Crucial College Hoops Match Ups: Five Big Games During the Week of Jan. 17

Even though it is only mid-January and the conference seasons have just started, there are some very important contests this week that will impact both regular season standings and national rankings.

Each of these games feature teams that need a victory in order to continue moving towards their respective conference championships.

Some teams are trying to get back on track after disappointing loses, and all of them are wanting to acquire anything that will help them when NCAA tournament selection and seeding discussions take place in March.

Note: the following article was posted before this week's rankings/polls were updated. 

Here's a preview of five big games that will be played from Monday to Wednesday of this week:

(3) Kansas at Baylor

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LAWRENCE, KS - JANUARY 15: Marcus Morris #22 of the Kansas Jayhawks dunks during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on January 15, 2011 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Kansas is off to an impressive 17-0 start, but has hit a mid-season rough patch. The last three games (victories with very close margins against Michigan in overtime, Iowa State and Nebraska) have demonstrated that the Jayhawks are less-than-invincible

Kansas is still the best shooting team in the nation (51.8 percent) and score points in bunches. Their athletic front-line led by Marcus Morris (pictured) and and his twin brother, Markieff, represents as tough of a front-court matchup as you will find.

Freshman phenom Josh Selby provides great outside shooting and scoring punch.

Baylor is 26-1 in its last 27 home games.

While the Bears are 12-4 overall (2-1 in Big 12), they are coming off a 72-57 loss to Iowa State.

Guard LaceDarius Dunn leads the Big 12 in scoring with 22.3 ppg. He has averaged 21.8 points in four meetings with the Jayhawks and scored 27 against them last season.

Baylor's point guard, A.J. Walton, leads the Big 12 in steals (2.3 per game) and is second in assists (5.3 apg).

Baylor will have to work hard to defend the paint and control the boards. If Kansas can work the ball effectively to the Morris brothers early, they will be able to establish their pace and style of play.

(4) Syracuse at (5) Pittsburgh

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 07: Rick Jackson #00 of Syracuse Orange dunks the ball on Derrick Nix #25 of the Michigan State Spartans during their game at the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham

This early season, Big East heavy-weight match will have a Final Four feel to it: two of the best teams in the country, squaring off in a game that will determine who stands on top of the conference.

In fact, this could be the best game—to this point—of the season.

Syracuse (18-0) and Pittsburgh (17-1) both shoot 49 percent from the floor and both have a balanced attack, with multiple players carrying the scoring load. Both teams are very strong on the boards, with Pitt carrying at slight advantage (No. 2 in the nation).

However, Syracuse forward Rick Jackson (pictured) is the fourth leading individual rebounder (11.7 rpg) in the country.

Syracuse enters the game having handily beaten St. John's and Cincinnati; Pittsburgh has had two relatively close wins against Georgetown and Seton Hall.

In the one game that these two teams played against each other last year, Pitt won in Syracuse 82-72.

Pitt is hard to beat at home, and the Orange will have to find a way to take the Panther crowd out of the game as soon as possible. 

(7) Villanova at (9) Connecticut

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GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 28: (L-R) Guard Kemba Walker #15 of the Connecticut Huskies goes up for a shot against forwards Leo Lyons #5 and DeMarre Carroll #1 of the Missouri Tigers in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the U

Wow! Talk about a big day (Monday) in the Big East!

Two more top teams, not only in the conference, but in the country, going head-to-head.

Villanova comes into the game with an 11-game winning streak, with an impressive win over Maryland on Saturday.

Connecticut has had two recent, easy wins (Rutgers and DePaul) but before those, they were 2-2 in a tough stretch that included games against Pitt, South Florida, Notre Dame and Texas.

Villanova will need to figure out how to stop Kemba Walker (pictured), the nation's second-leading scorer (25.6 ppg). He is coming off a 31 point, 5 assist outing against DePaul.

The Huskies will need to shut down the talented Wildcat trio of Corey Stokes (16.5 ppg), Corey Fisher (15.4) and Maalik Wayns (13.8).

UConn has won 16 of the last 24 meetings between these two teams dating back to 1996.

(24) Michigan State at (16) Illinois

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 07: Kalin Lucas #1 of the Michigan Spartans lays the ball up against Syracuse Orange during their game at the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Illinois (13-5) needs a win—bad!

The Fighting Illini opened the season 10-1. Since then, they have lost games to Illinois-Chicago and Missouri, and then their last two games against Penn State and Wisconsin.

Michigan State (12-5) has won their last two games, but it took them going to overtime to beat Wisconsin and Northwestern.

Kalin Lucas (pictured) leads the Spartans in scoring (14.7 ppg).

Senior guard, Demetri McCamey, leads the Fighting Illini in both scoring (16.2 ppg) and assists (7.0).

Michigan State will have to get out and pressure Illinois on the perimeter. The Fighting Illini are the Big Ten's best shooting team from beyond the arc—42.5 percent.

Illinois will need to work hard to keep the Spartans off the glass at both ends.

(1) Duke at North Carolina State

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PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 27: Kyle Singler #12 of the Duke Blue Devils shoots a free throw against the Oregon Ducks on November 27, 2010 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Duke was hoping to get back on track on Saturday at home against Virginia.

Instead of an easy victory, the Blue Devils (16-1, 3-1) found themselves down at half, having to make a gigantic effort in the second to secure the win.

North Carolina State (11-6, 1-2) needs to get back on the winning way after losing two straight road ACC contests (75-66 to BC and 84-71 to Florida State).

Another loss at this point of the season would make it difficult for the Wolfpack to stay in touch with the top half of the conference standings.

NC State relies heavily on senior forward, Tracy Smith. He has successfully come back from an early season knee injury to average 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Duke needs to recover their shooting touch from beyond the arc. In the last two games, the Blue Devils are 16 for 55 (29 percent) from 3-point range.

NC State beat the Blue Devils (on their way to the national championship) last year in Raleigh, 88-74. In that game, the Wolfpack shot 58 percent from the floor. Tracy Smith was dominant in this victory, hitting 10-12 FGs and making three of four free throws.