College hoops Thursday television guide: Feel the love of St. Mary's-Gonzaga

College basketball will always love you...even if no one else does...or if everyone else does. It don't care.

No. 20 Wisconsin at Minnesota (7 p.m./ESPN)

I know, it took seeing the matchup in writing for you to realize that these two aren't the same team, me too. Well they're not, but they're very similar. Eight of Wisconsin's 11 conference games have been decided by six points or fewer, including each one during their current three-game winning streak.

LSU at South Carolina (7 p.m./ESPN2)

This is like giving Target chocolate for Valentine's Day. You'd have been better served just pretending you forgot.

Belmont a Tennessee State (7 p.m./ESPNU)

Every game like this is basically an at-large bid elimination game for Belmont from this point forward.

George Mason at Drexel (7 p.m./CBS Sports Network)

I feel sorry for CBS Sports Network every time I type one of these games out. It wasn't supposed to be like this. These two teams weren't supposed to be a combined 24-24.

Northwestern at No. 13 Ohio State (7 p.m./Big Ten Network)

At this point Northwestern is more worried about having enough players to field a team than it is how to slow down DeShaun Thomas.

St. John's at No. 12 Louisville (9 p.m./ESPN)

St. John's will be playing without head coach Steve Lavin, who is with his family in San Francisco mourning the loss of his father, for a second straight game. The Johnnies lost to Syracuse 77-58 last Sunday without Lavin.

UCLA at California (9 p.m./ESPN2)

Cal's NCAA Tournament hopes have a pulse again after last week's upset over Arizona. That'll be more than enough for Bill Walton to call this the game of the millennium.

Iowa at Penn State (9 p.m./ESPNU)

No, thanks....No.

No. 5 Gonzaga at Saint Mary's (11 p.m./ESPN2)

Still really mad at the WCC schedulers for slating the first meeting between these two at a time when Gonzaga students weren't back from winter break. Putting the second showdown on Valentine's Day, however, is a much better move.

Because they don't like each other very much. Did you get that? Just making sure. No, I don't mind explaining things at all. Never be afraid to ask.

USC at Stanford (11 p.m./ESPNU)

The Trojans are riding a season-best three-game wining streak under interim head coach Bob Cantu, who is 4-3 since taking over for the fired Kevin O'Neill. Stanford, for its part, has won four of five.