DUKE has a fairly easy path. January is a cakewalk even without Kelly in the lineup, and they have 5 days to prepare for the revenge game at home vs NC State. If Duke gets to the Feb 13 game vs UNC without another loss, I think they have an excellent chance to go undefeated until the last game of the season. March 9 @UNC will be a 50/50 game because of the rivalry status and UNC possibly fighting for a NCAA tourney berth, but if Kelly is back in the lineup Duke should finish the regular season with one, and probably no more than two losses.

MICHIGAN has, in my opinion, the toughest road to finish the year. That Feb 2 - Feb 12 stretch is brutal, no way they do better than 3-1 in those four games. They don't have the inside game to survive a very strong Big Ten if shots are not falling. I look for them to drop 2, maybe 3 more before tourney time. Big Ten is just too tough this year.

KANSAS is just better than anyone on their schedule. Only "trap" game I see is the Jan 28 @WVU after a quick turn around from the Jan 26 OU game, but WVU is @OSU on the 26th. Feb 9 @OU and Feb 11 vs KSU is the toughest two game stretch they have. I haven't seen them play yet but it sounds like they're hitting their stride.

SYRACUSE has a quick turn with Monday's game vs Cincy, but their schedule does not give them anything that is out of the ordinary for the Big East. Their toughest stretch comes at the end of the year. Gtown is a big rival for them, so to beat a rival twice, plus a trip to Marquette, and then a visit from the Cards...I don't know. They're good, but they ain't THAT good. They'll drop two more before the year ends.

LOUISVILLE and Cuse have similar paths. A tough @Gtown trip is sandwiched by the easiest Villanova and Pitt games in recent memory, and @ND on Feb 9 is never easy, but the schedule is somewhat favorable with @Rutgers three days before. Our revenge game @Cuse is preceded by the easiest part of our schedule, so I like that. That 3 game stretch to end the year is tough, but with two of three at home it could have been tougher.