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.

Just checking in for a few minutes between the drive home from College Station and another day at the McJob. The loss last night was pretty lopsided and generally very ugly, but there were a few positive nuggets hidden amidst all the crap. Promise.

We’ll take a relatively brief look at the game later this evening — because there’s only so many ways to say that performance sucked — before glancing at this week’s blogpoll and checking out what’s on TV tonight. In the meantime, congrats to the Ags on an impressive win and also to those kids in Bramlage, who finally got to rush the court against their hated rivals.

The cliché holds that in a rivalry game, you can throw out the records, the stats, and the trends. And I’m with you — I cringe every time I hear an announcer trot this out. But the reason we hear the damned saying so much is because it’s actually pretty accurate. So forget that Texas A&M has lost three of four, and that the Longhorns haven’t won in their last three trips to Reed Arena. To steal another oft-used phrase, once the ball is tipped, this is going to be an old-fashioned grudge match.

By the numbers

So it’s pretty ridiculous of me to tell you to throw out the numbers and then proceed to give you those numbers. But that’s the format of these game previews, so we’re going to stick with “tradition.” I hear that’s pretty important in College Station.

As mentioned, A&M has lost three of four games coming into this one. They overcame a late deficit in Stillwater on Saturday to avoid a devastating fourth-straight loss, holding the Pokes without a field goal in the final eight minutes. While the Aggies have struggled on the road, they’ve dominated against their creampuff schedule at home the last few seasons. This year, they are sporting a 13-1 mark in Reed Arena.

Mark Turgeon’s team is ranked in the top 30 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to Ken Pomeroy’s metrics. While last year’s Aggie squad was ranked in the top ten of both categories when they hosted the Horns, this year’s team will still be a tough out.

The Aggies have a huge roster and ran about twelve deep through most of the non-conference slate. Since entering Big 12 play, Turgeon has trimmed the fat and now gives significant minutes to seven or eight of his players.

The starters

For a Texas team that struggles with guarding the perimeter, Josh Carter is a huge concern. Although he’s been in a slump so far in conference play, Carter led the NCAA in three-point percentage last season and is second all-time in the Big 12 for the same stat. In his last four games, Josh is 6-of-25 from behind the arc, but tends to heat up when facing the Longhorns. It will be key to maintain pressure on this difference-maker.

Bryan Davis has replaced DeAndre Jordan as a starter in the last few games, and he’s responding with quality numbers. He’s the second-leading scorer on the team in Big 12 play and is eating up a ton of minutes down low for Coach Turg. Davis isn’t going to blow by anybody or pull out stunning post moves, but he’s a smart player who earns his points and keeps his team in it.

Along with Davis, the Aggies rely on Joseph Jones down low in their inside-out attack. A&M is a really scary team when their post players are scoring, because defenses who try to sell out to stop Jones, Davis, and Jordan are often burned by wide-open three-point shooters. We all know that Jones is prone to picking up a ton of fouls, but he’s also the team’s leading rebounder in conference play.

Donald Sloan is likely the fastest guy on the floor for A&M, but lately he’s had problems hanging on to the basketball. Over the last four games, he’s turned over the ball a nauseating 17 times. As long as the Longhorns can stay in front of Sloan and keep him from flying by them on the drive, they should be able to minimize his impact on the game. And if they can force his hand, it could result in a few fast-break buckets for the visitors.

This year, Dominique Kirk is running the point for the Ags. It’s certainly not a natural position for him, and the Aggies are definitely seeing a drop-off from last year’s stud point Acie Law. But Kirk is generally doing a good job holding down the fort and has only turned it over four times in conference play. He’s also a threat from long range, hitting 47.8% of his threes on the season. As with Carter, the Horns will have to keep an eye on Kirk to make sure he doesn’t key a huge run for the Aggies.

The bench

Freshman sensation DeAndre Jordan has cooled off considerably once the rigors of Big 12 play began, and he’s even starting games on the bench. Jordan is a huge kid who gets his share of putbacks and dunks, and his presence in the lane helps the Aggie defense tremendously. He’s also a great passer who can zing it over defenders from his high vantage point, and that is a boon to the transition game and the A&M inside-out attack. But lately he’s having a few more of those “freshman mistakes,” picking up fouls quickly, traveling, and making dumb turnovers. The Longhorns will certainly have their hands full with DeAndre, but if he makes his share of typical miscues, it could negate the advantages he provides.

Derrick Roland is a guard with quick hands that can really force the issue when he gets in the face of the Longhorn guards. Nicknamed D-Roll, he’s only seeing about ten minutes per game in conference play, but can provide a great spark of the bench.

Big man Chinemelu “Junior” Elonu is another guy who can provide energy for Coach Turgeon off the bench, but his minutes have been significantly limited in the last few games. He won’t score much, but he gets after it on the boards and is one of those players with the intangibles that makes you think he’s going to be a solid contributer before his four years are up.

What to look for

In their three losses, the one constant according to Ken Pomeroy was an inordinately high free throw rate for their opponents. Texas Tech exploited this by attacking the A&M big men, and Texas would be wise to do the same. The Longhorns seemed to be practicing this against the Red Raiders, making a conscious effort to feed the post. Hopefully the Texas bigs will be able to perform at the same level tonight against a very talented Aggie front line.

On the other side of the charity stripe, the Aggies have also struggled tremendously from the line. As a team, they are hitting only 61% of their free throws, with big man Jordan shooting a pitiful 38% from the line on the year. I would love to see Clint Chapman, Alexis Wangmene, and Dexter Pittman playing very physical defense inside tonight. Damion James and Connor Atchley can’t afford to get in foul trouble, as their agility will cause problems for A&M’s big men. But if the bench warmers can force the Aggies to earn their points from the line, the Longhorns will benefit tremendously.

The other big weakness for the Aggies is ball control, as they have turned it over 15 times a game since entering conference play. Texas Tech forced a ton of turnovers in their win, and the up-tempo Longhorn attack would love to start a bunch of breaks off of Aggie miscues. While A&M is less likely to get rattled and make a ton of mistakes in front of their home crowd, Texas should definitely pressure Davis and Sloan, who both are famous for losing the handle.

The Aggies are favored by three points heading into this one — not that we’d ever condone gambling — and that sounds about right. This game should be a really good one, and you’ve got to give A&M the edge in front of their devoted fans. Be sure to tune in to the action on ESPN2, and check back tomorrow morning for the post-game.

Texas moved up two spots in each of the polls this week, sliding into the #10 slot in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today rankings, while Kansas holds steady at #2. The Big 12 has five teams in the AP poll with Kansas State (22nd), Texas A&M (23rd) and Baylor (25th) all hanging around on the lower rungs.

Stefhon Hannah could miss the rest of the season after a brawl outside a Columbia nightclub late on Saturday night. The Tigers still have to tackle a rematch with Kansas, a pair of showdowns with K-State, and roadies in Waco and Norman. Without their leading scorer, Mizzou could be a lot closer to the cellar than anticipated.

This afternoon, Luke Winn introduces us to twin brothers and UNC commits Travis Wear and David Wear, Jr. The 2009 class for Roy Williams is looking absolutely ridiculous when you add in Dexter Strickland and Round Rock product John Henson, who had Texas in the mix before committing to the Heels earlier this month.

Joe Lunardi is high on the Big 12 this week, putting six of the conference’s teams in today’s Bracketology. Kansas still leads the way with a 1-seed, while Texas is slotted as a 3 in Little Rock. K-State (6 seed), Baylor (7), Texas A&M (9), and Oklahoma (9) make up the rest of the conference’s dance card.

Missed Scott Drew’s interview on Sportscenter after the 5-OT thriller on Wednesday night? Thanks to the technical know-how of an LRT co-traveler, you can watch the video through the interweb tubes. Check it out below, and be sure to check out the rest of his Longhorn videos on his website.

Tonight the Longhorns return home after a long break, hoping to continue the momentum they’ve created with back-to-back conference wins against Colorado and Oklahoma State. The opponent this time is Texas Tech, a team that has been up-and-down all season but notched an impressive home win over Texas A&M when they were ranked 9th in the country.

Since Rick Barnes joined the staff at Texas, the Longhorns have absolutely dominated the Red Raiders. Texas is 18-2 against Tech in the Barnes era, including wins in all nine home games. In this one, the Horns are favored by 11.5 points, and honestly there doesn’t seem to be much hope for the Techsters to snap the streak. Of course, the Aggie fans probably didn’t expect to stumble up in Lubbock, either…

By the numbers

Tech wins its games by playing solid defense, but unfortunately they often don’t score enough points to end up on top. Their defensive efficiency is ranked 30th in the country, and they are allowing 68 points per game to conference opponents, including the up-tempo Missouri Tigers.

The problem for Texas Tech is that they likely won’t be able to outscore the Horns, even if they execute on defense. Tech’s offense is centered around constant motion and screening, with most of their shots coming within 10-12 feet. Most of the teams who will beat Texas are ones who can take advantage of their poor three-point defense, but Knight’s system is not one that is built to do this.

One advantage of Knight’s motion offense is that it draws a ton of fouls, which could cause problems for a thin Texas bench. The Longhorns don’t have much depth, so if any of the core players get into foul trouble, significant minutes will have to come from the likes of Alexis Wangmene, Clint Chapman, and J.D. Lewis.

The Tech starters

There is a lack of a true leader on this team, but if you’re pressed to pick a go-to guy for Tech, it’s got to be Martin Zeno. The senior loves to attack off the dribble and has improved his scoring as the Red Raiders entered conference play. His mid-range game is solid, so the Horns will have more success if they can keep him to the perimeter.

Freshman John Roberson is making an early impact coming out of Plano. He’s an incredibly quick guard, so he fits well in Knight’s system. If Justin Mason is tasked with trying to shut down Zeno, the guard who is stuck with Roberson is going to have a tough assignment.

Damir Suljagic is the main man down low for Tech this season, but that’s not saying much. He can play good defense in the post, but shouldn’t draw too much attention with the ball. On a small team that struggles with rebounding, his height makes him one of their key players by default.

Against Mizzou, Alan Voskuil earned the starting nod despite having slow first halves in almost all of his games. Coach Knight has attributed this to a lack of effort on Voskuil’s part, but his talent is undeniable. He’s the leading three-point shooter in the Big 12, hitting over 50% of his attempts. He almost single-handedly defeated UTEP from behind the arc, and if Texas leaves him open from long range, he could be the difference tonight, too.

Charlie Burgess is having a bit of an off year for the Red Raiders, but is still a threat to score when he attacks the paint off the dribble. He’s the third attacking guard in Knight’s system, but at only 6’1″, he’s not a bad match-up for the Longhorn backcourt.

Off the bench

Sophomore Trevor Cook has earned some starts down low for Tech, but against an undersized Texas team, I don’t forsee Knight going with a big lineup. Forward Mike Singletary is only 6’5″, but can still post up and is developing nicely for Coach Knight. Esmir Rizvic missed most of last year’s conference season after OU’s Longar Longar went Bobby Brown on his eye socket and hasn’t seen a ton of minutes this season. He’s not a phenomenal rebounder, but if Tech is getting killed on the boards, he might be given some more playing time.

The big finish

Tonight’s contest is already a sellout, but the scalpers are lined up on Red River working their game. If you’re outside of Austin, check the affiliate list linked at the top of the page to see if it’s on in your area. Folks with ESPN Full Court can also pick up the game, while the Longhorn Radio Network will be broadcasting Craig Way’s play-by-play throughout the state.