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Pregame Shootaround: Iowa State-Baylor, and Notre Dame on upset alert

Scott Drew

AP Photo

AP

Game of the Night: No. 11 Iowa State at No. 22 Baylor, 9:00 p.m.

I’m not buying Baylor this season, at least not yet. At No. 22 in the country, I feel pretty confident saying that they’re overrated. What can they do to make me change my mind? Take care of business at home against one of the contenders in the Big 12. The Bears are 1-2 in league play up to this point, having lost to Oklahoma and Kansas and been taken to overtime by TCU.

Who’s Getting Upset?: No. 12 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech, 7:00 p.m.

The Fighting Irish were taken to double-overtime by Georgia Tech in South Bend earlier this season. This time around, they’ll be playing without Zach Auguste -- academic issues -- against a team that can get after it on the offensive glass. Jerian Grant is going to have to bust out of his slump if the Irish are going to avoid getting stung by the Yellow Jackets.

Mid-Major Matchup of the Night: Hofstra at Northeastern, 7:00 p.m.

The CAA has been a traditionally strong mid-major league, and while it hurts to lose the likes of George Mason and VCU, the conference still puts forth good basketball teams. The two best teams in this year’s CAA? Hofstra and Northeastern.

Five Things to Watch For

1. No. 15 North Carolina at N.C. State, 7:00 p.m.: The Wolfpack are coming off of a win over then-No. 2 Duke in the very arena where they will be taking on North Carolina tonight.

2. St. John’s at Providence, 7:00 p.m.: This is a huge game for St. John’s, who is currently sitting at 0-3 in the conference. Providence, on the other hand, has a chance to move to 4-1 and in a tie for first place.

3. Xavier at No. 5 Villanova, 9:00 p.m.: Xavier has proven to be a tough team in the Cintas Center. But can they compete with the elite teams in the Big East away from home?

4. San Diego State at No. 25 Wyoming, 11:00 p.m.: Wyoming appears to be the best team in the Mountain West this season. SDSU was the favorite entering the season.

5. La Salle at Dayton, 7:00 p.m.: Dayton has won six straight games since they losing their two starting big men. A win moves them into a tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 at 4-0 despite having just six scholarship players, none taller than 6-foot-6.

The Rest of the Top 25


  • Southern Illinois at No. 13 Wichita State, 8:00 p.m.
  • Rutgers at No. 14 Maryland, 7:00 p.m.

Notables


  • LSU at Ole Miss, 7:00 p.m.
  • Creighton at Marquette, 9:00 p.m.
  • Nevada at Colorado State, 9:00 p.m.
  • UCLA at USC, 9:00 p.m.