TK —

MSU 74, Penn State 63

EC — Victories away from Breslin Center are going to come at a premium, and this is MSU's best chance of the conference season to get a road "W."

Morgan is due for a big night. He'll be able to slash into the paint with little resistance from Penn State's poor shot-blockers. Behind the freshman forward, the Spartans will pull away in the second half.

MSU 65, Penn State 55

MB — This is going to be an interesting game. Penn State isn't the stepping stone it has been in past seasons. The Spartans will have a tough go of it early on, but once again, they'll rise to the occasion after halftime, and the well-rested Spartans will come home with another Big Ten victory.

MSU 71, Penn State 63

DV — MSU on the road will struggle early, but it'll find a way to get to the winner's circle. Tom Izzo's club is tough and has played well at times. Look for MSU, behind Neitzel, to win.

MSU 68, Penn State 65

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No. 11 Arizona vs. No. 3 UCLA

4 p.m. on Saturday

TK —

But since I have to write this two days before the game's actually played, how am I to know? Pencil me in for UCLA. But if this injury keeps lingering, I'm jumping Shipp.

UCLA 77, Arizona 73

EC — The Wildcats have one of the best offenses in the entire nation, pouring in 85.7 points per game. And they have one of my favorite players in all of college hoops: Chase Budinger, a 6-foot-7 freshman forward with an insane vertical leap and bright orange hair. He's averaging 15.6 points per game and connecting on 55 percent of his shots from the field.

But it'll be difficult for Arizona to get a road win against the Bruins, especially after playing at Southern Cal on Thursday. Arizona's fatigue will be the difference maker.

UCLA 84, Arizona 79

MB — UCLA lost to Oregon. Arizona lost to Oregon, as well. Edge: Even.

UCLA beat Michigan. Arizona beat Illinois. Edge: Arizona.

Arizona 75, UCLA 71

DV — You're talking about offense against defense here. UCLA is tough on the defensive side, and usually the edge goes to defense. I'll take UCLA in a real masher.

UCLA 71, Arizona 68

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No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. No. 8 Texas A&M

8 p.m. on Saturday

TK —

But I can't argue with the Aggies' résumé — 15 wins (including eight straight) with their only two losses coming on the road to then-No. 11 LSU and then-No. 1 UCLA. As much fun as that Oklahoma State-Texas triple-overtime game was Tuesday night (it made me late for my 8:30 a.m. the next day, but who cares?), A&M is just too tough to beat at home.

Texas A&M 93, Oklahoma State 83

EC — You have to appreciate the way the Aggies are going about their business. They share the ball on the offensive end and play air-tight defense. They also get to play at home against an Oklahoma State squad with some tired legs (the Cowboys essentially played an extra half against Texas on Tuesday). Texas A&M will seize control early in the second half.

Texas A&M 72, Oklahoma State 60

MB — Man, did Oklahoma State put on a show Tuesday night against Texas. That was one of the best games I've seen anywhere in a long time. But will the Cowboys have a letdown after that? You might think so, but they can't afford one against an extremely tough Texas A&M team. This will be a tough game.

Texas A&M 84, Oklahoma State 77

DV — Oklahoma State can really score, with a great duo in JamesOn Curry and (Mario) Boggan, a transfer out of Florida. I like (Texas A&M's) combo of Law and Joe Jones, and their defense gives them a chance to win.

Texas A&M 67, Oklahoma State 63

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MSU women vs. Iowa

2 p.m. on Sunday, Breslin Center

TK — Put yourself in Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder's shoes. Your team just lost to MSU by 20 at home. Your next game isn't for a week — and it's against the Spartans again, this time at Breslin Center. What possible motivational tactic can you use? "Hey, we'll pick up at least 35 points just by changing time zones!" I don't think so. Expect this one to be even uglier.

MSU 74, Iowa 50

EC — I was foolish enough to pick the Hawkeyes to beat the MSU women last week. I'm not about to make the same mistake twice, especially with this game being in East Lansing. The Spartans will roll.

MSU 67, Iowa 49

MB — Last week's game against Iowa was much easier for the Spartans than anyone suspected it would be. MSU rolled Iowa and looked great doing it. Now, on its home floor, MSU will pick up another Big Ten victory.

MSU 67, Iowa 55

DV — The MSU women, to me, are very unique and special. Victoria Lucas-Perry is a superstar. I coached her dad (at Detroit Mercy), and she has the same competitive drive. She'll find a way to win for the women Spartans.

MSU 74, Iowa 62