This is the very first installment of a monthly article we will be running on the first of every month entitled, “The Month Ahead”, in which we will highlight the Top 10 NCAA games that you will not want to miss for the coming month. Without further adieu, here is your December run down!
December 1 – 9:30 – Michagan State at Duke
– Originally billed as #1 vs. #2, we’ll have to settle for #1 vs. #6. This is a match up of not only a handful of exciting NBA prospects, but two excellent teams and two excellent coaches.
December 4 – 12:30 – Kentucky at North Carolina
– Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight lead Kentucky into Chapel Hill to face a young UNC team that hasn’t started the 2010-2011 campaign the way they had hoped. This could be just the type of win the Tar Heels need to get back on track.
December 7 – 9:00 – Michigan State at Syracuse
– As of December 1st, a battle between two top 10 teams looking to add another solid OOC victory. A victory here could propel either of these teams into the top 2 or 3 in the country.
December 7 – 7:00 – Memphis at Kansas
– Kansas will still be without freshman Josh Selby, so it’ll be the Morris twins facing off against Wesley Witherspoon of Memphis. It will definitely be interesting to see how the brothers handle Memphis’ budding superstar.
December 11 – 3:15 – Tennessee at Pittsburgh
– Most of the news about Tennessee early on has been for all the wrong reasons, but Tobias Harris and Scotty Hopson have the team playing at a very high level. They’ll have their hands full, as Pittsburgh looks to extend their winning streak to 53 straight wins at home against non conference opponents.
December 18 – 5:30 – Kansas State at Florida
– Both teams have already lost a game against a top 5 team (Kansas State vs. Duke and Florida vs. Ohio State), so this could be an important game, particularly for Florida, as it’s their last chance to pick up an impressive OOC win.
December 18 – 4:30 – Gonzaga at Baylor
– It should be very interesting to see Perry Jones and Quincy Acy battling in the paint with Robert Sacre and Elias Harris. Factor in the leadership qualities of LaceDarius Dunn and Steven Gray and this could be one of the best games of the month.
December 22 – 7:00 – Texas at Michigan State
– Texas already picked up an impressive victory over Illinois, and a win in East Lansing would go a long way for the resume come March. Depending on what Michigan State does against Duke and Syracuse, this game could be a must win for them, or perhaps the game that gives them a #1 ranking.
December 23 – 8:00 – Georgetown at Memphis
– Georgetown has a fairly soft schedule leading up to this contest, and if Memphis is able to get by Kansas earlier in the month, we could see a battle of the undefeateds. The story here will be which star is able to rise to the occasion: Austin Freeman or Wesley Witherspoon.
December 27 – 8:30 – Connecticut at Pittsburgh
– Expected to be a down year for the Big East? Don’t tell that to these teams. Connecticut and Kemba Walker have been the hottest team in the country and will look to prove they are the top team in the conference against Ashton Gibbs and the Pitt Panthers.
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