A night packed full of hoops from conferences big and small, so you won’t have to be stuck with quality programming like Wife Swap and Supernanny.

#3 North Carolina (24-2 overall, 9-2 ACC) at NC State (15-10, 4-7) – 6 PM CST, ESPN
Roy Williams and Coach K are acting like characters in Mean Girls, which must mean the Tar Heels aren’t playing anyone important tonight. I dig J.J. Hickson and Gavin Grant inside, but they shouldn’t be too much of a hassle for Psycho T and his gang of defense-free friends.

#24 Marquette (18-6 overall, 8-5 Big East) at St. John’s (10-14, 4-9) – 6 PM CST, ESPN2
The Golden Eagles are beating the teams they are supposed to in conference play and only losing to the solid ballclubs, which is a bad omen for the Johnnies tonight. Usually I’d mention that home court could make something of a difference for the underdog in a major conference, but the fan support at St. John’s games reminds me of Canasta night in Boca Raton. Point, Marquette.

South Florida (11-15 overall, 2-11 Big East) at Cincinnati (12-12, 7-5) – 6 PM CST, ESPNU
It’s got to be depressing for Bulls fans to realize that their only real rebounder won’t be on campus next year, and that even with Kentrell Gransberry and freshman stud Dominique Jones, they still likely won’t make the Big East tournament. Perhaps Stan Heath can get things turned around in a few years, but for now the prognosis is grim.

#1 Memphis (25-0 overall, 11-0 C-USA) at Tulane (15-9, 5-5) – 7 PM CST, CSTV
Nothing can possibly top the unbridled awesomeness of the “Mempis” riot in UAB last weekend, so I’d rather not even tune in to this one and be disappointed. If Joey Dorsey happens to punch somebody, give me a call so I can flip channels.

#25 Kansas State (18-6 overall, 8-2 Big 12) at Nebraska (14-9, 3-7) – 8 PM CST, ESPN2
K-State controls its own destiny in the conference race, but that means they have to clean up on these chip shots before tackling UT, Kansas, and Baylor. Aleks Maric is a presence inside, but the Cornhuskers will have their hands full with the Beast-ley/Walker combo in this one.

Eastern Michigan (10-14 overall, 6-6 MAC) at Western Michigan (14-10, 8-3)
There is no possible way that Michigan is wide enough to justify not only Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan, but Central Michigan as well. That’s one directional school for every 73 miles. Overkill.

Fans of the BCS conferences can get their fill on ESPN Full Court tonight, with the ACC, SEC, and Big East providing a wide range of choices…

Wisconsin-Milwaukee (13-11 overall, 8-6 Horizon) at Cleveland State (17-11, 10-6) – 6 PM CST

Georgia State (7-18 overall, 4-11 CAA) at UNC-Wilmington (17-10, 10-5) – 6 PM CST

South Carolina (12-12 overall, 4-6 SEC) at Florida (19-7, 6-5) – 7 PM CST

West Virginia (18-7 overall, 7-5 Big East) at Villanova (15-9, 5-7) – 7 PM CST

LSU (9-15 overall, 2-8 SEC) at Arkansas (17-7, 6-4) – 7:05 PM CST

#4 Duke (22-2 overall, 10-1 ACC) at Miami (17-7, 4-6) – 8 PM CST

Virginia Tech (14-11 overall, 5-6 ACC) at Maryland (17-9, 7-4) – 8 PM CST

Not a lot of solid games on the air tonight, but the headline match-up should more than make up for the mediocrity elsewhere on the TV dial.

DePaul (10-14 overall, 5-7 Big East) at #13 Connecticut (20-5, 9-3) – 6 PM CST, ESPNU
The Huskies return home after escaping sunny Florida with an overtime buzzer-beating win against the Bulls, hoping to keep pace with G-town and the Cardinals. DePaul is at the other end of the standings, trying to stay ahead of Providence and St. John’s long enough to make the Big East tournament.

#15 Purdue (21-5 overall, 12-1 Big 10) at #14 Indiana (21-4, 10-2) – 6 PM CST, ESPN
The Hoosiers silenced critics who asked if they would ever claim a marquee win and temporarily ushered the Kelvin Sampson debacle aside with a convincing home win over Michigan State on Saturday night. Purdue dispatched that same Spartan squad on Tuesday, setting the table for tonight’s winner to slide into the driver’s seat of the Big Televen.

UNC-Greensboro (14-10 overall, 8-7 Southern) at Davidson (19-6, 17-0) – 6 PM CST, ESPN2
The Wildcats have not lost since December 21st, and there’s no reason that they should tonight. Last week they defeated UNC-Greensboro by five on the road, but tonight get to face them in the friendly confines of Belk Arena. Although Davidson clinched their league title with a win on Saturday, they are still looking to impress the tournament committee in case they somehow stumble in the Southern Conference tournament. A 19-game win streak could quite possibly be the slightest bit impressive.

Georgia (12-11 overall, 3-7 SEC) at Kentucky (13-10, 7-3) – 8 PM CST, ESPN
It’s hard to believe that this is the same Wildcat team which lost to Gardner-Webb and started the year with a 4-5 mark, but Billy Clyde Gillispie has things looking up in the Bluegrass State. Kentucky has the third-best record in the SEC, a strength of schedule ranking of 27th, and quality wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt. While tonight’s game won’t offer a réesumé-building victory, every win gets the Wildcats closer to the post-season in a year with a really, really soft bubble.

Missouri State (13-14 overall, 6-9 MVC) at Creighton (17-8, 8-7) – 8 PM CST, ESPNU
The Jays are certainly not the team of years past, as they are sitting smack in the middle of the Metro Valley and head into this one on a two-game losing streak. This game doesn’t have much impact on the big picture this season, so unless you dig the mid-majors or have a nephew at Missouri State, you might only catch this one during commercials of whatever else you are watching.

If you’ve got ESPN Full Court, I don’t have a lot to offer you. Here are the leftovers, if you’re interested…

Bowling Green (11-13 overall, 6-6 MAC) at Ohio (16-9, 7-5) – 6 PM CST
It’s MAC-tastic!

Southern Utah (8-17 overall, 6-8 Summit League) at Oral Roberts (18-6, 13-1) – 7 PM CST
Scott Sutton and the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles should be dancing again in March, and with good reason. They are dominating the far-flung teams of the Summit League and played Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Texas close this year. As for Southern Utah…well, I honestly didn’t even know they existed until about ten minutes ago.

Baylor (17-7 overall, 5-5 Big 12) at Oklahoma (17-8 overall, 5-5 Big 12) – 7 PM CST
The selection committee says they don’t assign certain conferences a number of bids, but that doesn’t stop some pundits from labeling match-ups such as this one “elimination games.” But with that soft bubble I referred to earlier, there’s a good chance that both the Bears and Sooners could find themselves in the field of 65 next month, regardless of tonight’s outcome. Of course, if Baylor wants to even sniff the Big Dance, they need to first get off of their skid, as they’ve lost five of their last six, including a home game against this Oklahoma team.

Virginia Tech (14-8 overall, 5-3 ACC) at NC State (14-7, 3-4) – 6 PM CST, ESPNU – The Wolfpack are quite possibly the most disappointing team of the year, but they are still in the mix for an at-large bid to the NCAAs. The key to their tournament push is the current stretch of nine games, six of which are on their home court. Tonight will certainly be a challenge for State though, as the V-Tech bigs will provide a good match-up for J.J. Hickson and Gavin Grant.

Michigan (5-16 overall, 1-8 Big Ten) at Ohio State (15-7, 6-3) – 6 PM CST, ESPN – Also known by its alternate title, “When Rivalry Week Goes Bad.” This might be an epic showdown on the gridiron, but until John Beilein gets his system and players in place, this series is going to be dominated by the Buckeyes.

#22 Florida (18-4 overall, 5-2 SEC) at #7 Tennessee (19-2, 6-1) – 8 PM CST, EPSN – The Baby Gators have made an incredible run to start the season, but they still have yet to record a truly marquee win. Thompson-Boling isn’t an easy place to steal a victory, but if Florida wants to loudly announce its presence as a legit young threat, escaping with an upset on the road would certainly do just that.

#11 Butler (19-2 overall, 8-2 Horizon) at Valparaiso (14-7, 5-4) – 8 PM CST, ESPN2 – The Bulldogs seem to be cruising through Horizon League play at this point, but their only two losses have both come on the road in conference play. Shawn Huff and the Crusaders hope to hand Butler a third tonight, but the senior-laden Bulldog squad is tough to rattle down the stretch.

Northern Iowa (14-8 overall, 6-5 MVC) at Creighton (15-6, 6-5) – 8 PM CST, ESPNU – It’s been an off year for both the Panthers and Jays, but a victory tonight could keep the winner in the hunt for second in the conference. Just three weeks ago, Creighton pulled off the 68-59 road win over NIU led by Nick Bahe’s 15/6 line. Tonight, the Panthers will be looking for tiny guard Jared Josten to lead the team to sweet revenge.

And here are the ESPN Full Court listings for those who are as addicted as I am…

South Florida (10-12 overall, 1-8 Big East) at #6 Georgetown (18-2, 8-1) – 6:30 PM CST – The Bulls live and die by the play of behemoth Kentrell Gransberry, but he’s having a tough time carrying the team all by himself. Against Georgetown on the road, USF might just want to roll over and play dead.

DePaul (9-12 overall, 4-5 Big East) at Providence (12-9, 3-6) – 6:30 PM CST – There’s a ton of good basketball being played night-in and night-out in the BEast, but this game certainly isn’t it. The Blue Demons have some raw talent but can’t ever seem to get it consistently clicking, while Providence has spent the last few weeks getting knocked around by the league’s upper-level teams. Ought to be quite the match-up.

#18 Texas A&M (18-4 overall, 4-3 Big 12) at Iowa State (13-9, 3-4) – 7 PM CST – It’s tough to say whether Hilton Coliseum will be rowdy for the ranked Aggies or if the rough conference start will keep Cyclone fans at home. If Iowa State actually has its true home-court advantage, Texas A&M’s well-documented road struggles could come into play once more. But I think it’s much more likely that the talented Aggie squad steamrolls the ‘Clones in this one.

Big Monday expands to the U this week, with the sister station airing a couple of mid-major tilts and a mid-pack match-up from the WCC. The usual Big East/Big 12 combo on the flagship looks to be pretty solid, while the nightcap is one you should definitely stay up for.

Louisville (16-6 overall, 6-3 Big East) at #16 Marquette (16-4, 6-3) – 6 PM CST, ESPN – Louisville is getting back into the swing of things, winning seven of their last nine heading into tonight’s Big East throwdown. But those two losses for the Cards both came on the road, and you can be sure that the Bradley Center and its giant celebrity cutouts will be ready for the ‘Ville.

Grambling State (3-12 overall, 3-5 SWAC) at Mississippi Valley State (7-12, 5-3) – 6 PM CST, ESPNU – I’m not even going to pretend to know anything about SWAC basketball, but it’s nice to see the U bumping up its coverage of the smaller D-1 schools as conference play marches on.

Villanova (13-7 overall) at St. Joseph’s (14-5 overall) – 7 PM CST, CSTV – Nova and St. Joe’s take a break from their conference schedules to battle it out in the Holy War tonight, and if you’ve got CSTV you should give this one a look. There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a Big Five game, and the fans will be fired up over this one.

Missouri (13-9 overall, 3-4 Big 12) at #5 Kansas (21-2, 6-1) – 8 PM CST, ESPN – One of the nastiest rivalries in college sports is rekindled tonight in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won the first meeting this year by a 76-70 count in Columbia and the Tigers would love to return the favor. But the altercation at a nightclub a week ago still has this Mizzou team playing shorthanded, so things could get very ugly tonight.

Hampton (12-7 overall, 6-1 MEAC) at North Carolina A&T (11-9, 5-2) – Two teams near the top of the MEAC standings battle it out for conference supremacy. But in all honesty, does this game matter in a one-bid league where only the tournament champion will be dancing?

Gonzaga (17-5 overall, 6-0 WCC) at #23 Saint Mary’s (18-3, 5-1) – 10 PM CST, ESPN2 – Game. Of. The. Night. Perhaps I’m a bit biased as I’m already planning a Pac-10/WCC road trip for next season, but this epic battle atop the West Coast Conference is going to be ridiculously exciting. The small gyms these teams play in are always electric for big games, and the Gaels are hoping to finally overcome the Gonzaga stranglehold on the WCC. Drink some coffee, pop some No-Doze, or just take a nap during the Mizzou/Kansas game. But whatever you do, don’t miss this one.

Portland (7-15 overall, 1-5 WCC) at Santa Clara (11-10, 3-3) – 10 PM CST, ESPNU – More WCC excitement over on the U, but it’s a bit overshadowed by the game down in Moraga. Santa Clara is hoping to break from the pack with a home win tonight and keep within arm’s reach of the three teams running away with it. Portland is scuttling, so hopefully they don’t lay down and take a beating in this one.

The person who scheduled the IU/Wisconsin game against the season premiere of LOST has earned my unyielding hatred, but that’s why John Cusack invented the DVR. There are a few interesting games of note tonight, so let’s jump right into things.

Boston College (12-6 overall, 3-2 ACC) at #4 North Carolina (19-1, 4-1) – 6 PM CST, ESPN – The Golden Eagles have dropped their last two after jumping out to a 3-0 league start, and things don’t get any easier with the road trip to Chapel Hill tonight. The Heels are hoping to keep pace with Duke, who is still a game ahead of UNC in the standings.

Providence (12-7 overall, 3-4 Big East) at Notre Dame (14-4, 4-2) – 6 PM CST, ESPN2 – The Fighting Irish have one of the most bi-polar teams so far this year. Home court has been huge in Big East play so far, so look for the “good” Irish to show up when the Friars come to town tonight.

Temple (9-9 overall, 2-2 A-10) at Fordham (8-9, 2-3) – 7 PM CST, CSTV – There’s some really good ball being played in the A-10+4 this year, but you won’t find much of it in this match-up. Winner moves slightly further into the muddled pack of the league, while the loser gets to slide down towards G-Dub and the Bonnies. Holla!

#11 Indiana (17-2 overall, 6-0 Big Ten) at #13 Wisconsin (16-3, 6-1) – 8 PM CST, ESPN – Game of the night, as Indiana faces its first true conference test. In non-conf play, the Hoosiers were embarrassed by both Xavier and Connecticut, so on paper things look good for ‘Scon. But Indiana has something to prove, and nothing can do that faster than a road win in the Kohl Center.

NC State (13-6 overall, 2-3 ACC) at #3 Duke (13-6, 2-3) – 8 PM CST, ESPN2 – The only weak link in a really solid Duke lineup is a weak frontcourt, and the Wolfpack have a pair of solid scorers down low in Gavin Grant and J.J. Hickson. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for State to pull off the road upset in this one. The Blue Devils may have been under the radar for most of the year (at least by Duke standards), but these guys are in the hunt for a 1-seed.

Arizona (14-6 overall, 4-3 Pac-10) at USC (13-6, 4-3) – 9:30 PM CST, Fox Sports Net – The Wildcats and Trojans are finally starting to click, as U of A has won four of five while So Cal is on a four-game surge. This one also offers a great match-up of freshmen studs O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless, who are both key to the recent resurrection of their teams.

Got the ESPN Full Court package? You can also enjoy the following two games…

UW-Milwaukee (12-8 overall, 7-3 Horizon) at Detroit (4-15, 0-9) – 6:05 PM CST – Can home court finally provide the magic that the Titans need for their first conference win? I don’t think I care enough to find out.

Fresno State (10-11 overall, 3-4 WAC) at Nevada (12-7, 4-2) – 9 PM CST – Nevada shook things up in the WAC with a big road win last Thursday against New Mexico State. The Wolfpack now must defend their own home court a week later, but the Bulldogs don’t seem to pose too much of a threat to the status quo.