in the top-20 nationally, and Georgetown sits behind all but Cincinnati. Let us not forget the wealth of talented unranked teams in the Big East as well such as Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Louisville. Rankings, of course, mean nothing, but the Big East is ostensibly one of the deepest, most talent-rich conferences this year, and any Big East win will be a major accomplishment. Georgetown will be facing an uphill battle all season.

Georgetown is going to make major strides this season, and they have the talent and experience to make a run in both the Big East and NCAA tournaments. Winning the Big East, though, will be a daunting task, and it is in all likelihood not within this team’s grasp. The Hoyas should expect to win 20 games this year, and they should aim to finish in the top 5-6 in the conference. There are simply too many powers this year for Georgetown to dominate the conference, as they may be one of 8-9 Big East teams in the NCAA tournament.

NFL:

Coaching Change in Buffalo:

Buffalo Bills head coach former head coach Dick Jauron is the first coach to get the ax, getting fired on Tuesday. This move had been rumored for weeks, so it doesn’t come as a huge surprise. But it is interesting when you see that six teams have records worse than Bills 3-6, and three other teams are tied for the same record. Buffalo doesn’t usually have the persona of a team who makes bold moves during the season, but maybe this is a sign of things to come in Buffalo. What I do find interesting is, if the Bills had upset the Patriots in Week 1, would Jauron have been fired? And the only answer I think is fair is, that beating New England would have saved his job now. But this Bills team is so bad that Jauron would have to be gone at the end of the season.

Larry Johnson Finds a Home:

The Cincinnati Bengals signed troubled running back Larry Johnson. Now I know the first reaction of many is “big surprise”, considering the issues surrounding many current and former Bengals. Cincinnati is a team that doesn’t alway put character first, and over the years has had its share of locker room issues. And one could arise with Johnson if he isn’t content on being the back-up running back. As long at the Bengals keep winning, I feel as though the situation won’t cause a problem. But if they lose and Benson wasn’t producing, how long will it be before Johnson puts his foot in his mouth again? While I think there is a serious reservation with signing Johnson, the Bengals had to add another running back with experience. Benson is leading the league in carries, and his top back-up is a rookie 6th round pick (Bernard Scott). Cincinnati will need to start limiting Benson’s load late in games to keep his legs fresh for a deep playoff run. Only time will tell if the good will outweigh the bad, with the signing of Johnson.

NCAAB:

Top 25 Surviving Early Upset Bids:

Just one day after freshman point guard John Wall saved No. 5 Kentucky with a last second shot, three other top 25 teams were taken down to the wire. No. 1 Kansas held their breath as Memphis’ Elliot Williams 3-pointer at the buzzer hit off the rim, giving Kansas the 57-55 win, and keeping them atop the polls. Their closest competition also faced a scare and No. 2 Michigan State was taken down to the wire by the unranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Bulldogs actually had a five point lead at half, and were still up by four with 4:48 on the clock, but could not close out Michigan State on the road. The Spartans controlled the last 5 minutes of the game, and Gonzaga’s youth and inexperience came to light with some bad shots and decisions down the stretch. Top 5 teams weren’t the only ones facing upset bids, as No. 20 Georgetown were able to outlast the Temple Owls during their home opener (despite their best efforts to give them the game). The Hoyas were struggling to find their rhythm all game, and led the Owls just 19-13 at halftime. Temple stormed back in the second half, but Georgetown took the lead for good with Greg Monroe’s basket with six seconds remaining.