Wednesday
Cincinnati at Louisville (7 ET, ESPN): Conference USA always goes through Cincinnati, but Louisville wants to take that crown. Here is their first shot.

North Carolina at Duke (9 ET, ESPN): The Tar Heels are wounded but so too is Duke. If this game were in Chapel Hill then the Tar Heels would be a legit pick for a possible surprise. But the game is in Cameron, so don't expect an upset.

St. John's at Boston College: The loser is probably out of the Big East East Division race. The winner is still on the heels of Connecticut and Villanova.

Ole Miss at Auburn: We'll find out who really is a contender and who is a pretender in the SEC West.

Wisconsin at Purdue: This is actually a Big Ten title-type game in the first week of February. That's how much both programs have exceeded expectations.

Nebraska at Texas Tech: This should be No. 800 for Bob Knight after missing the milestone Saturday with the Raiders' loss at Texas A&M.

Gonzaga at Pepperdine (Midnight ET, ESPN): The Zags can really create distance with a road win over the Waves. The WCC is Gonzaga's to lose, but Zags have lost three of past four in Malibu.

UCLA at USC: The Bruins are catching the Trojans at the wrong time, right after a crushing victory over Oregon.

Thursday
N.C. State at Wake Forest (7 ET, ESPN2): OK, we'll find out if the Wolfpack have really turned the corner on their season or if they're back to their inability to win a road game against an ACC contender.

Virginia at Maryland (9 ET, ESPN2): This is technically the real rivalry game for Maryland. The Cavs desperately need a road win.

Detroit at Wisconsin-Milwaukee: The winner should stay in the race to challenge Butler for the Horizon League title.

Stanford at Oregon: The Cardinal can create some real separation from the Ducks, who need to protect their home court to stay in the hunt for second place.

Saturday
Boston College at Rutgers: This is the type of game the Eagles have to win if they're really going to contend in the Big East East Division.

Connecticut at Providence: Regardless of what happens earlier in the week with Connecticut at Virginia Tech, the Huskies need to steal this win to stay with Villanova atop the division.

Alabama at Florida: This was supposed to be a showdown of the top teams from each division. The Tide is just hoping they can be competitive on the road.

Kentucky at Ole Miss: The Rebels have given Kentucky trouble in Oxford. But Kentucky hasn't stumbled (yet) on the SEC road.

Purdue at Minnesota: The Gophers are still a player in the league. Knocking off Purdue keeps Minnesota within reach of the title.

Illinois-Chicago at Butler: This is the Flames' chance to unseat the Bulldogs in the Horizon League.

Northern Illinois at Kent State: The Huskies have been one of the hottest teams in the MAC and enter the week tied atop the West Division. Kent State can't stumble with a one-game lead over Miami, Ohio in the East.

Dayton at Xavier: This is one of the best conference matchups few get a chance to see outside of Ohio. The Flyers are talented enough to get a win in X country.

Michigan State at Indiana (7 ET, ESPN): The table are turned in Bloomington, where this becomes a must-win for the Hoosiers after the Spartans faced the same situation last week in East Lansing against IU.

Texas at Texas A&M (ESPN2): Suddenly, the Aggies are no longer a given win for an elite Big 12 team visiting College Station.

Fresno State at Boise State: The Broncos have already knocked off Hawaii and Tulsa at home.

BYU at Wyoming: This is the first true test for the first-place Cowboys, who can keep a main challenger a few games back.

Cal at Oregon: The Bears could be reeling if they don't beat Oregon State two days earlier.

Sunday
Ohio State at Illinois: The lllini can't take the Buckeyes lightly and must win this game to stay in the Big Ten race.

Texas Tech at Missouri (1:30 ET, ABC): The Tigers better be ready for a physical game, or else the Red Raiders could come into Columbia and steal a win.

Wake Forest at Marquette (1:30 ET, ABC): This is one of the best February non-conference games. Both teams have a legit shot to get to the second weekend of the tournament.

Oklahoma State at Cincinnati (3:30 ET, ABC): This game is probably bigger for Cincinnati. The Bearcats need another marquee win to help with the seeding process.

Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (3:30 ET, ABC): The Panthers dominated the Irish in the paint in the first meeting, pushing them around and outhustling ND last month.