TheSpread.com

Who Would Have Thought

Surveying the Big Ten schedule prior to the season, it seemed probable that the conference's best team would be on the floor at Mackey Arena on Tuesday night.

Few would have guessed that team would be Purdue.

The 19th-ranked Boilermakers (19-5, 10-1) look to win a 10th straight game for the first time in nearly 12 years Tuesday when they face No. 10 Michigan State, which dealt Purdue its lone Big Ten loss.

Big 12 Grudge Match

It's becoming almost a certainty that games between Kansas and Texas contain strong implications in the Big 12 standings and the national rankings.

The Big 12's highest-ranked teams both will be looking for a fourth straight win when the No. 4 Jayhawks and No. 12 Longhorns face off in Austin on Monday, their first meeting since tangling into overtime in last season's conference championship game.

Taking Care of Business

Villanova needed a 3-pointer in the final minute of its last game to rally and avert a six-game losing streak.

It's Georgetown, though, that has a six-game skid at home against the Wildcats, a streak the sixth-ranked Hoyas hope to end Monday when they host struggling Villanova.

Not so Good in Seattle

UCLA's runs to the Final Four in each of the past two seasons have had a lot in common - stifling defense, accurate shooting and outstanding guard play.

They've also both included a road loss against Washington.

The fifth-ranked Bruins (21-2, 9-1 Pac-10) look to win their sixth straight game while trying to avoid a fourth consecutive loss in Seattle when they face the Huskies on Sunday.

Ohio State Hosts Hoosiers

Indiana freshman Eric Gordon has probably already faced the most venomous road crowd of his college career, but that doesn't mean Ohio State fans will be welcoming him with open arms.

Gordon and the 14th-ranked Hoosiers seek a second straight impressive road win on Sunday when they face the Buckeyes, whose only loss in their last 39 home games came against a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country.