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Downing The Ducks

Washington State has already beaten Oregon twice this season, and Thursday will face the rising Ducks a third time in a dangerous venue - the Pac-10 tournament.

Oregon (18-12, 9-9) is the defending tournament champion and has had a lot of success in this event in the past decade.

Hoyas Rout Wildcats

Jessie Sapp scored 23 points and No. 9 Georgetown tied a Big East tournament record with 17 3-pointers, fending off a second-half comeback to beat Villanova 82-63 on Thursday in the second round.

Jonathan Wallace hit five 3s and had 19 of his 20 points in the first half for the defending champion Hoyas (25-5), who improved to 13-0 when they have the top seed in the conference tournament.

Bucking The Trend

Subpar efforts on defense have held Connecticut back in recent Big East tournaments. Judging by their effort in their last regular-season game, the Huskies appear ready to change that trend.

The 15th-ranked Huskies, featuring the Big East defensive player of the year and coming off a dominant performance, look to snap a three-game losing streak in league tournament play when they face West Virginia in a quarterfinal matchup Thursday.

Battle in The Big East

Villanova got the win it needed to strengthen its case for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, but another one would certainly help.

A little revenge wouldn't hurt either.

The Wildcats will try to bolster their tournament credentials on Thursday against the Big East tournament's top seed and defending champion, No. 8 Georgetown, which benefited from a controversial call to beat Villanova (20-11) last month.

Big East Tourney Kicks Off

Jerel McNeal was sidelined for Marquette during last season's Big East tournament, which helped contribute to the team's early exit.

Looking to help the Golden Eagles make their first extended run in this event, McNeal and No. 25 Marquette takes on Seton Hall in the first round at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.