Lots On The Line This Weekend

Things should be hopping in D.C. and Durham on Saturday. And Arizona and Oregon will engage in one of the most-watched games in history between teams with sub-.500 conference records. How is that for hyping a game?

It’s gut-check time, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.

The final regular-season (as in “non-conference tournament or NCAA Tournament”) weekend of college basketball is going to have some keys of rather significant importance in terms of conference championships, NCAA tourney seeding and at-large bids – in no particular order.

Here are five of them:

SATURDAY

Louisville at Georgetown

Frank Says: The Big East title is a stake, as well as the top seed into the conference tournament that goes along with it. I have both of these teams as 3s in my latest project NCAA pairings. A win here, along with a tourney title in New York City next week, could make one of these clubs a very strong 2.

North Carolina at Duke

Frank Says: Although the Blue Devils knocked off the Tar Heels the first time around in Chapel Hill, some of almost dismissed that result in hand because of the absence of UNC point guard Tywon Lawson. That sit too well with Mike Krzyzewski’s crew, can it? If the Tar Heels do a better job of pressuring Duke’s jump shooters, and of stopping dribble penetration, and if Tyler Hansbrough dominates down low like very few others in college basketball are capable, there will be a lot of smiles on the bus back to Chapel Hill. ACC hoops at their best!

Arizona at Oregon

Frank Says: Has there every been a Pacific-10 game in history pitting teams with 8-9 records that has so much on the line as does this one? The Wildcats have the monster strength of schedule and will get some consideration from the folks who pick and seed the tourney because of the games they’ve played without guards Nic Wise (who returned Thursday night at Oregon State) and Jerryd Bayless (for a four-game stretch in January). But 8-10 would still be a dicey sell for Arizona, but an even more tenuous for a Ducks’ club that doesn’t have nearly the non-conference glitter on its schedule possessed by the Wildcats.

SUNDAY

Florida at Kentucky

Frank Says: Not a lot to say about this game for the two-time national champion – it’s win or else be prepared to win the SEC tournament. Even minus Patrick Paterson, a 12-win SEC resume would be hard for the folks who will gather in Indianapolis next week to disregard.

Maryland at Virginia

Frank Says: The Terps have to win this one or prepare to cut down nets at the ACC tourney if they intend to be in the Field of 65 on March 16.

The latest projected tournament pairings  . . .

SOUTH REGIONAL (Houston)

UPPER BRACKET

(at Little Rock, March 21-23)

1 Memphis (Conference USA winner/No. 1 overall seed)

vs.

16 UNC/Asheville or Austin Peay (opening-round winner)

8 Oklahoma (Big 12 at-large)

vs.

9 South Alabama (Sunbelt winner)

(at Tampa, March 21-23)

5 Connecticut (Big East at-large)

vs.

12 Maryland (ACC at-large)

4 Vanderbilt (SEC at-large)

vs.

13 Boise State (Big Sky winner)

LOWER BRACKET

(at Birmingham, March 21-23)

3 Louisville (Big East at-large)

vs.

14 Portland State (Big Sky winner)

6 Drake (Missouri Valley winner)

vs.

11 Virginia Tech (ACC at-large)

(at Denver, March 20-22)

7 USC (Pac-10 at-large)

vs.

10 Massachusetts (A-10 at-large)

2 Wisconsin (Big Ten winner)

vs.

15 Robert. Morris (Northeast winner)

WEST REGIONAL (Anaheim)

UPPER BRACKET

1 UCLA (Pac-10 winner/No. 4 overall seed)

vs.

16 Morgan State (MEAC winner)

8 Saint Mary’s (WCC at-large)

vs.

9 Kansas State (Big 12 at-large)

(at Washington, DC, March 20-22)

5 Marquette (Big East at-large)

vs.

12 UAB (Conference USA at-large)

4 Xavier (A-10 winner)

vs.

13 New Mexico State (WAC winner)

LOWER BRACKET

(at Washington, DC, March 20-22)

3 Notre Dame (Big East at-large)

vs.

14 American (Patriot winner)

6 Michigan State (Big Ten wild-card)

vs.

11 Kentucky (SEC wild-card)

(at Omaha, March 20-22)

7 BYU (MWC winner)

vs.

10 Arkansas (SEC wild-card)

2 Texas (Big 12 at-large)

vs.

15 Lamar (Southland winner)

EAST REGIONAL (Charlotte)

UPPER BRACKET

(at Raleigh, March 21-23)

1 North Carolina (ACC winner/No. 2 overall seed)

vs.

16 UMBC (American East winner)

8 Davidson (Southern winner)

vs.

9 Texas A&M (Big 12 at-large)

(at Denver, March 20-22)

5 Washington State (Pac-10 at-large)

vs.

12 West Virginia (Big East at-large)

4 Purdue (Big Ten at-large)

vs.

13 Oral Roberts (Summit winner)

LOWER BRACKET

(at Little Rock, March 21-23)

3 Georgetown (Big East winner)

vs.

14 Rider (Metro Atlantic winner)

6 Mississippi State (SEC at large)

vs.

11 VCU (Colonial winner)

(at Omaha, March 20-22)

7 Clemson (ACC at-large)

vs.

10 Arizona State (Pac-10 at-large)

2 Kansas (Big 12 winner)

vs.

15 Cornell (Ivy winner)

MIDWEST REGIONAL (Detroit)

UPPER BRACKET

(at Birmingham, March 21-23)

1 Tennessee (SEC winner/No. 3 overall seed)

vs.

16 Alabama State (Southwestern winner)

8 Miami (ACC at-large)

vs.

9 Arizona (Pac-10 at-large)

(at Tampa, March 21-23)

5 Butler (Horizon winner)

vs.

12 Kent State (Mid-American winner)

4 Indiana (Big Ten at-large)

vs.

13 Western Kentucky (Sunbelt at-large)

LOWER BRACKET

(at Anaheim, March 20-22)

3 Stanford (Pac-10 at-large)

vs.

14 UC Santa Barbara (Big West winner)

6 Gonzaga (WCC winner)

vs.

11 Baylor (Big 12 at-large)

(at Raleigh, March 21-23)

7 Pittsburgh (Big East at-large)

vs.

10 UNLV (MWC at-large)

2 Duke (ACC at-large)

vs.

15 Belmont (Atlantic Sun winner)

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Inducted into the USBWA Hall of Fame in April, 2005, Frank Burlison is Scout.com’s national basketball expert and is also a columnist for the Long Beach (Calif.) Press-Telegram. He can be reached at . Read more of Burlison’s pieces at www.frankhoops.com