Weekly Watch: Jan. 29 paper

Georgetown vs. Duke
1/30 at 1 p.m.
The Hoyas asserted themselves as a genuine Big East contender with a win on the road against 11th-ranked Pittsburgh, 74-66. Chris Wright scored 27 points, helping to end the Panthers’ eight-game winning streak and a run of 31 unbeaten on their home floor. Duke has staked their claim to the premiere rung of national title hopefuls with a 13-1 start and, more recently, their first true road win at Clemson. The Blue Devils have a trio of high-scoring talent. Guards Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith average over 18 points per game. Kyle Singler (15.8 ppg) is the team’s leading rebounder.

Maryland at Clemson
1/31 at 5:30 p.m.
It has been said many times and in many seasons, because the Terrapins seem to always find themselves in this precarious position. In order to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, Maryland must gain a winning record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. So far, so good. Gary Williams’ bunch is over the .500 mark. Most of that is due to an offense that has put up an average of 81.5 points per game. But Littlejohn Coliseum, on the campus of Clemson University, is one of the league’s toughest places to play for a visiting team. The Tigers went off to their usual fast start (12-2 at the end of December), and will try to avoid their usual late-season downfall. Two straight losses – to Georgia Tech and Duke – won’t do anything to silence the critics.

Pro Bowl
1/31 at 7:30 p.m.
The NFL’s version of the all-star game is usually held annually in Honolulu and one week after the Super Bowl. But changes to the system now have the game taking place one week before the Super Bowl and locate at the site of said title tilt – in Miami for 2010. The rosters will be filled with players who aren’t participating seven days later. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the list of inactives. Many players decline the invite, citing “injuries.” However, the amount of talent will be plentiful. Tennessee’s Chris Johnson rushed for more than 2,000 yards, while Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is making his first appearance as well.

Washington Wizards vs. Boston Celtics
2/1 at 7 p.m.
The Wizards are in the midst of a tumultuous season to say the least, with the news of Gilbert Arenas still fresh and an underwhelming performance on the court not helping matters, either. As of Monday, Washington sits in the Southeast Division cellar – a record of 14-29 and 14.5 games behind leader Atlanta. So, why would this team be worth watching? First off, the Eastern Conference is so poor, that the Wizards are actually in the hunt for a playoff birth. Secondly, the team they play on Feb. 1 – the Boston Celtics – is one that has all the talent to reach the NBA Finals and do what they did just two years ago in claiming another championship. In an earlier regular season meeting at the Verizon Center on Dec. 10, Boston was victorious by a score of 104-102. Washington was led by Arenas’ 25 points. But, obviously, that input won’t be available this time.

– Brian Wright