College basketball on TV: This weekend’s viewers’ guide
The end of the college basketball regular season draws ever closer, which adds a sense of intensity to most conference matchups. And this weekend in college basketball has a handful of notable games, especially in the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.
Here are 15 games to keep an eye on this weekend.
Saturday
Xavier (17-8) at UConn (18-7), noon, FS1: Xavier is coming off a 13-point home loss to St. John’s, the Musketeers’ third loss in four games, and now face a Huskies team that is 11-2 at home. Xavier beat UConn at home on February 6 because the Huskies struggled to stop the Musketeers in the paint. Xavier big man Jack Nunge outplayed UConn counterpart Adama Sanogo. How does that matchup go in this one?
Illinois (18-7) at Michigan State (18-7), noon, ESPN: Illinois has lost two of three and now is tied for the Big Ten lead; Michigan State has lost three of four and now is fifth in the conference, though just one game out in the loss column. Illinois beat the Spartans by one in Champaign on January 25 without Kofi Cockburn, who was hurt. Michigan State dominated the boards but shot pitifully (19-of-55 from the field, including 3-of-14 from 3-point range). The Spartans are sloppy with the ball; can the Illini make them pay?
TCU (16-7) at Baylor (21-5), noon, ESPN2: TCU has lost three of four and is firmly on the NCAA bubble. The Horned Frogs don’t shoot the ball well and frequently turn it over. A saving grace is their collective work on the offensive boards. Baylor trails first-place Kansas by two games in the Big 12 title race, so unless the Bears win out and get some help, their regular-season conference title hopes are gone. This will be their second game without big man Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (knee injury). They lost by 10 at Texas Tech in their first game without him, but TCU isn’t Texas Tech and this one is in Waco.
Texas Tech (20-6) at Texas (19-7), 12:30 p.m., ABC: Texas Tech is coming off an impressive 10-point home win over Baylor and now heads to Texas, which is 15-1 at home this season. The Red Raiders beat the Longhorns by 13 in Lubbock on February 1, but unlike in that one, Texas coach Chris Beard should get a warm welcome from the home fans. This is the toughest remaining game for Texas Tech, which is elite defensively. Texas has a monster closing stretch, with games against Baylor and Kansas still looming. In the earlier meeting, the Red Raiders dominated on the boards (plus-9) and Texas was even worse than normal (32.9 percent) from 3-point range (6-of-23, 26 percent).
Alabama (17-9) at Kentucky (21-5), 1 p.m., CBS: UK is 15-0 at home, and Alabama is 2-5 in true road games. The Wildcats won by 11 in Tuscaloosa on February 5. Offensively, the Tide is all about its backcourt; if shots are dropping, the Tide can beat anybody. Anybody (just ask Houston, Gonzaga, Tennessee and Baylor). But Alabama has nine losses, so the shots often don’t drop. To wit: In the first meeting, the Tide was 3-of-30 from 3-point range (yes, 3-of-30). UK G TyTy Washington is injured and his status is unknown. If he can’t go, this will be even more interesting.
Notre Dame (19-7) at Wake Forest (20-7), 1 p.m., ACC regional: Notre Dame has won five in a row and nine of its past 10 to move into a tie for the ACC lead with Duke. But the Irish are just 58th in the NET rankings because they have just two Quad 1 wins (one is against Kentucky). The Irish are heavily reliant on 3-pointers. Wake, which has lost two in a row, prefers to do its damage inside the arc. Stopping Wake standout Alondes Williams is a key for Notre Dame.
Iowa (17-8) at Ohio State (16-6), 2:30 p.m., Fox: Ohio State is one of four teams tied for the Big Ten lead in the loss column, while Iowa — which is 19th in the NET rankings — is eighth in the conference. As usual, Iowa is among the best in the nation offensively but sort of lax on defense. Two of the leading contenders for Big Ten player of the year will be on view. Iowa’s Keegan Murray has gone from role player last season to star this season, and he has had two 30-point performances in the past three games. Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell has scored in double figures in every game this season. The Buckeyes are 11-0 at home, the only team in the league that hasn’t lost on its home floor.
Saint Louis (18-8) at Davidson (21-4), 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network: Davidson is atop the Atlantic 10 Conference standings, with Saint Louis tied for fourth two games back. As per kenpom.com, these are the two most efficient offensive teams in the A-10, though SLU is better defensively. Davidson has four players averaging in double figures and can be deadly from 3-point range. NCAA at-large hopes for both are extremely dicey, so this would be a “good” win for the victor.
Tennessee (19-6) at Arkansas (20-6), 4 p.m., ESPN: Tennessee, which has won five in a row, comes in off an impressive victory over Kentucky. The Vols play great defense and force a ton of turnovers. Freshman G Zakai Zeigler is a particularly pesky defender and has 16 steals during the winning streak. Arkansas has won nine of 10, and the one loss came by one at Alabama. The Hogs also play high-level defense, so this figures to be a tough, physical affair.
North Texas (19-4) at UAB (20-6), 4 p.m. Stadium: These are the two best teams in Conference USA and both are in the top 50 in the NET rankings. North Texas has won 11 in a row and almost certainly wraps up the regular-season conference title with a win. The Mean Green’s last loss? It came at home against UAB on January 6. UNT plays tenacious defense and hasn’t allowed more than 65 points during its winning streak; indeed, it has held six opponents during the winning streak to 56 or fewer. Offensively, UNT is reliant on 3-point shooting. UAB dominated on the boards in the first meeting and needs to do so again if it’s to get the season sweep.
Oregon (17-9) at Arizona (23-2), 10 p.m., ESPN: This is the only meeting this season. The Wildcats are 13-0 at home this season, but the Ducks have won seven in a row in the series. Oregon was upset by Arizona State on Thursday and has fallen to fourth in the Pac-12. This is the first in a huge three-game stretch for the Ducks, who get UCLA and USC next. Arizona is one of two teams nationally in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency as per kenpom.com (Gonzaga is the other). Arizona has played stout defense the past month, and its past 12 wins have come by an average of 15.0 points.
BYU (19-8) at Saint Mary’s (20-6), 10 p.m., ESPN2: BYU has won two in a row but the wins followed a four-game losing streak, so the Cougars could use another “good” win to burnish their NCAA résumé. BYU beat the Gaels by nine in Provo on January 8. Saint Mary’s, which is 22nd in the NET rankings, is 13-0 at home. The defense-minded Gaels haven’t allowed more than 65 points in a home game since the season-opener. The key to slowing BYU is to slow G Alex Barcello. He is coming off a 33-point outing against Pepperdine in which he was 9-of-10 from 3-point range.
Sunday
Memphis (15-8) at SMU (18-6), 3 p.m., ESPN: Memphis has won six in a row to move into contention for an NCAA bid and a shot at the AAC regular-season title. The past four wins have come without an injured Emoni Bates, so make of that what you will. The Tigers remain sloppy with the ball, but their offense has gotten cranked up of late. SMU beat the Tigers by eight in Memphis on January 20; the Mustangs got out to a big early lead and never were headed. Memphis is 40th in the NET, SMU 49th, so this is a big one for both teams. Both own recent wins over conference leader Houston.
Marquette (17-9) at Creighton (17-8), 3 p.m., FS1: Creighton has won four in a row and five of six to move into a tie for third in the Big East. But the Bluejays are just 71st in the NET rankings and could use another Quad 1 win (they have three). Marquette has lost three of five to fall to 31st in the NET rankings. Creighton beat Marquette in double overtime in Milwaukee on January 1 behind a big game from 7-foot-1 sophomore Ryan Kalkbrenner; indeed, you can make a case it’s the best game Kalkbrenner has played in his time at Creighton. That’s also the last game Marquette standout Justin Lewis didn’t score in double figures.
Rutgers (16-9) at Purdue (23-4), 5:30 p.m., FS1: Thanks to an impressive four-game winning streak, defense-minded Rutgers has zoomed not only into the NCAA tourney discussion but also into the hunt for the Big Ten regular-season title. The Scarlet Knights are one game out of the conference lead in the loss column; they have consecutive victories over Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Illinois, all of whom are in the top 20 in the NET rankings. Now comes a rematch against Purdue, whom Rutgers beat at home on December 9. Purdue, one of four teams tied for the league lead in the loss column, ranks No. 1 nationally in offensive efficiency, per kenpom.com. But Rutgers has allowed more than 65 points just once in the past 12 games. The Scarlet Knights may be without leading scorer Ron Harper Jr. (hand injury); if they win without him … goodness.
For those looking ahead, the first conference tournament game is March 1, and the NCAA’s “Selection Sunday” is March 13. Sites for the 2022 NCAA Tournament are listed here.