Thursday
Fresno State at SMU: A brutal road swing continues for the Bulldogs, who could find themselves a game back in the WAC race if they go 0-2 to start this week.

UNLV at BYU: The Runnin' Rebels are quietly emerging as a potential champ in the Mountain West. But winning at the Marriott Center is a rare feat against a Steve Cleveland-coached Cougar team.

Arizona State at UCLA: ASU freshman Ike Diogu could have a monster night if the Bruins don't find a way to defend him in the post.

Cal at Washington: The Bears cleaned up at home, but this starts a trip to the Northwest that will be a true gauge if they should be taken seriously as Pac-10 title contenders.

Arizona at USC: This is one of the best games of the Pac-10 season -- last season. The Wildcats simply are too talented for the Trojans a year later.

Saturday
Syracuse at Pittsburgh (ESPN, noon ET): Edelin makes his debut for Syracuse after sitting out 12 games for playing in a Syracuse men's league last season when he wasn't a student.

St. John's at Georgetown: This isn't the same rivalry without Lou Carnesseca and John Thompson. But the Big East is at least trying by bringing it back as a crossover game.

Duke at Maryland: Maryland could have a shot at beating the No. 1 team in the country (Duke) two years in a row in two different buildings (Cole Fieldhouse to the Comcast Center) if Duke beats Virginia earlier in the week.

Notre Dame at Kentucky: This should be one of the better offensive games of the weekend. The key for the Irish will be if they can hang with Kentucky's taller and stronger post.

Alabama at Auburn: The Tigers haven't been tested yet, but they've got a shot to derail the Tide's SEC West Division hopes, or at least give them a serious speed bump.

Connecticut at North Carolina (ESPN, 5 p.m. ET): The Tar Heels remember getting toasted by the Huskies last season in Hartford and would love to return the favor.

Florida at South Carolina: This is a dangerous game for the Gators, but the problem is the Gamecocks don't have the guards to match up with Florida.

Michigan State at Minnesota (ESPN2, 1 p.m. ET): The Spartans have to find a way to steal a road win here soon or they can forget about the Big Ten title.

Southern Illinois at Creighton (ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET): This has become the best rivalry in the Missouri Valley. But the Bluejays are becoming unbeatable at home.

Illinois at Indiana: The Hoosiers must win this game if they want to hold off the Illini for first place. Indiana has to protect its Assembly Hall or else Illinois could end up running away with the title (if the Illini beat Iowa earlier in the week).

Wisconsin at Ohio State: This game could separate a contender from a pretender in the Big Ten race.

Missouri at Oklahoma State: The Cowboys could be looking for a sweep if they can beat Oklahoma on Monday and win this one Saturday to stay at the top of the Big 12.

Arizona at UCLA: Ugly. Ugly. If the Bruins don't play with passion, the Wildcats could win by 30 or 40.

New Mexico at Wyoming: Best meet worst in the Mountain West and that could mean a name your score game for the Cowboys.

Arizona State at USC: The Sun Devils could be going for a sweep in L.A. to remain on Arizona's heels.

Sunday
Georgia Tech at Wake Forest: The Yellow Jackets have righted themselves but they've got to pull off a road win in the ACC to make their resume NCAA worthy.