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Roy Hibbert and Georgetown's quest for Big East supremacy will be challenged in Louisville.

Must-See Game

By Reggie Rankin
Scouts Inc.

No. 6 Georgetown at Louisville, Saturday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Outlook: The Hoyas keep marching toward the Big East title they are the favorite to win. At 9-1 in conference play, the Georgetown defense has been the difference. G'town leads the Big East in scoring defense, giving up 58.4 points per game. After knocking off a stubborn South Florida team on Tuesday, Roy Hibbert and Co. are in for a tough task. The Cardinals are playing well now that they're at full strength with the return of two major contributors in center David Padgett and forward Juan Palacios. The Cards went into the Bradley Center on Big Monday and routed Marquette in a game they led wire-to-wire.

Key Matchup: Padgett vs. Hibbert. The key in this game will be the centers of attention. Padgett is the Cards' leader and must be involved in the offense. The Ville loves to shoot the 3, but post touches will be a determining factor. If Padgett can make a few jump hooks and keep Big Roy busy on the defensive end, it will give the Cards some scoring balance, and his production will go a long way toward a victory. The same holds true for the Hoyas. The cutting and movement of the Princeton offense is great when the perimeter makes it a habit to check the post. Hibbert is a great post passer, but he will need to get double-figure shot attempts for Georgetown to be successful.

Key Stats: Scoring defense. Georgetown and Louisville are first and second in the conference in that category, respectively. Georgetown holds opponents to 58.4 points per game, and Louisville limits teams to 59.7 points per game. Both squads do a great job of pressuring the ball in their man defense and mixing in zone as a changeup. The Hoyas press in the full court in man, and Louisville full court presses in man and zone. The team that can keep turnovers to a minimum and finish more consistently on the offense end will be the victor.

Breakout Player: Keep an eye on Cardinals guard Edgar Sosa. He scored 14 of his game-high 18 points in the first half against Marquette. He had great shot selection and went 3-for-4 from 3 with just one turnover in 25 minutes. If he can get back to the level he was playing at as a freshman, then the Cards have another scorer and primary ball handler to go with Jerry Smith, Terrence Williams and the super athletic Earl Clark.

Who Wins: Georgetown's defense is an opponent's nightmare. The Hoyas have good guard play with Jessie Sapp and Jonathan Wallace to team with the All-American Hibbert. Louisville stayed the course after battling injuries and off-court issues, and is playing with great confidence (winning eight of its past 10 games). The chemistry seems to be at a season high with the key players back in the fold. Georgetown will bring the heat on defense and try to cut the Cards up with its half-court offense, but I think Louisville will shoot well from behind the arc and establish an inside game to win a nail-biter at Freedom Hall.

Big Game In The Big Ten

By Doug Gottlieb
ESPN

Purdue at No. 8 Wisconsin, Saturday, 9 p.m. ET
Outlook: Wisconsin has ascended to a top-10 ranking on the heels of winning 13 of its past 14 -- and the Badgers' only loss in that span was at Purdue. The Boilers have won a remarkable eight in a row, and their only loss was a respect-earning three-point defeat at Michigan State, which is nearly unbeatable at home. Purdue, an exceptionally young team with high hopes to improve to the level of an NCAA Tournament team, has suddenly put itself in prime position for an unlikely run to a Big Ten title. Wisconsin, which has quickly replaced Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor, is suddenly in position for a possible 2 seed and is virtually unbeatable at home in Big Ten play under Bo Ryan (51-2). Purdue beat Wisconsin 60-56 in early January in a hard-fought, slug-it-out brawl in West Lafayette. Wisconsin leads the nation in points allowed and is second in field-goal percentage defense, so points will be very hard to come by for Purdue.

Key matchup: E'Twuan Moore versus Trevon Hughes. Moore, just a freshman, is a spectacular talent with the basketball in his hands. He had a reputation before college as more of a scorer than a shooter, but he has really proved that assessment incorrect by shooting 42 percent from 3-point range. Moore is called on at times to create his own shot with his pull-up jumper. Moore also must defend Hughes, who is an outstanding athlete in both transition and the half court. Hughes, long thought to be the next star at Wisconsin, has not disappointed. He can score in the midrange and the post, all while being at least competent from 3. He is like all the Badgers: an excellent defender without fouling. Moore must take care of the ball, all while looking for shots and shooting a high percentage.

X factor: Wisconsin's Brian Butch was the one Badger who played really well on offense for Wisconsin during the first game vs. Purdue. His 20 points and 13 boards came from a variety of spots on the floor. While Butch has not been the 3-point marksman he was expected to be at this point last season, he is still well-respected in the league and you must guard him to 20 feet.

Who wins: Wisconsin is virtually unbeatable at home. The Badgers will get a boost from Marcus Landry crashing the offensive glass and Hughes being far more aggressive in looking for shots in transition and out of the offense. If Purdue can keep Wisconsin off the foul line, the Boilers have a chance (Michigan only let the Badgers get to the line nine times and lost by three at Kohl), but Wisconsin will be ultra-aggressive. Wisconsin by eight.

Key Player

By Dana O'Neil
ESPN.com

Derrick Low, Washington State
The Hawaiian guard who once bungee jumped off a New Zealand cliff better hope the freefall soon stops for his team.

Once ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation, the Cougars are fizzling in February. They've lost four of their past five, including three in a row in Pullman, and are a pedestrian 5-5 in the Pac-10 as they head into Saturday's game against an improving USC team (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET).

The strength and depth of the league, plus a win at Gonzaga, bolsters Wazzu's résumé for the NCAA Tournament. But with March closing in fast, the Cougars can ill afford to have too many more teams leapfrog over them in the conference standings.

Low has been all over the map as opponents hone in on him as the guy to stop. He scored five points in a loss to Arizona but came back with 18 against Arizona State. Another five-point night against Cal was followed up by a 19-point outburst against Stanford. As UCLA completed the season sweep on Thursday night, Low could muster just seven points. And more telling, he took only eight shots. In the Cougars' last four losses, he's shooting just 13-of-41 (31 percent) from the floor.

This has never been a team of superstars but more a team that beats opponents with back-breaking defense. But if there is a face to Wazzu, it belongs to Low. It's up to him to make sure that the bungee cord swings back up.