By ESPN.com | ESPN.com
Every weekday, a panel of our college hoops experts discusses the biggest issues, trends and themes in and around college basketball.
1. St. John's can crash Mike Krzyzewski's 1,000-win party on Sunday. How can the Red Storm pull the upset?
Andy Katz: The Red Storm will need to win the effort plays. They will have to rebound with the Blue Devils. And they must make perimeter shots. The crowd could actually be more pro-Duke than St. John's.
Eamonn Brennan: Defensively, if Chris Obekpa can hang with Jahlil Okafor without requiring a double-team, St. John's might be able to slow Duke's scoring down. That's a long shot. A better bet is the Red Storm running the other way, utilizing D'Angelo Harrison's ability to break defenders down off the dribble and either score or kick from the middle of the lane.
C.L. Brown: The way to beat Duke is through offensive rebounding or having guards who can both make 3s and penetrate the lane. The Red Storm aren't particularly good at rebounding (ranked 107th nationally), so the guard trio of Harrison, Rysheed Jordan and Phil Greene IV will have to have big games.
2. In a year where scoring seems stuck, Indiana is lighting up the scoreboard. Is the Hoosiers' style of play sustainable?
Katz: Yes. There are few teams in the country that shoot as well as Indiana. If the Hoosiers can make 3s the way they did Thursday night in the win over Maryland, then they are a second-weekend NCAA tournament team. Indiana can disguise any rebounding deficiencies with its perimeter shooting.
Brennan: Will there be nights when Indiana just isn't making shots and its lack of size on the defensive end will be too much to overcome? Sure. But the Hoosiers are good enough on the offensive end, with enough shooters, that collective cold streaks seem unlikely. A nightmare for most of a shaky Big Ten? Absolutely.
Brown: Sure it is. The Hoosiers have too many shooters. Think about this, Yogi Ferrell was 1-for-8 against Ohio State, James Blackmon Jr. was 2-for-9 at Nebraska, Robert Johnson went 2-for-7 against Illinois -- and they still won all three games.
3. Every team in the Big East has at least two losses. Which one team is most likely to emerge from the pack?
Katz: Villanova or Georgetown. I love both of their toughness. Both teams plays with grit, edge and a purpose.
Brennan: I still think Villanova is the best and most balanced team in the league. So, short answer, Villanova. But Georgetown was massively impressive in beating Nova at the Verizon Center on Monday, less on the offensive end than in how aggressive and physical it was on D. And when you toss emerging freshman NBA prospect Isaac Copeland into a mix that already includes Joshua Smith and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, you're going to put some points on the board eventually.
Brown: That's a tough one to predict because there isn't much separation. I'd still probably peg Villanova as the team to beat, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Georgetown or Providence emerge when the smoke clears. I'm not sure there's a better duo in the league than the Friars' LaDontae Henton and Kris Dunn.
Earlier Words: 1/22 » 1/21 » 1/20 » 1/19 » 1/16 » 1/15 » 1/14 » 1/13 » 1/12 » 1/9 »
