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Pregame Shootaround: Villanova-St. John’s square off, an upset looming in the SEC?

2014 CBS Sports Classic

Tyler Ulis (Getty Images)

Getty Images

Game of the Night: No. 8 Villanova at No. 24 St. John’s, 9:00 p.m.

A week ago, these two teams looked like the best of the Big East. Since then, both have lost to Seton Hall in Newark while the Johnnies also dropped a game against Butler at home. That’s not the only drama swirling around Steve Lavin’s club, as Rysheed Jordan missed Saturday’s game against the Bulldogs amidst rumors he had been kicked off the team. Villanova needs a bounce back win, but the Johnnies cannot afford to lost their third straight game.

Who’s Getting Upset?: No. 23 Arkansas at Georgia, 7:00 p.m.

Arkansas may be the second best team in the SEC this season, but Georgia is a tough, well-coached team that finished third in the conference last season. The Razorbacks also struggle quite a bit on the road, which makes this a prime place to get tripped up this season.

Mid-Major Matchup of the Night: Quinnipiac at Iona, 7:00 p.m.

Iona is one of the most entertaining teams in the country, with the way they get up and down the floor and the number of threes that they fire up. But Quinnipiac was one of the favorites to win the MAAC entering the season.

Five Things to Watch For

1. Ole Miss at No. 1 Kentucky, 7:00 p.m.: Kentucky will play their first SEC game of the season and their first game since beating Louisville.

2. Marquette at Georgetown, 7:00 p.m.: Old Big East rivals square off at the Verizon Center, as the Hoyas look to keep moving past a Big East opening loss to Creighton.

3. Oklahoma State at No. 17 Iowa State, 9:00 p.m.: Oklahoma State has been one of the biggest surprises in the Big 12 this season, and while Iowa State has looked like a contender in the conference, they struggled against South Carolina on Saturday.

4. No. 22 Ohio State at Minnesota, 9:00 p.m.: Ohio State has been up and down this season, and while Minnesota is a borderline NCAA tournament team at best, winning at The Barn is never an easy thing to do.

5. New Mexico at San Diego State, 11:00 p.m.: The two powers in the Mountain West the past five seasons square off in a year where neither look like the favorite to win the league.