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GAME NOTES: A pair of ranked team will play in the consolation game of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer tonight at Madison Square Garden, as the 13th-ranked California Golden Bears take on the 15th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.

California opened the season with back-to-back victories over Murray State and Detroit, enabling the team to earn a spot in Thursday's clash with unranked Syracuse. Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, they were completely dominated by the Orange, and the final score of 95-73 indicates that. Clearly, Mike Montgomery's squad has plenty to prove tonight, as there are undoubtedly some fans and analysts who will consider the Bears overrated.

Like Cal, Ohio State opened the season with two straight wins over rather weak opposition, but the Buckeyes were much more dominant in their outings. Then, last night, the team nearly knocked off sixth-ranked North Carolina. While that game ended in a 77-73 setback, it appeared clear that OSU is one of the top teams in the nation and will be tough to beat in the Big Ten.

The Golden Bears hold a 9-8 series edge over the Buckeyes.

California trailed Syracuse by 11 points at halftime last night, and the team was once against outplayed in the second stanza. The Golden Bears finished the night with more turnovers than assists and shot a modest 40 percent from the floor. Defensively, they struggled mightily, permitting the Orange to connect on 57.1 percent of their field goal attempts. Jerome Randle scored 25 points for Cal, but the star guard didn't get much held from standout backcourt mate Patrick Christopher. Sure, Christopher did tally 12 points, but he shot 6- of-20 from the floor, including 1-of-7 from three-point range. Jamal Boykin had 14 points for Cal, which is netting 81.0 ppg while surrendering 75.3 ppg to foes. Randle is posting 21.7 ppg, and he is one of the Pac-10's best players. Theo Robertson averaged 18.0 ppg for the Golden Bears through the first two games of this season, but he missed last night's game and won't play today.

Ohio State's Evan Turner is off to a terrific start, as he is averaging 20.3 ppg on 57.8 percent shooting from the floor through three outings. Turner is much more than just a scorer, as he is netting 15.0 ppg to go with 6.0 apg. Jon Diebler is posting 15.3 ppg on 45.5 percent shooting from three-point range, and William Buford checks in with 13.0 ppg. David Lighty rounds out a foursome of double-digit scorers with 11.0 ppg, and the Buckeyes are averaging 92.7 ppg while limiting opponents to 73.3 ppg. Turner posted 23 points and 11 rebounds versus the Tar Heels last night, but his 10 turnovers certainly hurt the squad. Diebler finished with 17 points, but he shot just 4-of-13 from the floor.

Watching Randle and Turner on the same court will be a treat, and many NBA scouts will undoubtedly be in attendance. Expect the Buckeyes to win this game, and the loss of Robertson hurts the Golden Bears.