So, once again, is this the game where Syracuse (16-7, 6-4 Big East) finally runs out of gas? It could be, especially when a team as hot as Connecticut (16-5, 6-3 Big East) comes to the Carrier Dome.

North Carolina, the number three team in the nation (21-1, 6-1 ACC), went down south and met a tough opponent in Florida State (13-10, 2-6 ACC). When the final buzzer sounded UNC beat them 84-73, even through adversity. And not just any type of adversity mind you, they beat the Seminoles without their point guard Ty Lawson. What is even worse is that they are also going to have to face #2 Duke (19-1, 7-0 ACC) tonight without him.

Maybe this is going to be the year that Syracuse beats all the odds because somehow, someway, this team is figuring out a way to win games that they shouldn't win. Or maybe the so-called analysts that sit behind the desks of those big time sports networks need to look a bit deeper and comment a bit less about the talent and strengths of a conference before making themselves look foolish.

The NFL celebrates its climax today, but for North Carolina that game (at least the first part of it) will be celebrated on Wednesday when the Tar Heels host the Duke Blue Devils in what is the all time best rivalry in college basketball (if not the best in all sports).

As MVN prepares for what is going to be the best coverage possible of March Madness I am going to wet your appetite with this small blog about the NCAA Tournament.

With the National Signing Day two weeks away it is time to check out which are the top teams in the country up to now. Of course, with some of the top recruits still to be signed this list might change, even dramatically, after the Febraury 6th deadline. In the following days we will go over each of the top ten recruiting classes, beginning with #10 Alabama and ending with #1 Notre Dame.

For anyone that watched the rivalry game between Syracuse and Georgetown you would have to say that neither team deserved to lose, and if you had to really make a choice it should have been the Orange taking this game against the nationally ranked Hoyas. However, when it was all said and done SU had lost yet another Big East game, dropping their record to 13 and 7 (3-4 Big East), while G`Town keeps themselves first in the Big East with a 5 and 1 record (15-2 overall).

For the first time this year North Carolina (18, 3-1 ACC) won't be playing as the number one team in the country (#4 or #5 depending on the polls). They face Miami (FL) (14-3, 1-2 ACC) on the road after having lost a game they shouldn't have. Will this make the game more of a problem for the Hurricanes, that will bear the brunt of the comeback kids, or for the Heels, that will have to rebound on the road in the ACC?

The game against Maryland brought a lot of attention to North Carolina and most of it wasn't very good. First was the loss of the top spot in the rankings, something we all (or at least most) knew would happen before the season was over. However, that seems to have taken a back seat to other things.

Watching the Syracuse (13-6, 3-3 Big East) game against Villanova (13-3, 3-2 BE) proved to me once again what the problem is with the Orange. This team seems to think that one on one ball is the key to success. But what they don't understand, and I don't know why no one is making them see it, is that they can't win in the Big East playing street/AAU ball.

North Carolina (18-1, 3-1 ACC) is no longer undefeated and has lost their number one ranking after losing to Maryland (12-7, 2-2 ACC) 82-80 on Saturday. If you go around the web boards there's a lot of blaming going on.

North Carolina (18-0, 3-0 ACC) comes home to play Maryland (11-7,1-2 ACC) in the friendly confines of the Dean Dome and on national television (ABC, 3:30 PM EST). After the Georgia Tech game, where the Heels narrowly escaped with a one point win, and the one against Clemson, a two point win in overtime, the Heels must be happy to be playing at home again. But are the Heels vulnerable on the road or not?

The first time I looked at the full list of players going to the NFL early, one name stood out and I couldn't stop thinking about him as I read the rest of the list. Xavier Lee (Florida State, 6′4″1/4, 234 lbs.) going to the NFL is absolutely crazy,

As the Orange take the court at the Carrier Dome today it'll be another first for this group of young players. Syracuse (13-5, 3-2 Big East) will play a ranked opponent for the first time this season when they face #25 Villanova (12-3, 2-2 Big East).

Syracuse played a good game, bringing their record to 13 and 5 (3-2 in the Big East), as they took care of Rutgers (8-10, 0-5 BE) by the score of 81 to 59. This is the positive side of the story, the negative is that it was Rutgers and it was a home game and if the Orange had lost this game "panic" mode would have hit Central New York faster than Jonny Flynn can run down the court.