Games to keep an eye on the ticker for...

There's a light schedule this week, and that's because of good ol' finals week at most schools.

Monday
Mississippi State at Miami FL
-Two teams very likely to be in the three letter tournament
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at New Mexico State
-UAPB could be a top 3 SWAC team, but that won't get into NMSU's level

Wednedsay
UMass at Louisville
-Very interesting matchup in a game named for Rick Pitino's late best friend and brother-in-law, Billy Minardi
Belmont at Arkansas-Little Rock
-Road game where the so-called "low-major" should win comfortably

Friday
Eastern Washington at Oregon
-First big upset for Stuckey and Co.? Probably not.

Saturday
Purdue vs. Butler at Conseco Fieldhouse
-Let's see if the Indiana State game was an abberation for the non-power conference media sensation of the first month of the season
Temple at Towson
-Pat Kennedy's team will make things tough for a Temple team in a down year
DePaul at Rhode Island
-Which of these wins doesn't belong: Eastern Illinois, Chaminade, Kansas or Chicago State?
Akron at Illinois-Chicago
-Some nice "mid-major on mid-major action" as Kyle Whelliston would put it
Western Kentucky at Tennessee
-Should be some good offense put up in this one
Utah State at BYU
-A surprising Utah State team takes on a good BYU team
Northern Iowa at Loyola-Chicago
-See Akron-UIC
Indiana State at Missouri State
-If that Butler game wasn't the fluke I think it was, Missouri State will need to play up to the standard that they beat Wisconsin with
Alabama vs. Southern Miss at Mobile
-Does anybody realize Southern Miss is undefeated? No...well, they won't be after this game
Loyola Marymount at San Diego State
-Two good SoCal teams, one of which is likely to play the annual "WCC Runner-Up to Gonzaga" role in the college basketball play
Creighton at Fresno State
-The Xavier win was a good way for the Bluejays to get back on track, and this road win would surely put them squarely back on that track