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Best college basketball games of the weekend: Jan. 5 – 7

By Gabe Esquivel

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 08: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives on Jonah Mathews #2 of the USC Trojans in an 85-83 Sooner win during the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at Staples Center on December 8, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 08: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives on Jonah Mathews #2 of the USC Trojans in an 85-83 Sooner win during the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at Staples Center on December 8, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The first weekend of 2018 is sure to bring some great games. Here are the games you need to watch.

The first week of conference play in college basketball has brought us some tremendous games. Top teams have been beaten, undefeated streaks ended, and plenty of match-ups going down to the wire.

Many readers will be inside this weekend, avoiding the brutally cold weather that much of the country is currently experiencing. While you’re stuck inside, you need to watch the following college basketball games.

No. 12 UNC – No. 8 UVA: Saturday, 1 p.m.

The Tarheels enter this game coming off a loss in Tallahassee to FSU. On the other hand, Virginia comes in on the heels (no pun intended) of a resounding win over rivals Virginia Tech. Tony Bennett’s side has looked dominant in almost every game they have played this year. While we are used to seeing the Virginia teams hold their opponents to low scores while also not scoring much themselves, we are now seeing a team that can legitimately score the ball.

The Tarheels have seemed out of sorts lately. Losing to Wofford a couple of weeks ago, almost losing to Wake Forest at home last weekend, and then dropping one to Florida State. North Carolina has some talent on the team, but it seems like they do not have that go-to player on offense yet. They will certainly need to get buckets somewhere, as the Virginia defense will be ready to go as always.

No. 21 Seton Hall – Butler: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

Butler’s early Big East gauntlet continues. After upsetting Villanova and coming close to beating Xavier, next in line for the Bulldogs is Seton Hall. The 21st ranked Pirates have had its ups and downs, but already have an impressive Big East win over Creighton.

These two teams have looked evenly matched lately, setting up a collision course for a great game. Both sides average about 80 points per game. This means the difference will fall on the defensive side of the ball. But even that looks close. Butler allows about 70 points per game, while Seton Hall gives up just over 68 PPG.

It looks like it will come down to which team’s stars will show up best. Angel Delgado is an all-around monster for Seton Hall and Desi Rodriguez is the leading scorer. On the other side, Butler’s Kelan Martin and Kamar Baldwin have big star power that will need to be contained.

No. 7 Oklahoma – No. 6 West Virginia: Saturday, 7:15 p.m.

Trae Young is back on TV, and it is his biggest test yet. Young and the Oklahoma Sooners are traveling to take on West Virginia. The Musketeers are known for its intense full-court press defense that is as disruptive as any in recent memory. The freshman sensation at Oklahoma has not seen anything like what is waiting for him in this game.

Jevon Carter, the Musketeers lead man, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. Carter is averaging career highs in every major stat category as a senior and is lighting it up from deep at 39 percent. It is rare that we get to see one of the country’s best offenses up against one of the best defenses. This game is bound to be an explosive affair.

Two teams come in riding win streaks of ten games, only one can continue. The most entertaining player in the nation visits the most entertaining defense in the nation. Buckle, the battle for Big 12 supremacy starts here.

No. 10 Kansas – No. 16 TCU: Saturday, 9:15 p.m.

Another battle near the top of the Big 12 starts right after the last one ended. This game sees a recently struggling Kansas team travel to duel with a TCU team that is trying to find solid footing in conference play. Jamie Dixon and the Horned Frogs lost a close on to the sensational Trae Young last weekend. After that and a close Baylor win, they will be looking for a signature victory.

Bill Self’s Kansas team is really struggling as well. They opened Big 12 play being dominated by Texas but managed a victory due to an outrageous 3-point shooting night. Then they were totally controlled by Texas Tech at home, this time in a loss.

Many think that Kansas’ streak of Big 12 regular season titles in jeopardy this year. The Jayhawks have a chance to quiet that crowd with a statement road win. Otherwise, the conference looks more up for grabs than it has in a very long time.

Next: Best college basketball player from every state

No. 24 Florida State – No. 15 Miami: Sunday, 6 p.m.

This ACC match-up sees a Miami team that is desperate for a signature win with the chance at just that. Florida State will be on a high after beating UNC at home this past week. The Seminoles are playing very well on both sides of the ball. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have lost two of its last four, including an upset to Georgia Tech most recently.

Miami has been an excellent defensive side, allowing just under 59 points per game. Their issue is finding a reliable and efficient source of scoring. They are only scoring 74 points per game so far, while the Seminoles are putting up over 85 points per game. The issue with Miami is the ball tends to stick at times. If the Hurricanes do not move the ball around well against a high-pressure defense like the Seminoles, it could spell a bad night.