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College Basketball: 5 best games for Week 11

By Nathaniel Reeves

Jan 12, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford calls out from the bench in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. The Bruins defeated the Buffaloes 104-89. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford calls out from the bench in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. The Bruins defeated the Buffaloes 104-89. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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These five games will highlight another exciting week of college basketball action around the nation.

Week 10 of the 2016-17 college basketball season is in the books after featuring another round of nationally significant matchups that will impact conference title races and tournament seeding down the line.

The West Virginia Mountaineers earned the biggest win of the week with an easy victory against No. 1 Baylor on Tuesday night in Morgantown. That leaves Gonzaga as the lone remaining undefeated team in the nation following the Bulldogs’ 79-56 win over Saint Mary’s on Saturday evening.

Elsewhere, Florida State proved itself as an ACC title threat with a blowout win over Duke and a competitive road loss to North Carolina. Louisville also impressed in a win over the Blue Devils, as the Cardinals appear to have the best defense in the nation at this point in the season.

Week 11 should continue the excitement with a few more crucial games on the schedule. The Big East gauntlet will continue with a few huge contests on Monday, will Saturday’s slate will feature one of the best games of the year in the Pac-12.

These five games stand out on the Week 11 schedule and are worth watching over the next few days.

5. Florida at South Carolina, Wednesday 6:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday’s matchup at Colonial Life Arena will likely be for sole possession of second place in the SEC, as the two teams and Kentucky have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the conference.

Second year head coach Michael White has the Gators well on their way to a return to the NCAA Tournament following a pair of rare misses with a record of 14-3 overall. Florida has won its first five games of SEC play to tie Kentucky atop the standings, although Saturday’s home overtime victory against bubble team Georgia was a bit of a struggle. Charleston transfer Canyon Berry has played well since the start of SEC play and put up 27 points on 7/13 shooting from the field against the Bulldogs.

South Carolina currently sits at 14-3 overall with a 4-0 record in SEC games, but it is a bit closer to the bubble due to an easier nonconference schedule. All three losses came when guard Sindarius Thornwell was suspended, as the senior guard is averaging 18 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

The Gamecocks will be the toughest defense Florida has faced this year, as they allow just 0.845 points per possession to rank third in the nation. That’s going to challenge a good Florida offense that features a few good scoring options but struggles to shoot from the outside at times.

With Thornwell and PJ Dozier, the Gamecocks have enough offense to support Frank Martin’s stingy defense. Columbia should be rocking on Wednesday night, which might be enough to propel South Carolina to a landmark victory against a Gators team that has looked a little shaky over its past two games.