First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Marco, I run a blog called Just Call Me Juice, which is clearly better than this blog. I'm doing these guys a freaking service. All joking aside (I actually think this is one of the most informative and unquie sports blogs on the Web), I will be guiding you through the first big conference basketball game of the young season, #5 Ohio State at #4 Wisconsin. I've never live-blogged a college basketball game, but I think it should work out just fine. Besides, it's either I do this tonight, or continue filling out mind-numbingly boring grad school applications. I'm going with the live-blog.


So what exactly makes this game worth live-blogging?

1. You get to check out 85 year-old Freshmen Greg Oden
2. You get to check out one of the most underrated college basketball programs in the country in Wisconsin.
3. Also the most underrated players in the country in Alando Tucker
4. There is a good chance Dick Vitale will be invloved
5. A better chance Erin Andrews will be invovled (Do I need to go on after that?)



Here are tonight's projected starting line-ups:

WISCONSIN

PG Kammron Taylor 12.6 PPG
SG Mike Flowers 7.7 PPG
SF Alando Tucker 20.6 PPG
F Jason Chappell 4.1 PPG
C Brian Butch 10.6 PPG


OHIO STATE

PG Mike Conely 9.1 PPG
SG Jamar Butler 7.7 PPG
SF Ron Lewis 13.1 PPG
PF Othello Hunter 8.2 PPG
C Greg Oden 14.4 PPG

Here are my keys to the game:

1. The way the Ohio State freshman handle the hostile crowd. The Buckeyes are already 0-2 in big road games against Top 5 teams (North Carolina, Florida) and the Kohl Center might be the most hostile envirorment they play in all year.

2. The play of Brian Butch. He played his best game of the year in the Badgers best win thus far, scoring 27 in a win over then #2 Pitt. If he has a another big game, the Badgers will be tough to beat.

3. The Three Point Line. The game might come down to this. If Ohio State can hit the three (they have excellent shooters in Cook, Harris, Butler and Lewis) against the Badgers suspect perimeter D (they gave up 16 treys to Winthrop this year), the Buckeyes could pull off the upset

My Pick: In a game a contrasting styles, I think that if the Badgers can control the tempo (slow the game down) and use the crowd to their advantage, they'll pull off the win

Wisconsin 74 Ohio State 68

So join me tonight at 9. As always, leave your comments about the game, and how annoying Dukie V is. And before I go, If anyone else is interested, Just Call Me Juice is going to be doing weekely college basketball picks, I've already got 7 blogs in , so if you want in, leave a comment here or over at my blog. Winner gets the piece of the Aggro Crag I won playing GUTS when I was 11. So it's worth it.