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Pregame Shootaround 2.3.13: Marquette-Louisville sets table for Super Bowl

Buzz Williams

Game of the Day: No. 12 Louisville vs. No. 25 Marquette (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Marquette coach Buzz Williams has his team where few expected it to be after losing key starters Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder after last season. The Golden Eagles are competing and contending in the Big East, off to a 6-1 start in league play thanks to increased production from Vander Blue and Davante Gardner.

Louisville comes into Sunday’s game on a much different note. The Cardinals were once the No. 1 team in the land, but have since dropped three of four games and find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Big East. The key Sunday will be increased offensive production. Against a tough Marquette defense, if Louisville can’t score points like it was earlier in the season, coach Rick Pitino’s team could be headed to a 5-4 mark in league play.

Who’s Getting Upset?: No. 23 Minnesota (-9.5) vs. Iowa (1:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)

The Gophers snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Nebraska earlier this week, but now they face an Iowa team that could give them problems. I have faith in this Iowa team, one that hung with Indiana and Michigan State before losing down the stretch, and gave Michigan a run for its money in the first half before the Wolverines shifted into another gear entirely.

The Hawkeyes match up well on the boards and can keep with Minnesota when it comes to scoring points. It will be a plus if Iowa can contain Trevor Mbakwe. In a Minnesota loss to Northwestern, Mbakwe was efficient, but the Gophers’ only scoring option.

Mid-Major Matchup of the Day: Lehigh vs. Army (1:00 p.m. ET)

When star guard C.J. McCollum went down with an injury, the road to a Patriot League title got a lot tougher for Lehigh. But even without him, the Mountain Hawks are 5-1 in conference play and can pull into a tie for first with Bucknell if they can get a win Sunday against Army. Lehigh already has a big road win over Bucknell, which gives them the advantage in the standings, but expect all roads to lead to Feb. 18, when the two teams meet again.

Five Things to Watch For

1) When Illinois was tearing through its non-conference schedule, the Illini looked like another legitimate contender in the loaded Big Ten. Coach John Groce’s team has now lost five of its last six games, which includes double-digit losses to Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Illinois gets another shot at Bo Ryan’s Badgers on Sunday.

2) Villanova has been one of the most pleasant surprises in conference play so far, having beaten back-to-back Top 5 teams. The Wildcats take on a Providence team Sunday that ran Connecticut down to the wire before ultimately losing in overtime earlier this week.

3) It seems that Stanford might have flipped a switch and now become a solid contender in the middle of the Pac-12 race. Dominating wins over Utah and a short-handed Oregon team have the Cardinal closer to reaching its potential, considering the talent they feature on the roster. The more agressive Dwight Powell and Josh Huestis are, the better off Stanford will be.

4) Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell led Virginia to a solid home conference win over NC State earlier this week and will try to carry that momentum against Georgia Tech on Sunday.

5) Connecticut had to grind to beat Providence in overtime, but you still continue to get the sense that coach Kevin Ollie has this program moving in the right direction. They have a chance to improve to 5-3 in the conference with a win over South Florida on Sunday.

The Top 25

No. 12 Louisville vs. No. 25 Marquette (1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)

No. 23 Minnesota vs. Iowa (2:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)

Other Notable Games

Providence vs. Villanova (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)

South Florida vs. Connecticut (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)

Oregon State vs. Stanford (3:00 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Networks)

Virginia vs. Georgia Tech (3:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

Wisconsin vs. Illinois (3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_