Josh Selby, Renardo Sidney Debut in College Basketball Weekend

Dec 18, 2010

It's a weekend of new faces in college basketball, as Kansas welcomes freshman Josh Selby (against USC, noon Saturday) while Mississippi State is finally allowed to play Renardo Sidney (agains Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. Saturday in the Bahamas) Other than that, there's not a lot to look forward to, other than the possibility of potentially crippling upsets.

No. 7 Tennessee (7-1) at Charlotte (4-6), Friday, 8 p.m.
Right, chances are we aren't going to see the Vols drop another game to a lesser opponent after what happened Wednesday against Oakland. Sure, Tennessee went through Villanova and Pittsburgh with relative ease, but these Vol s--especially under Bruce Pearl -- have been nothing if not unpredictable. There's little chance Charlotte stays within 20 points tonight, but it's certainly something to keep an eye on.

South Carolina (7-1) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-0), Saturday, 2 p.m., CBS
In mid-November, South Carolina traveled to East Lansing and played Michigan State fairly closely. On the same night, Ohio State went to Gainesville and pummeled Florida. The Buckeyes haven't lost since, and neither have the Gamecocks. Don't be surprised if Darrin Horn has his team in this game late, as they certainly have the bodies to compete with super freshman Jared Sullinger.

Iona (7-3) at No. 5 Syracuse (10-0), Saturday, 7 p.m.
Syracuse is a model of inconsistency. A win over William & Mary by three. A win over Michigan State by 14. A win over Michigan by three. A win over Colgate by 57. A win over Georgia Tech by four. There is a constant, however: They keep winning. Iona may not pose much of a challenge, but given the 'Cuse's propensity to play poorly at times and exceptionally otherwise, this could turn into a battle.

No. 6 Kansas State (9-1) vs. Florida (7-2) in Sunrise, FL, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
This could turn into a very interesting matchup. Though Florida has struggled in recent years, they are never short in athleticism and can run with anybody. Frank Martin's Wildcats have looked strong, despite an early season blowout loss to Duke. Florida has been fine--there's really no better way to describe their play. They haven't been great, they haven't been bad, they've just sort of done what was expected of them. Again, this game could go either way: K-State in a blowout, the opposite, or a nail-biter.

No. 22 Texas (8-2) vs. North Carolina (7-3) in Greensboro, Saturday, 4 p.m.
Another game pitting two teams that haven't quite proved their mettle (or insignificance). Carolina has enjoyed wins over Kentucky and, um, well no one else, really. While Texas has beaten Illinois and, well, same thing. A win would send one team flying high prior to conference play, while a loss would be potentially devastating. After this, Texas travels to Michigan State. Could be the start of a great stretch, or a horrible one.

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