Pregame Shootaround 3.2.13: Duke-Miami rematch is Saturday’s centerpiece
Mar 2, 2013, 9:30 AM EDT
AP Game of the Day: No. 3 Duke vs. No. 5 Miami (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Perhaps this game lost a bit of its luster after Duke lost to Virginia Wednesday night, but we still have a battle Saturday between two Top 5 teams with a history between them this season. After the Blue Devils were trounced by 27 points in Coral Gables earlier this season, they will be out for revenge at Cameron Indoor this time around.
It is unclear whether Ryan Kelly will return for Duke. A report from Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com said Kelly was leaning toward returning against Miami. If he does return, will he be back to 100% and ready to make as big of an impact as Duke would like? That’s even more unclear than if he will actually be in the lineup.
There are matchups on both the inside and the perimeter to watch Saturday. Miami point guard Shane Larkin has proven to be one of the more impressive lead guards in the country throughout the season, which will amplify the importance of Duke’s Quinn Cook. In their first meeting, Cook was 1-of-12 from the floor for five points. Larkin had a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The other matchup to watch will be Mason Plumlee vs. Reggie Johnson on the block. Johnson returned from injury for the first Miami-Duke go-around, but played just 16 minutes. He has since gotten back into the groove. Plumlee, on the other hand, continues to produce like an All-American. The Blue Devils will need him to be dominant, though his job is made harder if Kelly cannot play or is not 100%.
Who’s Getting Upset?: USC (-2) vs. Arizona State (3:00 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Net National)
Arizona State lost a heartbreaker to UCLA at home in overtime this week. Though they are the underdogs on the road, they’ll be looking for a win to avoid falling further away from the top of the Pac-12. That will again be the job of Jahii Carson and Carrick Felix for the Sun Devils, both of whom had big games in the loss to UCLA. USC is no team to underestimate, though. Interim coach Bob Cantu has done a good job with the Trojans and a win would pull them to a respectable 9-7 in conference play.
Mid-Major Matchup of the Day: Wichita State vs. Creighton (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Along with Duke-Miami, Wichita State-Creighton is the other game Saturday that features two teams each with 23 or more wins. It only seems to be par for the course when it comes to the Missouri Valley, which has finally created some separation and sees the Shockers and the Bluejays as the two teams who have emerged from the pack. Both teams are 12-5 in the conference, making Saturday’s game (the last of the regular season) that which will decide the regular season conference champion.
Five Things to Watch For
1) With No. 1 Indiana losing earlier in the week, will No. 2 Gonzaga take over the nation’s top spot? They will need to avoid a bad loss to 11-19 Portland, then the No. 1 ranking could be theirs.
2) No. 7 Georgetown has been one of the nation’s most impressive teams in the country over the past five weeks. The Hoyas escaped with a double-overtime win over Connecticut Wednesday and now meet Rutgers Saturday.
3) In a weak SEC this season, Alabama has played well enough to linger near the top of the conference. That being said, it seems crazy that with a win Saturday over No. 8 Florida, the Crimson Tide would have a share of the SEC lead with two games to play in the regular season.
4) Besides Miami-Duke, No. 10 Louisville vs. No. 12 Syracuse is the other eye-catcher Saturday. Look for a battle of the point guards between Louisville’s Peyton Siva and Syracuse’s Michael Carter-Williams.
5) Memphis raised a lot of eyebrows when it left conference play for a non-conference matchup against Xavier and lost. They return to the friendlier confines of the C-USA Saturday against UCF.
The Top 25
No. 1 Indiana vs. Iowa (7:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
No. 2 Gonzaga vs. Portland (5:00 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports)
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 5 Miami (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 6 Kansas vs. West Virginia (2:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 7 Georgetown vs. Rutgers (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
No. 8 Florida vs. Alabama (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 10 Louisville vs. No. 12 Syracuse (12:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 11 Arizona vs. UCLA (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 13 Kansas State vs. Baylor (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
No. 14 New Mexico vs. Wyoming (5:00 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports)
No. 15 Oklahoma State vs. Texas (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 18 Saint Louis vs. George Washington (4:00 p.m. ET)
No. 19 Memphis vs. UCF (1:00 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Net National)
No. 20 Butler vs. Virginia Commonwealth (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
No. 21 Notre Dame vs. No. 22 Marquette (2:00 p.m. ESPN)
No. 25 Louisiana Tech vs. San Jose State (8:00 p.m. ET)
Other Notable Games
Maryland vs. Wake Forest (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Iowa State vs. Oklahoma (1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
George Mason vs. Delaware (2:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network)
Wichita State vs. Creighton (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Connecticut vs. Cincinnati (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Massachusetts vs. Xavier (2:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Arizona State vs. USC (3:00 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Net National)
Penn State vs. Minnesota (3:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Kentucky vs. Arkansas (4:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
LSU vs. Missouri (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
UNLV vs. Nevada (4:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network)
Colorado vs. California (5:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State (5:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Nebraska vs. Illinois (5:15 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Harvard vs. Pennsylvania (6:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network)
St. John’s vs. Providence (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Santa Clara vs. St. Mary’s (10:00 p.m. ET)
BYU vs. Loyola Marymount (11:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_
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