What to keep your eye on during a busy Wednesday basketball night...
Local
New York Knicks @ Houston Rockets -- 7:30 PM, Fox Sports Houston -- Two teams that have very different records and players, but two very similar results The Knicks are sixth in offensive efficiency, but just 23rd in defensive efficiency. The Rockets are seventh in offensive efficiency, and just 24th in defensive.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Houston Cougars -- 6 PM, CBS College Sports -- The Coogs are riding high after a pair of solid results, and while they have a better record than Tulsa, the Hurricane have faced a much harder schedule. Should be a good one.
Texas A&M Aggies @ Texas Longhorns -- 8 PM, ESPN2 -- Dash Harris would make a good Star Wars character name.
NBA
-Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks -- 8 PM, ESPN -- The reeling Mavericks have Dirk Nowitzki back, but have gone 0-2 with him thus far. They could really use this game. In other news, go Lakers.
Tennis
-Australian Open, Second Round Matches -- 10 PM, ESPN2 -- The best games have seemed to have happened in the morning hours, so don't blame me when this thing takes you to insomnia. Your first match is all about John Isner.
NHL
-Toronto Maple Leafs @ New York Rangers -- 6 PM, NHL Network -- The Leaves are checking out Madison Square Garden, presumably to look for whatever made the Knicks stop being such an embarrassment to basketball and to copy it.
Football
-Real Betis vs. Barcelona (2nd leg) -- 3 PM, ESPN3.com -- Real Betis? That's in Detroit, right?
-Inter vs. Cesena -- 1:45 PM, ESPN3.com -- I don't want to say Cesena is an underdog here, but Stephen Appiah's team is getting 19:1 odds.
NCAA Basketball
(deep breath)
-Cincinnati Bearcats @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish -- 6 PM, ESPN2 -- Miss Tyler Hansbrough? Well, we've got Ben! Does that count? Why are you walking away from me?
-Iowa St. Cyclones @ Oklahoma St. Cowboys -- 8 PM, ESPNU -- There's a certain amount of appreciation a poet has to have for a name like Scott Christopherson. At least until you realize he plays for Iowa State.
-St. John's Red Storm @ Louisville Cardinals -- 6 PM, ESPN3.com -- With a name like Justin Brownlee, you know he'd be in a boy band if St. John's hadn't picked him up.
-Arkansas Razorbacks @ South Carolina Gamecocks -- 7PM, ESPN3.com -- With players like Julysses Knowles, Marvell Waithe, Rotnei Clarke, and Mardracus Wade, these Razorbacks are a blogger's worst nightmare. Unfortunately for them, South Carolina...doesn't blog.
-Duke Blue Devils @ North Carolina St. Wolf Pack -- 6 PM, ESPN -- Dick Vitale. Duke. You've watched this game before.
-Marshall Thundering Herd @ West Virginia Mountaineers -- 7 PM, ESPN3.com -- Shaquille Johnson and company are fighting for something nobody wants: control of West Virginia.
-Kent St. Golden Flashes @ Buffalo Bulls -- 6:30 PM, ESPN3.com -- Looking for the next Ohio for your NCAA Bracket? Well, look further.
-Penn St. Nittany Lions @ Purdue Boilermakers -- 7:30 PM, Big 10 Network -- Jajuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore will go up against the anti-Arkansas. Andrew Jones, Tim Frazier, and other names that you don't have to look back at to make sure you spelled correctly. Go Lions!
-Mississippi Rebels @ Vanderbilt Commodores -- 8 PM, ESPN3.com -- It's no longer the season. I'm sorry, you can no longer feel Festus Ezeli.
-Iowa Hawkeyes @ Ohio St. Buckeyes -- 5:30 PM, Big 10 Network -- The only thing these two teams have in common is the "eye" at the end of their name. Could get ugly.
-Bradley Braves @ Creighton Bluejays -- 7PM, ESPN3.com -- I know it's early, but Doug McDermott might be a name to file away for future NBA Draft consideration.
-Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets -- 6 PM, ESPNU -- Glen Rice's son! A really sad Wake Forest team! Yeah!