There is a lot of good football discussion going on, but tonight is a big game for the UW basketball team. They face 11th ranked Marquette (7-0) in the Jimmy V Classic tonight on Espn at 9:00 EST. This is a good opportunity/challenge for this young team to be in the national spotlight. The team will where a patch honoring Andrew Moritz.

This is a strong test for the 2011-2012 Lorenzo Romar coached team. Romar is getting his second chance for win number 200 at Washington. Coming off a tough OT lose at Nevada, fans are really hoping for a rebound. This is probably not the game to do that and with Duke coming up next the Huskies could easily be 4-4 heading into their easiest part of the schedule. After this week it is conceivable that they wont play another ranked team all year.

Marquette is coming off a victory over then number 7 Wisconsin, and has all kinds of talent. They can score in bunches, averaging 84 points a game.

The key for Washington will be to step up their defense intensity and outscore and out run the Golden Eagles. I don't want to see any of the slowing down the action that I believe cost them the win in Nevada. I would love to be the optimist and say the Huskies will do just that, but what I have seen so far this team still has a ways to go. Maybe they find their identity tonight and CJ Wilcox will go off for 40. Aziz N'Diaye will have 15 points and 15 rebounds and 6 blocks and Tony Wroten will have 10 assits. But I am going to have to predict a double digit win for Marquette.

Regardless I will be watching with hope and a purple cocktail. Go Dawgs!