Leaving Lawrence, Kansas for my holiday vacation to go home to New York, I thought I’d escape the college basketball discussion being all about the Jayhawks. Alas, as soon as I turn my back, KU’s loss to the Temple Owls becomes the topic of discussion nationwide. However, when you look at it, the Owls “upset” isn’t as shocking as you’d think. Temple has some skilled upperclassmen and showed the balance of eight players contributing. The Owls only losses this year are all respectable: Saint Joseph’s, Villanova, Duke, and UNLV. Kansas, meanwhile, continues its identity crisis of who will become the lead scorer. Wayne Selden, Jr. and Perry Ellis went a combined 3-18 from the field. Point guard Frank Mason, Jr. played all 40 minutes as the loss of Devonte Graham continues to pose a challenge.

The game I really look forward to seeing in-person is Georgetown and Indiana on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. I’ll post another vlog of my observations. Going in, I’m interested to witness Georgetown’s supporting cast. I know all about Smith-Rivera, Josh Smith, and Jabril Trawick. I’m interested to see who can matchup defensively against Troy Williams and Yogi Ferrell. Smith-Rivera scored 29 in the Hoyas toughest matchup to date against the Wisconsin Badgers. I think the Princeton-style offense calls for more balance and I’d like to see what the fourth, fifth and sixth scoring options look like.

#HADHC14 Semis Showdown vs. @CUBuffsMBB! #RaiseHigh with us at 4:30pm ET on @ESPNU & WatchESPN es.pn/1zV0szR http://t.co/4Kaqg5Mba2—
GW Men's Basketball (@GW_MBB) December 23, 2014

Tuesday night is another bubblicious matchup. Colorado versus George Washington is the type of game that could separate a tournament team from an NIT team. When you watch this game, check out George Washington’s junior swingman Patricio Garino.  The Argentinian not only leads the Colonials in scoring, but leads a very aggressive unit on the defensive end.  George Washington fluctuates between a tough man defense and a one-three-one zone.  For Colorado, I am encouraged to see Askia Booker scoring 21.2 on average in the month of December.  The senior from Los Angeles started the season scoring 9.4 in November.  As much as Josh Scott has improved on the offensive end over his career, Booker has one of the nation’s smoothest strokes and should get at least 14 shots per game.  After this game, both teams soon begin conference play.  For Colorado, that means immediate contests against UCLA, Arizona and Utah.  Therefore, the Buffaloes could benefit by a strong out-of-conference win before possibly dropping some in conference.  Both Colorado and George Washington stand at a 7-3 record now.  A win Tuesday would also be huge for George Washington.  The Colonials have less brownie points to earn in conference.  Some of the best teams at this point include Dayton, VCU, and Davidson right now.  Scope out this game and tweet me what you think.  Follow @CBBEyeTest.