TUESDAY
>>The area’s highest — err, only — ranked men’s basketball squad, the Georgetown Hoyas, might be 6th in the latest national poll, but they’ve been far from convincing. After thrashing lowly St. John’s, they staggered to a home win against a mediocre Seton Hall team. John Thompson III’s crew shouldn’t have trouble on Tuesday: sitting alone in first place in the Big East, they face the cellar dwelling South Florida Bulls at the Verizon Center. It’s a game they’ll need to win to stay hot going into their tough road matchup at Louisville on Saturday. Tickets still available. 7:30 p.m. MASN.

WEDNESDAY
>>The ailing Wiz welcome defending World Champions San Antonio Spurs to the Verizon Center for a mid-season non-conference matchup. Recently named all-star Caron Butler returned on Sunday against the Lakers and picked up 15 points, but he’s still listed as day-to-day. What’s more, the team has lost four of their last five to slump close to .500 at 24-22. The Wizards are dealing with some offensive issues as well, with only Butler and fellow all-star Antawn Jamison in double digits in Sunday’s loss to LA. If they can get that sorted out, they’re golden: The team is 8-1 when they shoot over 50 percent. Tickets available. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.

THURSDAY
>>Venture out to scenic Fairfax’s Patriot Center for a Colonial Athletic Association women’s hoops showdown. The 9-12 George Mason Patriots may be fading in conference play, but they get an opportunity to right the ship against Old Dominion, ranked #13 in the latest national poll. To do it, they’ll need to step it up on the boards, where they were outrebounded by 20 in a 63-51 loss to Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday. They’ll also need more scoring from senior stars Lateisha Wade and Moni Akintude if they hope to break a three-game losing streak. But despite their struggles, GMU continues to draw a solid crowd (over 2500 witnessed Sunday’s game) and with a ranked team in town, a good turnout is expected. 7 p.m.

Photo by Andrew Wiseman