Rivalry Week, anyone?
How about Rivalry Week for just about every team in Ohio college basketball?
It starts Tuesday with another Big Ten slugfest as a flawed but gritty Ohio State team hosts Wisconsin. The Buckeyes' win over Michigan earlier this month showed they can beat anybody. History says defeating Wisconsin is always more difficult than it looks. Add that fact that both teams have two conference losses and sit a game off the pace in the loaded Big Ten, and the table is set for a huge game at Value City Arena on Tuesday night.
The big games continue later in the week in Dayton and Akron. Let's take a look at what's at stake across the state this week.
Remember two seasons ago, when then-unbeaten and No. 1 Ohio State lost at Wisconsin? And then returned the favor four weeks later with a 93-65 piece of revenge?
Ohio State did the near impossible and won at Wisconsin last year, then the Badgers spoiled Ohio State's Senior Day. These teams don't really like each other, but they love beating each other. Wisconsin's win at Indiana earlier this month also serves as a reminder than no Bo Ryan-coached team should be overlooked.
Two things that are very, very difficult in the Big Ten are winning on the road and shaking a Ryan team.
"Honestly it seems like all the games that we've played have had major implications for one reason or another, probably dating back to '07 when it was No. 1 versus No. 2 in here," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "They knocked us off when we were undefeated at 24-0 a couple years ago."
Last year's scores were 63-60 and 58-52, and Wisconsin will look to turn Tuesday night's game into another grind-it-out affair. The Badgers come in off a 45-44 win over Minnesota and a 49-47 loss to Michigan State.
"It was our senior night last year, and they beat us on Will (Buford's) last game," Ohio State guard Shannon Scott said. "We kind of want to play this for him because we sent him out with a loss and we didn't appreciate doing that. They're a great team, we know that.
"We want to treat them the same that we treat everybody else. We know we have to play really hard, be ready for their whole game. They have a great coach and great players."
Xavier has lost two straight, both on the road, to fall to 4-2 in Atlantic 10 conference play. Dayton has won two straight after starting 0-3 against a brutal stretch that saw the Flyers start conference play with VCU, Butler and LaSalle.
Butler leads the league at 4-1, and 12 teams -- yes, 12! -- are within two games of the league. Neither Dayton nor Xavier is going to the NCAA Tournament without a very strong finish through this rugged schedule, so Wednesday's game is big for reasons that reach well beyond the natural rivalry.
"At the end of the day it's only a big game because of the quality of the two teams," Dayton coach Archie Miller said. "Some freshmen are oblivious to the rivalry aspect of it. I hope our guys are ready. I think it's going to be a great game.
It's a matchup of two great point guards in Dayton senior Kevin Dillard and Xavier freshman Semaj Christon. A sold-out crowd in the Cintas Center will give Xavier an advantage, but Dayton's veterans will remember losing in overtime there last season -- and certainly know that Dayton hasn't beaten Xavier in Cincinnati since 1980-81.
"The only thing we worry about is what Dayton runs, how they play, being able to match their personnel," Xavier coach Chris Mack said. "They're a tremendous rebounding team. They space the floor and Dillard draws so much attention; he has a gift to find open players.
"It's a challenge. We have to be at our best Wednesday to get the win."
The Mid-American Conference is a two-horse race, and these are the thoroughbreds.
Both are 6-0 in conference heading into Wednesday night warmups, though Akron has a tricky test at Bowling Green. Both are loaded with veterans and returnees from great teams last year, when Akron won the MAC regular-season title and Ohio won the tournament crown and went to the Sweet 16.
Ohio will hand the ball to D.J. Cooper and let him work his magic. Akron wants to win inside with 7-footer Zeke Marshall and rebounding machine Demetrius Treadwell. They meet again in Athens on Feb. 27, and everyone expects a third meeting in Cleveland in March.
Both teams think they're good enough to win in March -- and not just in Cleveland.
Akron has a very, very small chance at an at-large NCAA Tournament bid should it go 15-1 or 16-0 in conference play and fall short in the tournament. A tough December shrunk Ohio's at-large chances from tiny to miniscule. Each team knows the road to the NCAA Tournament goes through the other.
This first meeting should be a doozy.
The Bearcats don't exactly have rivalry games coming vs. Rutgers Wednesday and at Seton Hall Saturday, but with nine days between games following a late loss at Syracuse, Cincinnati has little margin for further error. The Big East has been its usual, unpredictable and rugged self, and with three conference losses the Bearcats are still within screaming range of the top of the league.
The Bearcats have the athletes to win in March, but now is their time to rebound and start anew. Cincinnati needs to find top form as it faces some games it should win and prepares for an early February stretch when it will host Pitt, Villanova and Georgetown in a six-day span.
