NCAA Weekly Dish - 01/14/06

With conference well under way, Matt Fargo takes a look at three big games on tap that you cannot miss this Saturday. UCLA Bruins at Washington Huskies 4:00 PM ET A 4-1 Pac Ten team takes on a 2-2 squad but those roles are reversed of what most people would have thought. The Bruins are off to a flying start in the conference despite injury problems since practice started. This team has as many as four key players on the injured list but isn't letting that get in the way. After an 11-0 start, Washington has dropped two of its last four and it could be more as it finally takes to the road. Washington played 12 of its first 14 games at home while those other two games were on a neutral floor. Home losses to Arizona in overtime and to rival Washington St. have dealt a small blow to the Huskies although the conference season is just getting underway. They are coming off a big road win at USC, their first true road game of the season so this will be the first experience of a back-to-back road set. UCLA has won three straight after suffering a surprising home loss to California at the end of last month. The only other loss on the season was to Memphis in the semis of the preseason NIT. UCLA is in sole possession of the conference lead and a win here could give them a possible two-game lead. The Bruins have played the 55th ranked schedule in the nation so they have been tested against some of the best already. Both offenses are shooting over 49 percent on the season even though Washington is averaging more than 20 additional points per game. That is due to an up-tempo offense, where the defense allows more points, and also a schedule that is ranked 305th in the country. The home team has won the last four meetings while the Bruins have won seven of the last nine meetings and are poised to continue that run. Xavier Musketeers at Charlotte 49ers 7:00 PM ET First place is on the line in the Atlantic Ten as two of the four remaining undefeated teams in conference action take the floor in Charlotte. Both teams come in red-hot, carrying five-game winning streaks and offenses that have been on fire. Xavier is averaging 78.8 ppg while Charlotte is averaging 80.4 ppg during those streaks so the defense that steps up likely gets the W. The Musketeers have lost only twice all season long and those two defeats came by a combined five points to Creighton and Illinois. Four of their last five wins have been by 17 or more points while nine of the 10 wins on the year have been by double digits. Xavier is third in the country in shooting margin at +12.2 percent, trailing only Florida and Texas for the top spot. Charlotte got off to a rocky start this year with a 1-3 record but things are turning around for the 49ers. In addition to their five straight wins, they have taken nine of their last 11 games including five straight on the road. The home floor has been the issue however as Charlotte is just 4-3 at Halton Arena. That includes losses to Mississippi St. and Valparaiso but things have turned around with two straight home wins. This is the 49ers first season in the Atlantic Ten and things have gotten off to a great start but the Musketeers have a chip on their shoulder. Xavier leads the conference in seven major categories but playing a schedule ranked 197th in the nation has definitely helped those numbers. The 10-2 start is Xavier's best since beginning the 2000-01 season with an 11-2 mark. Syracuse Orangemen at Cincinnati Bearcats 8:00 PM ET Two big time programs meet for the first time ever as Syracuse heads to Cincinnati for its second straight road game. The Orange can keep pace with West Virginia and Pittsburgh for the Big East lead while the Bearcats could use the win to avoid falling from 4th all the way down to possibly 12th in the conference. Six Big East teams are ranked in the latest AP poll, yet Syracuse, one of only three unbeaten conference teams, isn't one of them. Syracuse traveled outside of New York for just the second time this season and came away with a win over Notre Dame on Wednesday. It was the Orange's 11th straight victory and a win over the Bearcats will no doubt vault them back into the rankings. The offense has been hit or miss during the streak as they have scored 80 or more points six times but have also scored fewer than 70 points three times. The Bearcats had a 10-game win streak snapped against the Huskies as the offense failed to reach 70 points for the first time in 11 games. Cincinnati is 8-2 at home on the season but has won five straight games at Fifth Third Arena since losing to third-ranked Memphis. Guard Armein Kirkland is out for the season for the Bearcats as he suffered a torn ACL against Connecticut in their last game. Both offenses are high potent attacks, averaging a combined 157.2 ppg on the season. For Syracuse, it isn't overly impressive seeing that it has played a schedule ranked 242nd in the country. The Bearcats have faced a slate ranked 20th in the nation for their 80.6 ppg looks better between the two. Both defenses allow less than 40 percent shooting from the floor while Cincinnati has a +12.4 percent edge at the free throw line.