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College Basketball Watchability Rankings: 5 games to watch in Week 7

By Nathaniel Reeves

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 09: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats directs his team during the Citi Hoops Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 09: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats directs his team during the Citi Hoops Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 09: Head coach Chris Mack of the Xavier Musketeers talks with Trevon Bluiett #5 during a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Cintas Center on December 9, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Xavier won 96-69. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 09: Head coach Chris Mack of the Xavier Musketeers talks with Trevon Bluiett #5 during a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Cintas Center on December 9, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Xavier won 96-69. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Xavier vs. Northern Iowa, Friday 9:00 p.m. ET

Xavier is one of the hottest teams in college basketball and could challenge Villanova in the Big East, but will first need to get past a sneaky tough road game at Northern Iowa on Friday night.

Since losing to Arizona State on Nov. 24, the Musketeers have reeled off five straight wins, four of which came by double digits before a close call against East Tennessee State over the weekend. The Musketeers are deserving of their No. 9 spot in the AP Poll, as a pair of 13-point wins over Baylor and archrival Cincinnati give them one of the best resumes in the nation.

Following a rare sub-.500 campaign last year, Northern Iowa should contend for the Missouri Valley title with a mark of 8-3 this season. Northern Iowa topped SMU and NC State in the Battle 4 Atlantis before beating UNLV soundly at the McLeon Center three weeks ago, although it will need to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat against Iowa State.

With star Trevon Bluiett leading the way, the Musketeers are one of college basketball’s most efficient offenses at 1.211 points per trip. Northern Iowa’s defense should provide a challenge, as it is allowing opponents to shoot just 36.4 percent from the field, the fifth-best mark in the nation.

An at-large bid might be tough for the Panthers, but beating a team of Xavier’s quality would set them up well before entering MVC play. The Musketeers can further solidify their top 10 ranking behind another good road win, with a Jan. 10 showdown at Villanova looming in the near future.