Tomorrow is wall-to-wall hoops action, which means the Friday pickings are slim as usual. If you happen to be staying in tonight, you’d be better off with the NBA doubleheader than with this pair of duds. But just in case you’re into the whole masochism thing, here are the pair of games from the Worldwide Leader…

Navy (7-8 overall, 0-0 Patriot) at Bucknell (5-9, 0-0) – 6 PM CST, ESPNU – The Bison are just two years removed from back-to-back appearances in the 2nd round of the NCAAs, including that famous upset of Kansas. But this season is more nightmare than fairy tale, as Bucknell has a sickening RPI of 236th and a record that promises their only NCAA hopes lie in the Patriot League tourney.

Siena (8-6 overall, 3-1 MAAC) at Niagara (10-3, 4-0) – 8 PM CST, ESPNU – Unlike the first half of the doubleheader, this one is a pretty big game in the world of the mid-majors. Niagara is the lone perfect team in the MAAC, but faces a tough test at home from a Siena team that upset Stanford back in November.

Some BCS conference action on the Worldwide Leader tonight, but Thursday means Pac-10 hoops on FSN, and that is certainly a league you want to watch. Here’s what’s on the airwaves tonight…

Hofstra (3-9 overall, 1-2 CAA) at UNC-Wilmington (8-7, 1-2) – 6 PM CST, ESPNU – For the love of God, do not watch this.

West Virginia (11-3 overall, 1-1 Big East) at Louisville (10-4, 0-1) – 6 PM CST, ESPN – Thuggins has West Virginia playing some good basketball as of late, while Louisville is a bit like Britney Spears. They’re troubled, unwell, and frankly everybody is a little tired of hearing about their latest screw-ups.

St. Louis (9-5 overall, 0-0 A-10) at George Washington (4-6, 0-0) – 7 PM CST, CSTV – The A-10 is looking solid this season, but these two teams aren’t the reason why.

Illinois (8-7 overall, 0-2 Big 10) at #21 Wisconsin (12-2, 2-0) – 8 PM CST, ESPN – After losing to Miami of Ohio at home, Brian Randle was asked about the team’s mindset by a reporter at the press conference. “There’s no desperation, I’ll tell you that,” Randle said. “People may not see it or want to see it, but we’re a good team…With 15 seconds left, we said in the huddle, ‘Believe.’ We are a confident team.” Since then, the Illini defeated Mizzou and Loyola, but then lost three straight to Tennessee State, Ohio State, and Penn State. With tonight’s road game at Wisconsin and Sunday’s roadie at Indiana, it might be time for Randle and Illinois to start getting desperate.

Arkansas (11-3 overall, 0-0 SEC) at Auburn (9-3, 0-0) – 8 PM CST, ESPN2 – It’s the SEC opener for both schools, and Auburn comes in incredibly banged up. They’ve got six scholarship players available at last report, and are going to have to play out of their minds to hang with the Razorbacks in this one.

Wisconsin-Green Bay (9-5 overall, 3-1 Horizon) at #14 Butler (14-1, 3-1) – 8 PM CST, ESPNU – Butler’s only loss of the year came to a Wright State team that is currently 8-5 on the year. So while it would seem easy enough to chalk this one up as a win for A.J. Graves and the Bulldogs, it is certainly fair to say that stranger things have happened.

#4 Washington State (13-0 overall, 1-0 Pac-10) at USC (9-5, 0-2) – 10 PM CST, FSN – Coach Tony Bennett was National Coach of the Year last season, and this year he’s doing just as solid of a job up in Pullman. The Cougs have not played many tough teams in non-conf, but they have a chance to silence the critics on their nightmare road trip this weekend. Get past USC tonight, and Wazzu gets to put that pristine record on the line against UCLA on Saturday.

And even more listings for those folks with ESPN Full Court…

Wisconsin-Milwaukee (8-7 overall, 3-2 Horizon) at Valparaiso (11-4, 2-1) – 7 PM CST – Valpo is actually sporting a pretty solid RPI, but that’s more a result of losing to really good teams than of beating anybody worthwhile. The Crusaders are 0-4 versus the RPI top 50, while they’ve chalked up six wins over teams ranked 200+. Horizon League play isn’t going to help things much.

Cal (10-3 overall, 1-1 Pac-10) at Oregon (10-4, 1-1) – 7:30 PM CST – The Ducks have really dropped off the map this year, but the Pac-10 is so deep that putting things together in conference play will be a huge boost to the resumé. It’ll be interesting to see what the crowd turnout is for this one, as it tips at 5:30 local time.

New Mexico State (8-9 overall, 2-0 WAC) at Boise State (11-3, 2-0) – 8 PM CST – The surprise team in the WAC hosts one of the biggest disappointments. But a 6-9 start for NMSU might be just a fuzzy memory if they can keep up the hot start they’ve got going in league play. Wins over Fresno State and Idaho aren’t exactly worth writing home about, but if the Aggies can shock the Broncos on the road, things could get very interesting out west.

Nevada (8-5 overall, 0-0 WAC) at San Jose State (7-7 overall, 0-2) – 9 PM CST – Nevada is certainly a contender in the WAC, and tonight finally marks the beginning of their campaign. The Wolfpack has been tested by the 20th-toughest schedule in the nation, and it should serve them well against their weaker conference. With SJSU, Hawaii, and Idaho opening the conference slate for Nevada, they could easily sprint to a 3-0 start in just eight days.