College Basketball Watchability Rankings: 5 games to watch in Week 5

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Jalen Brunson #1 of the and head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats talk during the Big East Basketball Tournament - Semifinals against the Seton Hall Pirates at Madison Square Garden on March 10, 2017 in New York City. The Wildcats won 55-53. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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PORTLAND, OR – NOVEMBER 26: Florida guard Jalen Hudson (3) rebounds the ball in the championship game of the Motion Bracket at the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational between the Duke Blue Devils and Florida Gators on November 26, 2017, at Moda Center in Portland, OR. (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Florida vs. Cincinnati, Saturday 7:00 p.m ET

Saturday’s neutral-court showdown in Newark between two highly-ranked teams is the type of game that can make a difference for seeding come Selection Sunday.

Following last year’s trip to the Elite Eight, third-year head coach Michael White and the Gators opened the season ranked No. 6 and have backed those expectations up by beating Gonzaga and giving Duke all it could handle during a 5-1 start. Florida is the nation’s most entertaining offense to watch, as the Gators are shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc and lead the nation with 99.5 points per game.

Mick Cronin was projected to have his most talented team ever at Cincinnati, which was No. 12 in the preseason AP Poll and had little trouble against a soft schedule during a 7-0 start. Facing their first real challenge of the season last Saturday against bitter rival Xavier, the Bearcats were handled from start to finish in a 89-76 loss and will need to quickly recover.

Virginia Tech transfer Jalen Hudson leads Florida’s offensive onslaught with 21.7 points per contest, while point guard Chris Chiozza is one of the more effective floor generals in college basketball. As always, the Bearcats have a hard-nosed defense that ranks eighth in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency rankings, with all-around star Gary Clark leading the way.

A ranked win will be big for either resume, but Cincinnati needs the victory in particular, as it won’t have too many more opportunities in nonconference play.