Monday tip-off: Duke vs. Elon, Gonzaga vs. Texas Southern

Setting up the day in college basketball:

Best bets: For the most part, the college basketball world is in a holding pattern. In the days between the high-profile holiday tournaments and the start of conference play, marquee matchups are scarce.

A couple of top-10 clubs take the court Monday night, however, including No. 2 Duke hosting Elon (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU). About the only question facing the Blue Devils, who haven't played since their triumphant visit to Wisconsin on Dec. 3, is how long it might take them to shake off any rust from their exam-week break.

On the opposite coast, No. 8 Gonzaga should get a warm homecoming reception after Saturday's successful trip to UCLA. The Bulldogs, who went 2-1 against Pac-12 competition in their last three outings, get a relative breather against Texas Southern tonight.

Number of the day: 50. Things didn't go well on the gridiron for Army, but the weekend wasn't a total loss for West Point fans. The Black Knights of the hardwood did something they hadn't accomplished in the last 50 years. Army's overtime win at Southern California was its first against a current member of the Pac-12 since a victory vs. Washington State on Dec. 29, 1964.

Words of the day: "I just saw we were dead and didn't really have any scoring output in the first half." — Tennessee G Josh Richardson, who scored 18 of his 20 points after intermission to spark the Vols to a 67-55 win against No. 19 Butler on Sunday. The Bulldogs led 37-25 in the opening minute of the second half before Richardson, who also had six steals, scored eight points during a 12-0 run that got the Vols even.

Days until Selection Sunday: 90.