Games that matter: Albany (4-1) at Boston University (3-1)

Albany is coming off their biggest win of the year with a home win over their mirage image: Maine. Maine and Albany are the best offensive teams in the league and they most certainly have the most talented individual players. And the game, not surprisingly, came down to who could get the last no call stop. Gerardo Suero and Justin Edwards going at it on offensive was a treat -- Suero is George Foreman, he keeps coming after you with knock out punches. Edwards is Ali, he's dancing out there. It's just so freakin' smooth.

And Boston University protected home court against league favorite SBU in an equally thrilling back and forth game. BU got out to an early lead behind some great play by DJ Irving (consecutively: three, lay up, steal, assist) and managed to hold on long enough, thanks in no small part to some clutch floaters and inside moves by Darryl Partin. When he doesn't waste outside on the perimeter, he's a very very effective AE player.

So here's the comparison only through conference games. I encourage you to remember Albany has played only Maine and then the bottom of the barrel while BU has faced Vermont, Stony Brook and Maine.

Put on your reading glasses to get a look at that chart (not sure why it copied so small, from kenpom, of course). BU wants less of a track meet -- they play the 7th slowest pace and Albany is 1st, but it remains to be seen whether either defense can stay with the offense.

More after the jump

Where can D be found?: Mike Terry and Malik Thomas. These two young guys from BU will probably get a chance to try and stop the unstoppable: Suero. If either can slow him (you could imagine Thomas' length causing problem).

The Donut Hole: It's not hard to see where Albany is the weakest. Fraser has a slow game due to foul trouble, but 4th option Mike Allison stepped up and shredded the Danes inside. Dom Morris should be salivating -- he really shouldn't expect less than a double-double because the Danes have no answer inside. However, Luke Devlin is on the rise and John Puk has shown signs of life, so there's a chance Albany won't be a complete pushover.

Darryl Partin from 3: Partin is shooting a horrific 29% from three, but he's taken almost twice as many as anyone else on the team. Albany is probably going to let him have open threes. Can they bait him into an off shooting night or will he hit one of those hot streaks and get into a groove against a porous perimeter defense?

The Prediction? Albany is desperate for a resume win, but home court has held in almost every game this year. It's hard to see BU slipping up after the big SBU win -- the floor is going to look wide open against Albany after Stony Brook's league leading defense. BU 75-68