It doesn't get much better than back-to-back non-conference matchups in Madison Square Garden.
In the 7PM game, Maryland tackles BEast favorite Pitt. Maryland found themselves a lead guard in Pe'Shon Howard in their opener against Charleston. Howard got a lot of attention for hitting the game winning basket, however he really won them the game far before that, with his defensive effort in the the final five minutes on Andrew Goudelock who was running rampant on the Terps for 35 minutes.
Howard will have his hands full tonight with veteran Brad Wannamaker and the Pitt Panthers. Pitt is big and tough, and Ashton Gibbs is a legitimate BEast P.O.Y. candidate. Maryland has some athletes, but lacks the shooting, size and ballhandling to hang with the Panthers. Give me Pitt is a double-digit win.
The nightcap is an intriguing one, featuring two teams who late season sputters torpedoed promising season in 2009-2010. Texas was ranked #1 in the country as the calendar turned to 2010. Halfway through Big Ten play, Demitri McCamey looked like a challenger to Evan Turner for Big Ten POY candidate, and the Illini were in a five-way tie for first place.
By the end of the season Texas bowed out in the first round of the tourney as a #9 seed, and the Illini headed for the NIT.
Both have much higher expectations for rebounding this season. Texas lost some size and scoring, but might actually be better for it. Rick Barnes squad struggled with shot selection all season long, perhaps with too many self-proclaimed All-Stars taking wild shots. They also had tremendous issues at the point, both with injuries and erratic play. Illinois returns McCamey and enters the season ranked in the Top 25. Both teams fancy themselves as deep participants in March. Tonight will be an interesting barometer of how far along they really are.
I like Texas's athleticism and defensive pressure to stiffle an already suspect Illini offense. If Texas can avoid their oft brutal foul shooting, I like the Horns in a good early season matchup.
Maniac's Picks: Pitt -7.5, Texas +3.5
2010-2011 Record: 4-4
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