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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. Is it possible for Baylor to slow Iowa State's fast-paced attack? Who should be the Bears' first priority on defense?
Andy Katz: Yes. Baylor will need to shore up its zone and make the Cyclones work for every shot. The Bears also can't allow transition points.
C.L. Brown: Baylor's best defense? A good offense. The Bears have to attack Georges Niang and Bryce Dejean-Jones and make them play defense. Both players got in foul trouble against South Carolina and subsequently had poor shooting nights.
John Gasaway: Baylor's first defensive priority should be Monte Morris. ISU is one of the leaders in Division I in terms of assist-to-made-field-goal ratio. The Cyclones score their points by getting the ball to the open man, and Morris does so as well as any of coach Fred Hoiberg's players.
2. NC State already took down one ACC power. Was it a fluke? Or can the Wolfpack do it again Wednesday against North Carolina?
Katz: The Wolfpack can score. Trevor Lacey is a big-time player. Beating UNC at home after knocking off Duke shouldn't be perceived as a major upset.
Brown: It definitely wasn't a fluke. The Pack also beat visiting Duke in January 2013, when the Blue Devils were the No. 1-ranked team. But NC State's problem has been consistency. In its past nine games, it has followed every win with a loss, so I don't see it happening Wednesday.
Gasaway: No fluke at all. Lacey is a dangerous pure scorer, and Beejay Anya can be dominant in spurts. I'll take NC State in this one, but the Tar Heels are going to attack the offensive glass and make coach Mark Gottfried's team fight for the win.
3. After a hot nonconference start, Cal is 1-3 in Pac-12 play. What happened?
Katz: The Bears have been dealing with injuries and inconsistency. That has to stop if the Bears are going to be a player in the chase for an NCAA tournament bid. This Stanford game could be a season changer.
Brown: Cal is overly reliant on its backcourt to score, and guard Tyrone Wallace is feeling the pressure. Wallace has seen his shooting percentage fall from 49.7 percent in nonconference games to just 29.7 percent in Pac-12 play. Jabari Bird's return from a foot injury should help, but the Bears desperately need a scoring option other than Wallace and guard Jordan Mathews.
Gasaway: The Bears aren't scoring. Coach Cuonzo Martin's men are eking out just 0.94 points per possession in the Pac-12, and Wallace is mired in a 19-of-64 slump from the field. Mathews has been excellent on offense, but he needs help.
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