Fans guide to the best in college basketball this weekend, including the game between Kansas and Kentucky and Zion Williamson back on the court for Duke.
Beat the cold and enjoy some college basketball inside your warm home this weekend.
With the Super Bowl one week away and no real football games on (sorry, the Pro Bowl doesn’t count) you may be looking for something to fill your sports void. Luckily, college basketball is in full swing as conference play is heating up. This weekend features some stellar games, including a meeting of top-10 blue bloods and Duke will be in action as fans get their latest look at potential top pick Zion Williamson.
Let’s take a look at the best games of the weekend and what fans should be watching for to help them prepare for March Madness in two months.
No. 5 Michigan at Indiana-Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
The Wolverines have dominated Big Ten play to date, but were just tripped up last weekend in Madison for their first loss of the season. This road trip isn’t easy as Indiana is a dangerous team led by star freshman Romeo Langford, who is averaging 17.6 points per game and helped the Hoosiers to wins over Louisville and Marquette earlier this season.
Indiana is slumping, having lost five games in a row, but a visit from the No. 5 team in the country should fire up the Hoosiers. Michigan defeated Indiana 74-63 in Ann Arbor back on January 6th, but the rematch in Bloomington should be a tough test for the Wolverines.
Georgia Tech at No. 2 Duke – Saturday, 12 p.m. ET on ACC Network
They may not be No. 1 at the moment, but Duke is clearly the nation’s most talented team. The trio of Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish, and R.J. Barrett have the Blue Devils squarely in the national title conversation and should be able to display their talents against Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets find themselves squarely in the middle of a loaded ACC but have struggled against elite competition, getting blown out by Louisville and Tennessee (although they did take No. 9 Virginia Tech to the wire on January 10th). A trip to Cameron Indoor won’t be welcoming to Josh Pastner’s squad.
West Virginia at No. 1 Tennessee – Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on ESPN
The Volunteers are the new top dog in the polls, and they get a stiff out of conference test from West Virginia as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Tennessee has surged to the top of the polls on the strength of a 12 game winning streak and outstanding play from upperclassmen Grant Williams, who exploded for 43 points in an overtime victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday, and Admiral Schofield.
West Virginia has struggled in conference play, going 1-6 over their first seven league games, but the one win was over Kansas at home. The Mountaineers need to start racking up big wins to make up for a sluggish start to the season, and a road win over the No. 1 team in the land would certainly qualify.
No. 9 Kansas at No. 8 Kentucky – Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN
Two of the bluest bloods in college basketball are Kansas and Kentucky, and they take center stage in the marquee game of the weekend. Kansas is 5-2 in Big 12 play as they look to record their 15th straight regular season conference title, but they have looked vulnerable as they adjust to life with big man Udoka Azubuike.
Azubuike is out for the year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his hand, but the Jayhawks still have plenty of talent left for a matchup with John Calipari’s Wildcats at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats, led by another class of fabulous freshmen and grad transfer Reid Travis, will look to avenge last season’s four-point loss to Kansas in the Champions Classic.
No. 16 Auburn at No. 22 Mississippi State – Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network
While a lot of the attention in SEC circles will be on the previous two games, there is a sneaky good matchup on the schedule down in Starkville. Auburn has been a solid squad after winning the SEC’s regular season title a year ago, but have missed out on chances at marquee victories in narrow defeats to Duke and Kentucky earlier this season.
The Tigers hit the road for a tricky matchup with a game Mississippi State squad that is looking to snap a 10-year tournament drought. The Bulldogs enter play with a 14-5 record but short on top-tier wins outside of a non-conference victory over Cincinnati back in December. Both teams lost earlier this week (Auburn got upset at South Carolina while Kentucky walloped the Bulldogs on Tuesday) so a win is vital.
Mid-Major Game of the Weekend: Davidson at Saint Louis – Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
College basketball isn’t complete without the little guys, so every weekend we’ll spotlight a mid-major game of interest. This week we head to the A-10 for a matchup between two of the league’s top teams in Davidson and Saint Louis. Davidson, which is 5-1 in league play, is looking to get back to the dance behind sophomore Kellen Grady, who drew comparisons to Wildcat alum Stephen Curry last year. Grady leads the Wildcats with 18.1 points per game, and he has to lead Davidson into a tough road matchup with Saint Louis.
The Billikens are 5-1 in A-10 play and have shown they are a quality team, scoring three non-conference victories over power conference teams (at Seton Hall, Butler, Oregon State) and suffering a narrow four-point loss at Houston, which is leading the American. The A-10 could be a one-bid league this season and this is the only regular season matchup between these squads, so this game is of vital importance for both teams.