Wednesday’s slate, what to watch has 3 Top 12 showdowns

On a night featuring Duke-North Carolina and Georgetown-Syracuse – two of the sport’s greatest rivalries and a pair of Top 15 showdowns, no less – it’d be easy to overlook Kansas-Baylor.

But don’t.

In fact, it’ll probably be the best game of the night.

(All times ET; TV info from HDSportsGuide.com)

Kansas at Baylor, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
The last time the No. 7 Jayhawks (18-5, 8-2 in Big 12) played Baylor, it wasn’t much of a game. Thomas Robinson owned the pain, Tyshawn Taylor could do no wrong and Jeff Withey was blocking shot after shot. That was in Lawrence. This one’s in Waco, where the No. 6 Bears (21-2, 8-2) have lost just once this season. Still, Baylor remains somewhat perplexing. It’s won four straight, but none have been impressive wins (and all were vs. average teams). Kansas has lost two of its last three. Both are trying to stay with Missouri in the Big 12 title race. Expect some great plays, occasional bafflement and a superb finish.

Duke at North Carolina, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
It’s the Heels and Devils. It doesn’t need any additional help, especially when we’ve already written this and this. But if you need more to ponder, stare at these shots charts. I could for the next few hours.

Georgetown at Syracuse, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Another game that doesn’t need additional hype. But in caser you forgot, it might be one of the last games when the two are in the same conference. That’s reason enough to have two TVs for the early games.

Northern Iowa at Wichita State, 8 p.m. (The Valley; FS Midwest; CSN Chicago)
Here’s where the Shockers (20-4, 11-2) can grab the upper hand in the Missouri Valley. Creighton lost to Evansville Tuesday night, which means if WSU can hold court against UNI (16-9, 6-7) it’ll be one game up on the Blue Jays with Saturday’s trip to Omaha looming. Classic trap game, right? Maybe not. The Panthers are a step behind Evansville and are in Wichita. If Gregg Marshall’s team can’t handle this one, there’ll be serious questions about its March potential.

St. Louis at St. Joe’s, 8:30 p.m. (Comcast, CW11)
Billikens (18-5, 6-2) could use some solid road wins to help their at-large profile. If the schedule holds, St. Louis should win the rest of its games, end the regular season at 25-5 and eye a top 4, top 5 seed.

Notre Dame at West Virginia, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
The Mountaineers (16-8, 6-5) are fading. They avoided a four-game losing streak thanks to an OT win at Providence at Sunday, but that’s not a result Bob Huggins is happy about. The win, yes. But how West Virginia is playing, not so much. Contrast that to Notre Dame (15-8, 7-3), winning of its last four – Syracuse, Seton Hall, UConn and Marquette. Winning in Morgantown would go down as one of the more impressive five-game runs of the season.

EAST
George Washington at Temple, 6 p.m.
Lafayette at Army, 7 p.m.
Florida St. at Boston College, 7 p.m.
Bucknell at Colgate, 7 p.m.
UNC Wilmington at Delaware, 7 p.m.
Monmouth (NJ) at Fairleigh Dickinson, 7 p.m.
Wagner at Mount St. Mary’s, 7 p.m.
Holy Cross at Navy, 7 p.m.
CCSU at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.
Bryant at Sacred Heart, 7 p.m.
Robert Morris at St. Francis (Pa.), 7 p.m.
Cincinnati vs. St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, 7 p.m.
Georgetown at Syracuse, 7 p.m.
St. Bonaventure at UMass, 7:30 p.m.
Saint Louis at Saint Joseph’s, 8:30 p.m.
Seton Hall at Rutgers, 9 p.m.
LIU vs. St. Francis (NY) at Madison Square Garden, 9 p.m.
Notre Dame at West Virginia, 9 p.m.

SOUTH
Memphis at East Carolina, 7 p.m.
Hofstra at George Mason, 7 p.m.
Northeastern at Georgia St., 7 p.m.
Drexel at James Madison, 7 p.m.
Jacksonville St. at Morehead St., 7 p.m.
La Salle at Richmond, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at South Florida, 7 p.m.
Marshall at UCF, 7 p.m.
Old Dominion at William & Mary, 7 p.m.
Houston Baptist at Bethune-Cookman, 7:05 p.m.
Towson at VCU, 7:30 p.m.
Wake Forest at Virginia, 7:30 p.m.
Arkansas at Georgia, 8 p.m.
South Carolina at Tennessee, 8 p.m.
Southern Miss. at UAB, 8 p.m.
Duke at North Carolina, 9 p.m.
LSU at Vanderbilt, 9 p.m.

MIDWEST
Penn St. at Michigan St., 6:30 p.m.
Bowling Green at Ball St., 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Cent. Michigan, 7 p.m.
Kent St. at E. Michigan, 7 p.m.
Ohio at Toledo, 7 p.m.
Akron at W. Michigan, 7 p.m.
Rhode Island at Xavier, 7 p.m.
Indiana St. at Bradley, 8 p.m.
Miami (Ohio) at N. Illinois, 8 p.m.
Missouri St. at S. Illinois, 8 p.m.
N. Iowa at Wichita St., 8 p.m.
Drake at Illinois St., 8:05 p.m.
Michigan at Nebraska, 8:30 p.m.

SOUTHWEST
Kansas at Baylor, 7 p.m.
Rice at Houston, 8 p.m.
Northwestern St. at Lamar, 8 p.m.
TCU at SMU, 8 p.m.
Texas-Arlington at Sam Houston St., 8 p.m.
Nicholls St. at Stephen F. Austin, 8 p.m.
Cent. Arkansas at Texas St., 8 p.m.
CS Bakersfield at Texas-Pan American, 8 p.m.
SE Louisiana at UTSA, 8 p.m.
Tulsa at UTEP, 9 p.m.

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