Typically light Tuesday night slate around the country, as we await the kickoffs of the final conference schedules, but there are four games that caught my eye, for various reasons tonight.
Pittsburgh at Georgetown
Everyone was raving about Pitt after cruising through a cupcake non-conference slate, but they have opened Big East play with a home loss to Cincinnati and another loss at Rutgers over the weekend. Now, they go to DC to play a tough Georgetown team that is also seeking its first league win, after only managin 48 points in one-point loss at Marquette on Saturday in their Big East opener. This will probably be ugly, but important.
Alabama at Missouri
The 2013 SEC tipoff – the only conference game on the slate on the first night of conference play. The non-conference season really illuminated what some may have feared about the SEC – it really is not very good. In a 14-team league, there are really only three legitimately good teams, as questions marks surround teams like Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and even Anthony Grant’s Crimson Tide, who travels to Missouri tonight to take on one of those three “legitimate” teams. The Tigers will be welcoming ‘Bama to mark their first ever SEC game, hoping to write the first chapter in their first ever SEC championship. ‘Bama did themselves no favors in the noncon and will really have to turn heads in conference play to put themselves back in the tournament discussion. That head-turning could start tonight.
Illinois State at Missouri State
I still believe that Illinois State is the second-best team in a very good Valley this year. However, the Redbirds are testing my resolve, as they have opened conference play with three straight losses, including two at home – most recently a 10-point home loss to UNI. Missouri State is in pretty much the opposite position – having had a dreadfully forgettable non-conference season that has made their excellent conference start shocking. The Bears opened Valley play with an 11-point win over S.Illinois, followed by a tough OT loss at Evansville and then a 12-point road win at Drake on Saturday. If the Bears can take care of business tonight at home, we may have to start looking differently at our Valley projections.
Northeastern at Drexel
Without VCU in the conference any more, the Drexel Dragons were supposed to run away and hide with the CAA this year. Throw in the total rebuilding years at Old Dominion and Hofstra, a minor rebuild at George Mason, and the return of most of a Dragon team that won 29 games last year and the only question was supposed to be whether or not they would even lose a game in this league. Well, they did – at home – to Towson. The culmination of a stomach-punchingly disappointing non-conference slate was the home loss to lowly Towson on Saturday. Now, they either have to continue their freefall or figure out a way to fix what is wrong – and fast. Tonight would be a good time to start, as the Dragons host the conference’s other (aside from those Towson Tigers) 2-0 team, Northeastern. The Huskies had a surprisingly solid noncon and opened conference play with a huge road upset of George Mason. They followed that up with a home win over UNC-Wilmington on Saturday and seem poised and ready to come to Philly for a shot at the preseason favorites.
