The last day with multiple nonconference games of the 2012-13 season takes place Saturday as six BIG EAST teams are in action.
The marquee matchup on CBS Sports at 4 p.m. ET has No. 4/3 Louisville taking on Kentucky at the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals look to snap a four-game series slide to the Wildcats. The schools met twice last season, including a 69-61 Kentucky victory in the Final Four.
The other nationally televised game features Connecticut against Washington at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in a battle of Huskies. Connecticut takes a three-game winning streak into the matchup, while Washington has won four straight.
DePaul has a seven-game winning streak and would enjoy its longest winning streak since the 1993-94 season if the Blue Demons get past Loyola-Chicago at 2 p.m. ET at Allstate Arena.
Marquette hosts North Carolina Central at 2 ET. The Golden Eagles are 26-0 all-time against teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
A pair of 7 p.m. tilts have USF hosting George Mason and Syracuse entertaining Alcorn State. The Orange look to bounce back from their first loss of the season.
News and Notes
· BIG EAST teams went 3-1 Friday, with Rutgers, Seton Hall and Villanova winning at home and Providence falling on the road against Brown.
· The BIG EAST has six one-loss teams - the most of any conference.
· All 15 BIG EAST teams are at least four games above .500 this season.
· BIG EAST teams are a combined 145-33 against nonconference opponents (.815). League teams are 106-8 at home this season (.930).
· Saturday is the final day with multiple nonconference games in the BIG EAST regular season. Six nonleague games are on the ledger.
· No. 4/3 Louisville plays a rematch of last year’s Final Four semifinal against Kentucky this afternoon at 4 p.m. on CBS Sports.
· The other nationally televised game features Connecticut against Washington at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
· DePaul takes a seven-game winning streak into this afternoon’s matchup against Loyola-Chicago. The Blue Demons are looking for their first eight-game winning streak since the 1993-94 season.
· Marquette hosts North Carolina Central at 2 p.m. ET. The Golden Eagles are 26-0 all-time against opponents from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
· USF hosts George Mason at 7 p.m. at the Sun Dome. Bulls forward Victor Rudd comes in as the USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.
· No. 9/7 Syracuse looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season as the Orange host Alcorn State at 7 p.m. It will be just the second meeting between the schools and the first since a 110-77 Syracuse win Dec. 3, 1982.
This Weekend’s Schedule
Saturday, December 29
Loyola (Ill.) at DePaul - ESPN3....................... 2:00
North Carolina Central at Marquette - BEN... 2:00
Kentucky at Louisville - CBS............................ 4:00
George Mason at USF - BEN.......................... 7:00
Alcorn State at Syracuse - BEN...................... 7:00
Washington at Connecticut - ESPN2.............. 7:30
Sunday, December 30
No games scheduled