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Every weekday, a panel of our college hoops experts discusses the biggest issues, trends and themes in and around college basketball.
1. What did San Diego State's loss to Washington reveal about the Aztecs? They host Long Beach State on Wednesday.
Andy Katz: We knew this about the Aztecs prior to the loss: This team will struggle to score. Not having Aqeel Quinn doesn't help. San Diego State must figure out a way to score in the half court. The defense is not an issue.
C.L. Brown: I'm not going to read too much into that loss, but I do believe that, like last season, the Aztecs will have problems scoring when they play teams that make them play a half-court game. They don't have a player who, if need be, they can simply give the ball, clear out of his way and watch him get buckets.
Eamonn Brennan: For as good as Xavier Thames was last season -- and he was the best do-it-all point guard in the country not named Shabazz Napier -- it's worth remembering that they needed Thames to be that good just to clear the offensive mediocrity bar. The Aztecs' real strength was their defense. That's the case again this season, but with no obvious lead scoring replacement, SDSU's offense looks pretty much like it would have been last season had Thames not been around. It's not 36-points-per game bad, but it's not good, either.
2. What will we learn about Kansas in its game at Georgetown?
Katz: This is a huge week for the Jayhawks. They're at Georgetown tonight, then play Utah in Kansas City. They must prove they can be physical inside and on drives. Georgetown has strong men in Joshua Smith, Jabril Trawick and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera.
Brown: How they handle road adversity. It's the Jayhawks' first true road game. If they play the way they did in the first half against Florida on Friday, their fans won't be there to will them back to a win in D.C.
Brennan: It'll be a good test for that frontcourt, particularly Cliff Alexander. It's safe to say Alexander has never played against a player like Smith -- not just a tall and athletic center (Kentucky has, like, 14) but one Alexander won't be able to shove off the block or away from the boards. The Hoyas are physical across the front line, the Jayhawks don't shoot the ball well, and so it stands to reason that Kansas will have to get big-time stuff out of its freshman center and Perry Ellis to leave Verizon Center with a win.
3. Will Larry Krystkowiak regret his jab at BYU? Who are you picking in that rivalry game?
Katz: Not at all. Utah is back. The rivalry is alive again. I saw some of the best games between these two teams in the 1990s. I'll go with BYU at home in a raucous affair with Tyler Haws going off for 20-plus.
Brown: Krystkowiak will have no regrets whatsoever, and why should he? If anything, his team will play harder knowing he's taking some flak for it. That being said, Utah has dropped its past seven games at BYU and hasn't won in Provo since 2005. I'll take the Cougars to make it eight.
Brennan: One assumes BYU fans are less than pleased with the rival coach down the road in Salt Lake, but come on, guys: It was just a joke! Anyway, if "yes" means a BYU win, then I'll say yes. The Utes are the better team, but they're still young and haven't had to play in this type of road environment, with these kinds of stakes in the past season and a half. The road trip might be just enough of a boost for the Cougars to get over the top.
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