Brice Johnson does not lead North Carolina in any major categories, but he just might be the team's most important player. Coming off back-to-back terrific outings, Johnson hopes to fuel the 15th-ranked Tar Heels past visiting Syracuse when the teams square off Monday. Johnson scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting against Wake Forest on Wednesday before recording 18 on 7-of-9 versus Florida State three days later, earning him rave reviews from leading scorer Marcus Paige.

Two ranked teams that suffered disappointing losses seek bounce-back performances when No. 16 Iowa State hosts 20th-ranked Texas on Monday. The Cyclones fell out of a tie for first place in the Big 12 by getting outplayed by last-place Texas Tech on Saturday, while the Longhorns remained in the middle of the pack after falling to Kansas. Iowa State is undefeated at home this season and has won 17 straight dating back to last season while Texas is 3-2 in true road games.