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AROUND THE NATION
Games to watch Keep an eye on these matchups
KENTUCKY VS.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Freshman sensation John Wall leads the Wildcats as they hit the road to take on the Gamecocks. Kentucky has had several close calls so far this season, and South Carolina will be ready for this game. A victory against the nation's top team would be huge.
NORTH CAROLINA VS.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE
Roy Williams leads his young Tar Heels squad as they face in-state rival North Carolina State. The Wolfpack is having a tough season, but things have not gone according to plans for the defending national champions either. A victory in this game would be a big boost for either team.
SYRACUSE VS. DEPAUL
The Orangemen have been one of the nation's biggest surprises this season behind a balanced team effort and lights-out shooting by Andy Rautins. DePaul is hoping to pull off a big upset, but Syracuse cannot afford to lose this game in the tough Big East.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOUISVILLE VS.
WEST VIRGINIA
Rick Pitino leads the Cardinals to West Virginia to take on Bob Huggins Mountaineers. Both teams are near the top of the Big East standings, and this will be an important contest for both teams. West Virginia needs this game to stay in the hunt for the Big East Championship.
Duke's Jon Scherley is double-teamed by Georgia Tech's Gain Lawal and Iman Shumptur during the first half of the Blue Devils 71-67 victory. The Scherley and the Blue Devil will play the Georgetown Hovas on Saturday.
DUKE VS. GEORGETOWN
Blue Devils hit the road for a big non-conference matchup
The Hoyas are looking to pull off a big upset at home against the Duke Blue Devils. Senior point guard Jon Scheyer is averaging close to 20 points and six assists per game while leading Duke to a great start this season. Georgetown will likely have the edge inside, as sophomore
forward Greg Monroe leads the Hoyas' solid front line with about 15 points per game. Both teams have the potential to reach the Final Four, so it should be a very competitive contest. The Blue Devils three-point shooting should make the difference down the stretch.
AP TOP 25 as of Jan. 18
Team (First-place votes) Record Total Votes Prev. Rank
1. Texas (57) 17-0 1,617 1
2. Kentucky (8) 18-0 1,568 2
3. Kansas 16-1 1,457 3
4. Villanova 16-1 1,442 4
5. Syracuse 17-1 1,376 5
6. Michigan State 15-3 1,259 7
7. Duke 15-2 1,249 8
8. Tennessee 14-2 1,163 9
9. Pittsburgh 15-2 1,015 16
10. Kansas State 15-2 989 13
11. West Virginia 13-3 922 10
12. Georgetown 13-3 873 11
13. Purdue 14-3 799 6
14. Brigham Young 18-1 763 18
15. Gonzaga 14-3 748 17
16. Temple 15-3 581 19
17. Clemson 15-3 568 24
18. Wisconsin 14-4 542 13
19. Georgia Tech 13-4 380 20
20. Northern Iowa 16-1 252 NR
21. Ohio State 13-5 228 NR
22. Mississippi 13-4 211 21
23. Mississippi State 15-3 189 NR
24. North Carolina 12-6 161 12
25. Baylor 14-2 147 22
Dropped from rankings: Connecticut 15,
Miami (FL) 23, Florida State 25.
Others receiving votes: Vanderbilt 122,
Connecticut 98, New Mexico 69, UAB 59,
Virginia 50, Florida State 41, Butter 35, Texas
A&M 28, Cornell 15, William & Mary 15, Wake
Forest 13, Rhode Island 11, Marquette 10,
Missouri 8, Louisiana Tech 7, Northwestern
6, Old Dominion 3, Arizona State 3, Marshall
2, Xavier 2, Harvard 1, Slena 1.
The Wave's Top 25 Wave editor Scott Toland ranks the nation's best teams
1. Kentucky - John Wall doesn't played like a freshman so far this season and the Wildcats are on a roll.
6. Michigan State - Tom izzo队 has struggled with it, but they have several veteran players from last year's Final Four squad.
2. Kansas - The Jayhawks
stumbled on the road against
Tennessee, but they are back
on track in Big 12 play.
11. West Virginia - Coach Bob Huggins' team is very talented and could be a dangerous team to play in March.
16. Wisconsin - Bo Ryan has done a great job with his team this year, and the Badgers are contending for the Big Ten title
7. Pittsburgh - The Panthers have been a big surprise after losing DeJuan Blair to the NBA last season.
21. Butter - Coach Brad Stevens has the Bulldogs playing well as they hit the stretch run of the basketball season.
12. Gonzab - The Bulldogs are at it again. They have come from nowhere to earn a spot in the Top 25.
3. Syracuse - The Orangemen have several quality victories already this season and have started strong in the Big East.
17. Temple - The Owls are a tough team to beat and should be able to win the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship.
8. Tennessee - The Volunteers have played through adversity and could challenge Kentucky for the SEC Championship.
13. **Georgetown** - Sophomore Greg Monroe has the potential to lead his team to the Sweet 16 in this year's tournament.
22. Ohio State - The Buckeyes are hoping to contend for the Big Ten Championship after the return of guard Evan Turner.
18. Georgia Tech - The Yellow Jackets have the talent to be competitive with just about anyone this season.
23. Baylor - The bears lost against Kansas last week, but they are still one of the best teams in the Big 12.
4. Texas - The Longhorns struggled on the road against Kansas State, but they still have a great shot at the Big 12 title.
9. Kansas State - The Wildcats pulled out a big victory against Texas last week and hope to keep their momentum going.
14. *Purdue* – The Boilermakers have fallen on tough times after a great start, but they should be able to bounce back.
5. Villanova - Senior point guard Scottie Reynolds has shown great leadership while leading the Wildcats this season
19. Clemson - The Tigers are hoping to break through this year in the ACC and challenge for the conference crown.
10. **Duke** - Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer have the experience to lead the Blue Devils deep into the NCAA Tournament.
24. Virginia - The Cavaliers have gotten off to a great start in the ACC by winning their first three matchups.
15. BYU - The Cougars have been a surprise so far this season and they are looking to win the Mountain West Conference.
20. **Connecticut** - The Huskies are trying to keep winning without coach Jim Calhoun on the sidelines.
25. *Mississippi* - The Rebels got to a好 start this season, but things will only get tougher as conference play progresses.
THE WAVE JANUARY 25, 2010
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN