Key games in the 2009-10 college basketball season:

NOV. 17=

Memphis-Kansas

This was some game two years ago in an overtime championship
game won by the Jayhawks. This time it's the Hall of Fame
Showcase in St. Louis, but it's really the Jayhawks' first
opportunity in the national spotlight and likely Memphis' last
in a rebuilding season.

NOV. 18=

Monmouth-Saint Peter's

The question heading into this New Jersey matchup is "When's the
team meal?" As part of ESPN's "Tip-Off Marathon," the Hawks and
Peacocks will meet for a 6 a.m. start. This will be quite an
eye-opener for the fans, all the points in transition will be
called break-fast points and the play will be known as the
pick-and-cinnamon roll.

DEC. 1-9=

This is college basketball's early Christmas present, three huge
games over eight days. It starts Dec. 1 with Michigan State at
North Carolina in a rematch of last season's title game. Four
days later, it's North Carolina at Kentucky. Four days after
that Kentucky travels to New York's Madison Square Garden to
meet Connecticut.

FEB. 10=

Connecticut-Syracuse

There's no way this game can come close to matching the Orange's
127-117 six-overtime win in the Big East quarterfinals last
March, but at least there will be a lot of looking back in the
days before. The teams play only once this season, and it's a
safe bet it won't go 70 minutes like the instant classic.

FEB. 10, MARCH 6=

Every conference has its great rivalry matchup, but none compare
in this era to Duke and North Carolina. Their second meeting
last season was the 41st when both were ranked in the Top 10,
and the record stands 21-20 in favor of North Carolina. The
first game this season is at Chapel Hill, so the regular season
will end in Cameron Indoor Stadium and help determine the top
seeds for the NCAA tournament.