When and where: Saturday at 2 p.m. ET (ESPN), Freedom Hall

Syracuse's best: Passing and transition. The Orange are the best passing team in the Big East and one of the best transition teams in the nation. Syracuse is well-positioned to run because its guards are out top in the zone and its big men are very good rebounders on the back line and are willing to run after a quick outlet. The Orange share the ball and are willing passers, especially Andy Rautins and Scoop Jardine.

Louisville's best: Pressure defense. Rick Pitino likes to give you different looks defensively instead of a steady diet of one thing. In fact, Pitino will sometimes switch from matchup zone to man-to-man within the same possession to keep you off-balance. The Cardinals will sprint from behind and back-tip, trap and cause chaos all over the floor to force turnovers and quick shots.

Syracuse's flaw: Wesley Johnson's hand. The transfer from Iowa State took a nasty fall against Providence on Feb. 2 and has not really been the same since, though he's had some good moments. When these two teams met in the Carrier Dome, Johnson went 5-for-20 from the field. His hand swells up after games and practices and until he is 100 percent, that will be one of the Orange's only real flaws.

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Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesThe Cardinals will need more than the eight points Samardo Samuels scored when they first played Syracuse.

Louisville's flaw: Inconsistency. You never really know what you are going to get with Louisville. The Cardinals can look great in some games and you wonder how they ever lose. In other stretches, you wonder how they ever win.

Syracuse's most important player: Andy Rautins. He shoots, passes and defends at a high level, but he is also the heartbeat of the team and its key voice. The best part is, when he speaks, the other players listen. You can have a leader like Rautins, but you have to have willing followers, too. Syracuse has both.

Louisville's most important player: Samardo Samuels. The sophomore has had a really good season and has made great strides. When he is a beast in the post, Louisville is tough to beat.

Pay more attention to: Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku. OK, go ahead and talk about the free throw shooting. But there are few teams with big men as good and as effective as Jackson and Onuaku. When Syracuse wants to play high-low, there is almost no way to keep Jackson from catching the ball. He seals off, has great hands and can deliver it. Jackson is a very good scorer and is becoming one of the Big East's best big men. Onuaku is a wedge rebounder and has really improved his finishing and he is doing a really good job of changing ends. This is a really good tandem of bigs that is not getting the credit it deserves for the success the Orange have enjoyed this season.

Who wins: Syracuse. Louisville needs it more, but Syracuse wants it more. Syracuse has not yet lost on the road this season, which is remarkable.

When and where: Saturday at noon ET (CBS), Wachovia Center

West Virginia's best: The Mountaineers can defend and offensive rebound with the very best teams in the country. They lead the Big East in offensive rebounds and grab more than 42 percent of their missed shots, which are usually high-percentage looks. Kevin Jones, Devin Ebanks, Da'Sean Butler and Wellington Smith are all capable of getting to the glass and will often park themselves on the opposite side from where the shot was taken to secure the best possible position for the carom. At times, the best offense for West Virginia is a missed shot.

Villanova's best: The Wildcats are better in transition and can attack the lane off the dribble. West Virginia is a switching man-to-man team and Villanova has to take advantage of mismatches and attack when there is a bad switch. Villanova is smaller, but it has to compete on the glass with the bigger Mountaineers. In the first game between these teams, West Virginia did a very good job of guarding Villanova, staying in front and making Villanova take challenged shots without fouling.

West Virginia's flaw: Shooting and slow starts. The Mountaineers are not a group of great shooters and it is remarkable that they have won at such a high level despite an inability to consistently hit shots. Also, West Virginia does not always get off to good starts. If the Mountaineers can keep from falling behind and play a full 40 minutes, they have a contending team.

Villanova's flaw: Playing good defense without fouling. The Wildcats have great depth and a really aggressive defensive mindset. Too often, however, the Wildcats are too liberal with fouls and put opponents at the free throw line. In Villanova's four losses, its opponents have dominated from the free throw line to the tune of 32 attempts per game.

West Virginia's most important player: Da'Sean Butler. The senior is one of the true greats in West Virginia history and he simply understands how to play. Butler had been shooting poorly heading into the Georgetown game, but broke out against the Hoyas and knocked some shots down and scored more efficiently. Remember, Butler scored 43 points against Villanova last season on a bum ankle. He can score.

Villanova's most important player: Scottie Reynolds. No guard in America is having a better season than Reynolds and it has been a pleasure to watch him play this season. While Reynolds is putting up numbers that are not totally foreign to the Big East, he is doing it in such a mature way.

Pay more attention to: Kevin Jones and Antonio Pena. Jones is one of the most versatile and improved players in the Big East. He has more than 100 offensive rebounds, he can step away and knock down open 3s and he can operate in the post. Pena is skilled and has worked hard to become Villanova's best post defender and rebounder. The Wildcats don't win without Pena.

Who wins?: After running into a hot Syracuse team that played its best game of the year by far, you can expect Villanova to come out swinging. Villanova dodged one against West Virginia in Morgantown on Feb. 8 because the Mountaineers missed so many free throws (18-32), but I think you can expect Villanova to do a better job on the defensive end at home. Villanova wins.

The last weekend of the regular season features several games involving bubble teams. More than 20 teams are still fighting for what could be as few as nine available at-large spots.

Many bubble teams will be looking for momentum and valuable victories as they head into conference tourney play.

Saturday

Notre Dame at Marquette (ESPN360, 2 p.m. ET): Marquette probably locked up an at-large bid with its 69-48 rout of Louisville earlier this week, its ninth victory in 10 games. The Irish have been hot, too, winning three in a row. Notre Dame could really use a win here to finish 10-8 in Big East play, which might be important given its soft nonconference schedule. Will the Irish have star forward Luke Harangody back? Coach Mike Brey said there's a slim chance, but he didn't sound optimistic.

Connecticut at South Florida (ESPN360, 2 p.m. ET): The Huskies' schedule strength -- second-best nationally -- might be the only thing keeping them in the bubble discussion right now. A loss to the Bulls would take them out of the picture completely. The Huskies beat West Virginia and Texas at home and Villanova on the road, but their 13 losses (including two straight) don't look good, even with eight coming against RPI top-50 foes. Meanwhile, could a 9-9 USF get a serious look from the committee?

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Michael Tureski/Icon SMIVirginia Tech could use a win heading into the ACC tournament after losing three of its past four games.

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech (ESPN360, 4 p.m. ET): The Hokies are two games better than the Yellow Jackets in the ACC standings, but there's little debate about which team needs a win here more. Georgia Tech played a much tougher schedule and has more high-end victories. The Hokies lost three of their past four games and could really use another win over an RPI top-50 foe. That said, the Yellow Jackets probably shouldn't drop to 7-9 in the down ACC.

Saint Louis at Dayton (7 p.m. ET): Both teams might be on the wrong side of the bubble now, after the Flyers lost at Richmond 60-56 on Thursday night. The Flyers have lost four of their past six games and probably need a 9-7 finish in A-10 play to stay in at-large contention. The Billikens just don't have the computer profile to support their strong performance in the A-10 (10-5, ahead of URI, Charlotte and Dayton).

New Mexico State at Utah State (ESPN360, 9:05 p.m. ET): Utah State won an outright WAC championship Thursday night after New Mexico State lost at Nevada, 100-92. But the Aggies can't afford a second loss to NMSU, or their at-large chances could be in jeopardy. Utah State has only two wins over RPI top-50 foes, beating BYU and Wichita State at home.

Sunday

Clemson at Wake Forest (6 ET): The Tigers are in great shape after beating Georgia Tech this week to improve to 9-6 in ACC play. Clemson has four other high-end victories, sweeping fellow ACC bubble team Florida State and also defeating Butler and Maryland. The Demon Deacons seemed to be in great shape two weeks ago, but a four-game losing streak puts them in a little bit of a precarious spot. Wake doesn't need to head into Selection Sunday with a six-game losing streak, which would require a loss here and in its opening game in the ACC tourney.

Friday

Kent State at Akron (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET): The MAC regular-season title is on the line, as well as the top seed in the MAC tournament and the league's automatic bid to the NIT. This is the type of game that gets lost among all the high-major games. But to these two teams it is a major deal and Akron sold out its gym earlier this week. Those who have coached in the MAC understand how tough it is to win on the road in this league. It never gets enough credit because it hasn't had multiple bids this past decade.

Saturday

Tulsa at Memphis (CBS-CS, 1 p.m. ET): Tulsa's at-large chances are toast. Memphis' win over UAB puts the Tigers on the cusp. The Tigers didn't win any of their key nonconference games but have done well enough in a league that is garnering more national respect. Beating Tulsa is a must if the Tigers want to be considered for an at-large berth. TU needs to play well heading into next week's C-USA tournament, which it hosts.

Kansas at Missouri (CBS, 2 p.m. ET): Mizzou has done more than enough to solidify a spot in the NCAA tournament and Kansas has already wrapped up yet another Big 12 title and will almost certainly be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tourney no matter what. So in the grand scheme of things, this game doesn't mean all that much, right? Ha! Try telling that to these bitter rivals. It's pretty simple: These two schools don't like each other -- and the Tigers -- who already own a home win over K-State -- would love nothing better than to beat the mighty Jayhawks and make them look vulnerable heading into the postseason.

Texas at Baylor (ESPN, 4 p.m. ET): Texas is still Texas. The talent is in place to make a run in the Big 12 tournament as well as to become a tough out in the NCAA tournament. However, for a team looking for its rhythm after suffering a string of injuries, Waco might not be an ideal destination. A win at Baylor would serve notice that the Longhorns need to be taken seriously next week and beyond. Both teams are in the field.

Tennessee at Mississippi State (ESPN, 6 p.m. ET): The Volunteers are in the field and are now playing for momentum and seeding heading into the NCAA tournament. Mississippi State must win this game to be seen as a credible at-large team. If the Bulldogs can't win a home game against an NCAA team on the final day of the regular season, then why should they be in the field? Beat Tennessee and win a game or two next week at the SEC tournament in Nashville, Tenn., and the Bulldogs will have more credibility on Selection Sunday.

California at Stanford (FSN, 6 p.m. ET): Cal has won the Pac-10 title but the Bears still can't afford a loss to a lower-level conference opponent, even if it is a rivalry game. I still say the Bears get in even without winning the Pac-10 tournament next week in Los Angeles, but why give the selection committee reason to doubt you? Cal is playing much more consistently and has played better when its back is against the wall. This is yet another example of that.

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AP Photo/Butch DillAfter losing to Memphis earlier in the week, UAB could use a victory over UTEP heading into the Conference USA tournament.

North Carolina at Duke (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): Duke needs to win to ensure a share of the ACC title. A win over UNC and a Maryland loss at Virginia would give the Blue Devils the league title outright. That may be critical for Duke to get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. North Carolina is playing better basketball lately, with wins over Wake Forest and Miami. The consensus is the Tar Heels have no shot at Cameron on senior night. Think again. Despite UNC's struggles, the Duke seniors have never beaten Carolina at Cameron.

UAB at UTEP (9:05 p.m. ET): UAB let a golden opportunity to impress the committee slip when it lost at home to Memphis earlier in the week. A road win over UTEP would hold a lot of cachet with the selection committee. This is a huge game for the Blazers. They can't afford to lose both their games to end the regular season and make a strong case for at-large consideration, unless they get to the final of the C-USA tournament. UTEP is already the No. 1 seed next week in Tulsa, Okla., and another win over a quality team should help the Miners' NCAA seed.

Sunday

Wisconsin at Illinois (ESPN, 2 p.m. ET): By some accounts, the Illini are in the tourney, by others, they're out. If Illinois can close the regular season with a win over Wisconsin, it should rest easier on Selection Sunday, regardless of what occurs at the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis next week. A loss, however, would make the Illini's situation more tenuous. Wisconsin is playing at a more precise clip with Jon Leuer back in the lineup. This could be one of those classic Big Ten grinders.

Florida at Kentucky (CBS, noon ET): It's unlikely that the Gators beat Kentucky, though a win at Rupp would clinch a bid. A better question is: How will Florida play? If the Gators can be competitive and keep the game close down the stretch, it will at least give them some momentum heading into the SEC tournament. If the Wildcats blow them out, however, it won't help Florida's chances for an at-large bid. Kentucky has locked up the top seed in the SEC tournament and a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs.