A Two Pack For Monday

A look at the two most notable games on Monday's schedule...

Marquette at Notre Dame
When Big East play started, not too many people thought that when this game rolled around, it would pit the 10th-place Irish against the first-place Golden Eagles. But after three straight conference losses by ND - including Saturday's home win streak-snapper against UConn - and six straight conference wins by Marquette, that's the match-up we get tonight in South Bend. ND is down to a season-low 7 seed in our latest bracket, and Marquette checks in at a season-high 3 seed. Momentum certainly favors Marquette, but a closer look at their schedule shows just how untested they still are in conference play. Their best Big East wins have been at home (West Virginia and Villanova) and they have yet to play a tough road game. Saturday night not withstanding, the Joyce Center has been more than a tough place to play - it's been virtually impossible. This game has all the makings of an "upset" - ND needs a win badly, Marquette is facing its biggest test of the season, and Luke Harangody should have a field day against the undersized Golden Eagles front line. Marquette has the shooters to keep this close for a while, but we'll take ND to bounce back and creep closer to where they were in our Field of 65.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
The Cowboys might as well get their mail delivered to our Last Four Out list; they've found themselves there three weeks running. Oklahoma State has plenty of chances to crack the bracket of late, and would have been in the field for sure this week had they not lost at home to Missouri. They recovered nicely with a win at Nebraska on Saturday to stay Last Four, and now they get ready for a two-game week that could - with two wins - vault them up to a single-digit seed. First up is a showdown with the Sooners, who continues to plow through the Big XII and remain the only non-Big East or ACC team that looks like a serious contender for a No. 1 seed come Selection Sunday. Oklahoma destroyed Nebraska and Baylor at home last week to move to 5-0 in conference, and if they don't lose here, they'll likely stay unbeaten in the Big XII until at least Feb. 11 (at Baylor) or maybe as long as Feb. 21 (at Texas). If the Cowboys pull the upset tonight, their seed for next week will be determined by how they fare on the road this weekend against fellow Big XII bubble boy Texas A&M.

Also receiving votes: Iona at Siena