Jesse Beals/Icon SMI

Washington State's Kyle Weaver may be the best defender in the country.

Game of the Weekend

By Jay Bilas

No. 4 Washington State at No. 5 UCLA, 2:30 p.m. ET

Overview: Some will tell you that "tempo" will be a big factor in this game. Forget it. There is no question what the tempo will be. It will be deliberate and possession-oriented. And, it will be a tempo that favors Washington State. It is easier to slow a game down than to speed one up, and Washington State is strong enough mentally and physically to slow this game into a half-court fistfight. Playing Washington State requires the same mindset as playing John Chaney's old Temple teams: This will not be a normal game where you get your normal shots and play at your normal rhythm. This will be more bullfight than ballet, and UCLA is certainly equipped to play that way. Washington State is one of the best defensive teams in the country. The Cougars contain the dribble, rotate to help and then help the helper. They put pressure on the ball, but do not extend out in passing lanes, making every penetrating pass or drive very difficult. They are physical and tough, and you need to be the same to meet the challenge. UCLA plays much faster on the offensive end, yet is just as capable and good on the defensive end.

UCLA runs a ton of good set plays to free up Josh Shipp and Kevin Love inside. Washington State runs a motion-based mover/blocker offense that uses designated screeners and cutters, but the Cougars also incorporate pro sets to let the guards have some additional freedom. It will be tough for either team to run its stuff against the kind of defense each plays. But, if you are expecting Washington State to turn it over, forget it. The Cougars turn the ball over about as often as Digger picks against Notre Dame.

X & O To Watch: Both teams do a nice job of doubling in the post. UCLA is effective at taking the opposite big man and double-teaming the post, forcing the ball to be thrown opposite and disrupting a big guy. Aron Baynes can expect to see a lot of doubles, and he has to make quick moves and be decisive in whether to take it or pitch it to an open teammate.

Keys: UCLA does a great job of guarding the 3-point line and defending the post. The Bruins bump cuts, stand you up and take you out of your offensive schemes. Washington State is the best percentage 3-point shooting team in the Pac-10 and the Bruins will have to be with Wazzu's Derrick Low wherever he goes and make him dribble into a shot. The Bruins are a far better rebounding team and the Cougars will have to battle on the glass with all five guys going to the defensive board and checking out on every possession. A second shot could be the difference in this one.

Star Watch: If you want to watch one player, keep an eye out for Kyle Weaver of Washington State. While this game will be chock-full of good defenders (like UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute), Weaver may be the best individual defender in the country. He is a good athlete with great length and he has uncanny defensive range. He can guard a point guard or a big man in the post and he is disruptive. Most importantly, he takes pride in taking a good player totally out of the game. Weaver gets almost two steals per game and he does it in games with far fewer possessions than most.

Quirky Detail: Watch how effortlessly Love passes the ball. He can throw a pass the length of the floor and make it look like he is throwing it with the same effort it takes to pass it across the lane. His accuracy as a passer is fantastic.

Unsung Contributors: Taylor Rochestie, Robbie Cowgill and Mbah a Moute. Rochestie is a little lefty who is a terrific handler and passer and he keeps his dribble in traffic. He has a low error rate and is a great compliment to Low and Weaver. Cowgill is a really good basketball mind and he does all of the little things that need to be done to win. He is a great communicator on defense and is never out of position. He is as good a help-defender as there is in the Pac-10. Mbah a Moute is one of the toughest nuts in the country to crack. He guards, rebounds, runs and finishes plays. Plus, he does not need the ball to play. His offensive improvement was a bit overstated at the start of the season, but he is just as reliable as he has always been.

Who Wins: This game has been a great one over the last three years and UCLA has found a way to win. I think the Bruins find a way to win this one in Pauley.

Player to Watch

By Dana O'Neil

Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut

There was a time when the big in Big East stood for something.

Ewing, Coleman, Mourning, Seikaly, Bouie. The men who patrolled the paint became the faces of the league. Lately the conference, like the game, has shifted allegiance. Guards are in. Centers are out.

Except on Saturday when Georgetown and Connecticut (ESPN, 2 p.m. ET) go retro with 7-2 Roy Hibbert and 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet.

By now most everyone knows Hibbert. The guy John Thompson Jr. once called the "Big Stiff" has grown into a big man on campus. Literally and figuratively. He helped lead the Hoyas to the Big East tournament title and the Final Four last year, briefly toying with the NBA draft before electing to return for his senior season.

The guy to watch is Thabeet. He is Hibbert two years ago. In other words, he's a work in progress. Mostly just a shot-blocking menace as a rookie last season, he has emerged this season as a more legitimate scoring threat. He's averaging 10.4 points to go with his 8.4 boards and 3.9 blocks per game. Those are vital numbers, and this is a vital game for a UConn team that was left out of the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Huskies are 11-3. Their lone losses are all respectable -- to Memphis, Gonzaga and Notre Dame -- but they lack a signature win.

If Thabeet can contain Hibbert they might get it. In the Hoyas' lone loss at Memphis, Hibbert had just six points.

Thabeet has something to prove against Hibbert. In the only meeting between the schools a year ago, the Hoya walked off with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Thabeet mustered just six points and four boards, and Georgetown won going away, 59-46.