When and where: Saturday (ESPN, noon ET), Carrier Dome (Syracuse, N.Y.)

Villanova's best player: Corey Fisher. The diminutive guard plays bigger than he's listed and is a fearless driver who seeks out contact and gets to the free throw line. But, because of his size and the length of Syracuse inside, getting off clean looks against the zone will be difficult. Fisher has two other dynamic guards in Maalik Wayns and Corey Stokes to help him, and Stokes needs to find openings against the zone after having a rough outing against UConn on Monday.

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David Butler II/US PresswireCorey Fisher, left, and Corey Stokes will have their hands full attacking Syracuse's 2-3 zone.

Syracuse's best player: Kris Joseph. Joseph was out against Pittsburgh with a concussion and, although he practiced Thursday and hopes to play, he may not be at full strength. Joseph is long, athletic and very good in transition. He has been playing at a high level of late, and was averaging 20.6 points per game during a five-game stretch before suffering a concussion against Cincinnati. Syracuse's best player after Joseph is Scoop Jardine, an underrated guard who can make plays. Rick Jackson is Syracuse's most reliable player and controls the middle.

Villanova's best attribute: The Wildcats are a very good shooting team, yet attack off the dribble and attack close-outs and get to the free throw line. Villanova is the best 3-point shooting team in Big East play, but Syracuse makes you shoot over the top from distance, which is a lower-percentage shot and tougher to offensive rebound and get fouled. Nova has hit 34-of-69 from deep (49 percent). The Wildcats are also truly outstanding from the free throw line, but the only question will be: Can Villanova get to the line against the zone? Most teams cannot.

Syracuse's best attribute: The Orange are the best defensive team in the Big East, and one of the best defensive teams in the country. Syracuse's 2-3 zone is not complicated, but it is long, athletic and encourages opponents into taking the shots that Jim Boeheim wants them to take, rather than the shots that opponents want to take. And without high-percentage looks and easy baskets, and without free throws, even the best of offensive teams can get out of rhythm. Thus far in Big East play, Syracuse opponents are shooting only 28 percent from deep (37-of-132). That is a formula for winning.

Villanova's X-factor: Antonio Pena. In order for the Wildcats to win, Pena has to play a good game and stay out of foul trouble. He can hit shots along the baseline, and can get into the seams of the zone and score. While he is a different player, Pena is just as important to Villanova as Dante Cunningham was in 2009 when the Cats went to the Final Four.

Syracuse's X-factor: Scoop Jardine. The scoring point guard is capable of putting up numbers by hitting from deep or by driving it and getting fouled, and he is an outstanding passer. Jardine may not be quite as quick as Fisher and Wayns, but he is longer and stronger.

What to watch for Villanova: Against man-to-man, you would want to watch Villanova's use of ball screens. But against the Syracuse zone, you need to watch the Wildcats' penetration into the gaps of the zone. Instead of simply shooting over the top, Nova needs to dribble penetrate into the gaps, make two Orange defenders play one, find open people and attack. If Villanova settles for jump shots, Syracuse will walk away with a big win.

What to watch for Syracuse: Syracuse can really get out in transition. The Orange are positioned to run in their zone, they outlet well and run lanes hard to get to the rim and finish. Villanova needs to take care of the ball, take good shots and get good coverage on the glass. Otherwise, Syracuse will get open-court opportunities to play ahead of the defense. In half-court offense, this team is not exceptional. In transition, the Orange are outstanding.

Key stat for Villanova: Free throws.
The Wildcats need to attack and get to the line. Without free throws, Villanova will have to shoot a great percentage from deep.

Key stat for Syracuse: 3-point percentage defense.
The Orange led the Big East in defending the 3-point shot, and must contest every shot from Stokes and Fisher.

Who wins: Syracuse is at home before a sellout crowd, and Villanova has had a tough time at the Carrier Dome over the years. If Joseph plays, Syracuse wins.

When and where: Saturday (CBS, 4 ET), Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kan.)

KU's best player: Marcus Morris. The junior forward is among the most versatile players in the country and can face up or post, and never forces anything. Morris is a difficult matchup for Texas. He averages 17 points per game on a league-leading 61 percent shooting from the field.

UT's best player: Jordan Hamilton. The sophomore swingman is an all-purpose scorer who shoots effortlessly from deep, can post up a smaller defender and has a hunger to score. Hamilton is coming off of a 27-point game against Texas A&M and is very confident. He averages almost 20 points per game and has hit 50 3-point shots on the season.

KU's best attribute: Kansas is an elite passing team. Whether in the high-low set or off of ball screens, this group does a great job of reversing the ball and making the right pass. This is an unselfish team that works to get the shot it wants, and it is usually a very high-percentage shot. Kansas rarely takes a bad one. Brady Morningstar is the best post passer on the KU team, but there is not a bad passer on the squad. The Jayhawks lead the Big 12 in assists and field goal percentage, and the latter is directly attributable to the former.

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Denny Medley/US PresswireWhen he's shooting well, Josh Selby provides a dangerous dynamic to Kansas' offense.

UT's best attribute: The Longhorns really guard you and fight you. Scoring is easier for this team than some of Texas' past teams, but the defense is no less tough to score upon. With Tristan Thompson blocking shots, Gary Johnson flying all over the court and Dogus Balbay pressuring the ball and bullying the opposing point guard, Texas can guard almost anyone.

KU's X-factor: Josh Selby. There is not a more dynamic player on the KU roster, and Selby can get his own shot. He has had some ups and downs, but if Selby gets going early, he can have a big game. Expect Texas to get right into him from the opening tip so as not to let him get started and get confident. Selby should expect physical play from the start.

UT's X-factor: J'Covan Brown. While he is streaky, Brown is an outstanding scorer. He can come in and heat up in a hurry and put up 20 or more on you.

What to watch for with KU: The Jayhawks are very resolute about getting the ball inside and getting opportunities for Marcus and Markieff Morris and Thomas Robinson in the paint. The Jayhawks are also a very good rebounding team. Kansas is a complete team, but not a super dynamic team. There is no team that Kansas cannot beat, but the Jayhawks do not have the margin for error that the 2008 team had.

What to watch for with UT: Texas is a much better offensive team than last year's version. One reason is the play of freshman guard Cory Joseph. Joseph gives Rick Barnes speed and quickness at the point guard position and allows him to use more ball screens. He is a scoring guard and really the only player that Barnes puts in pick-and-roll situations.

Yikes: Texas and Kansas are 11th and 12th, respectively, in free throw accuracy in Big 12 play. Because these two very good teams shoot free throws so poorly, who gets fouled and how they shoot from the line could be a key issue that determines the outcome of the game.

Who wins: Kansas is the more efficient team and has by far the longest home winning streak in the country, but it's also had some issues putting teams away. Texas has been very tough on the road, and is playing with a swagger it didn't have last season. I like Texas in an upset at the Phog.

Saturday

No. 1 Ohio State at No. 22 Illinois (noon ET): Illinois can be a dominant team at home. We know that. But can Ohio State win a game on the road against an elite Big Ten team? That we don't know yet. Ohio State won at Michigan, but beating Illinois on the road would say quite a bit more. This game could go a long way toward OSU winning the Big Ten.

Tennessee at No. 8 Connecticut (2 ET): Bruce Pearl is back on the sideline and he said there shouldn't be any difference. Well, he's selling himself short. Nothing against Tony Jones but it will be important to the team to have Pearl on the sideline. The Vols are the most unpredictable team in the country. They have the talent to contain Kemba Walker and win this game. Do that and the Vols are the de facto champs of the Big East. Meanwhile, a UConn win would complete quite a nonconference haul for the Huskies, with wins over Kentucky, Michigan State and at Texas.

No. 21 Saint Mary's at Vanderbilt (2 ET): The Gaels have a shot to pick up a rare marquee nonconference road win in January. This is the kind of stuff Gonzaga pulls off, not Saint Mary's. But the Gaels have increased their standing as a legit WCC power. Getting Vandy to play a game like this (return of a home-and-home) is a major move for SMC. A Vandy loss will raise more questions. The Dores should win at home against a team from the Bay Area, even one as talented as the Gaels are on the perimeter. And the win would have power-rating meaning.

Temple at Xavier (ESPN2, 3 ET): Duquesne is atop the A-10, but these are the two standard-bearers in the league of late. Xavier has had injuries but is still standing as an elite team in the league. Temple lost badly at Duquesne and needs to steal back a quality road win -- something that rarely occurs at the Cintas Center.

VCU at Old Dominion (4 ET): Drexel had a shot to be the favorite in the Colonial after beating Louisville at the Yum! Center and then beating ODU at home. But the Dragons then stumbled and VCU and ODU are now in step with Hofstra, James Madison and George Mason for the top spot in the league. The loser will step back; the winner may assume favored status.

Kentucky at South Carolina (ESPN, 6 ET): South Carolina was awful at home against Boston College earlier this year. The Gamecocks looked like any talk of the NCAA tournament was fantasyland stuff. But then South Carolina came back to beat Vandy in overtime and win at Florida. Now the Gamecocks are actually leading the SEC East and look like a legitimate contender. Kentucky is hardly cruising. The Wildcats haven't won on the road yet in the SEC, losing at Georgia and at Alabama. The only conference wins for UK came against the two worst teams -- LSU and Auburn at home. A win by South Carolina here and the Gamecocks would shockingly hold a two-game lead on Kentucky in the division.

Memphis at UAB (ESPN2, 7 ET): Memphis had its game of the year to come back and beat Southern Miss in the final second Wednesday night in Hattiesburg. That win should allow the Tigers to stay in the Conference USA title race. But UAB has arguably emerged as the new leader in the clubhouse. Beating the Blazers in Birmingham would give the Tigers an advantage with two road wins most other teams probably wouldn't get. Winner is the new favorite; loser is back in a crowded pack.

Indiana State at Wichita State (8 ET): The Sycamores knocked off Missouri State in the final seconds on Wednesday and ensured that Greg Lansing's crew -- now 7-1 in the MVC -- is in the Valley race to stay. Preseason favorite Wichita State has already been knocked off twice at home -- by Missouri State and Northern Iowa -- and can't afford to lose another home game if it's going to win the regular-season title.

Michigan State at Purdue (ESPN, 9 ET): The Boilermakers made sure this game mattered more with JaJuan Johnson's game-winning shot to beat Penn State on Wednesday night in West Lafayette. Michigan State continues a rough week going from Illinois to Purdue. The Spartans got a breakthrough win at Northwestern earlier this month, but it looks like it will be harder to snag an elite Big Ten road win. Purdue goes to Ohio State next so winning this game would set up a showdown with the Buckeyes in Columbus.

BYU at Colorado State (9 ET): Colorado State coach Tim Miles said in the preseason he thought the Rams could become one of the top four programs in the Mountain West alongside San Diego State, UNLV and New Mexico once BYU leaves for the WCC in 2011-12. Well, the Rams may have already accomplished that after a road win at UNLV earlier this week pushed them into third place in the league. Now the Rams can seek a higher spot if they can knock off BYU before the Cougars' showdown with San Diego State next week.

Sunday

Wisconsin at Northwestern (12:30 ET): The Badgers should have won at Michigan State, but uncharacteristically gave the game back and caved to the Spartans' pressure. Northwestern is doing what it's supposed to in the Big Ten -- beat the bad teams at the bottom. But now comes the hard part -- take out at least one of the elites. Northwestern has four home games left against Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Ohio State. Anything less than three of four in that group likely means NIT for the Wildcats.

Belmont at East Tennessee State (4 ET): Belmont (8-0) is crushing its opponents in the Atlantic Sun and nearly took down Tennessee. The Bruins have won by an average of 24.7 points in their 16 victories. East Tennessee State (7-1) is rolling as well, having won eight straight. The A-Sun has reason to celebrate this game since it has significant relevance. Even with a gaudy record it would be hard for Belmont to earn a bid, but if the Bruins win the league don't sleep on them as a possible first-round pest.