Fan guide to the best in college basketball this weekend, including two top 25 ACC matchups and a big non-conference test for Zion Williamson and Duke.
Ok, we all know about the elephant in the room. There’s that whole Super Bowl thing this weekend, with the Rams and Patriots squaring off in Atlanta for all the marbles.
No one’s saying not to watch the Super Bowl, but that’s only a four-hour time commitment starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. There’s still a whole weekend of sports to watch, and you should fill time by grabbing a seat on your couch or heading to the pub to watch some great college hoops action.
Let’s get this weekend’s slate started with:
5. No. 21 Maryland at No. 24 Wisconsin – Friday at 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1
After a down year, the Big Ten is back as a college basketball beast. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projects the league will send 10 teams to the NCAA tournament, and two of them are set to square off in Madison on Friday night.
The Terrapins got off to a 7-1 start in conference play before dropping back to back games at Michigan State (understandable since the Spartans are a top 10 team) and at Madison Square Garden to a 5-14 Illinois squad. Maryland stabilized things with a win over Northwestern on Tuesday, with sophomore forward Bruno Fernando leading the way with a 22 and 10 effort.
Wisconsin enters the game on a nice roll, winners of four in a row with a streak that began by handing Michigan its first loss of the season. Senior Ethan Happ leads the way for the Badgers in terms of scoring (18.5 ppg), rebounding (10.3 rpg), and assists (5.1 apg).
These two teams last met on Jan. 14, when the Terrapins survived blowing a 21 point lead to score a 64-60 victory in College Park. A season sweep would be big for Maryland, which needs to get rid of the stench of that Illinois loss as emphatically as possible.
St. John’s at No. 2 Duke-Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
The Blue Devils are back in business after getting guard Tre Jones back from injury over the weekend. Jones helped stabilize the lineup for Duke, which beat Georgia Tech on Saturday and followed that up with a 22 point road win over Notre Dame in South Bend.
Zion Williamson starred in that contest, racking up 26 points and nine boards as NBA teams continue to salivate over his prospects on the next level. The Blue Devils don’t play again until Saturday when they get a good non-conference challenge from resurgent St. John’s.
The Red Storm got off to a quick start, ripping off 12 straight wins to start the season, but proceeded to go 3-5 over their next eight games. Chris Mullins’ squad is led by junior guard Shamorie Ponds, who is averaging 20.6 points per game to lead the Johnnies in scoring.
The Blue Devils should have revenge on their mind in this one after St. John’s beat them 81-77 at the Garden last February. This contest is at Cameron Indoor, and Duke has a 146 game winning streak in non-conference home games, so the odds are stacked against the Johnnies here.
No. 12 Virginia Tech at No. 23 NC State-Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network
This is the first of two matchups featuring two top 25 teams in the ACC this weekend. Virginia Tech is off to a quick start, going 17-3 to start the year, but their resume is a bit light on top-tier wins to date.
The Hokies have a big chance to pick one up with a road trip to NC State this Saturday. The Wolfpack are in a similar boat as the Hokies, but they missed out on a golden opportunity to add an elite win after losing to No. 3 Virginia in overtime on Tuesday night.
This is the only meeting of the season between the two squads, and whoever wins will take a step forward in the middle of a crowded ACC. Both teams have tough games to follow (Virginia Tech hosts Louisville Monday while NC State travels to Chapel Hill on Tuesday) so a loss here could be the start of a skid.
No. 9 North Carolina at No. 15 Louisville-Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
This is the other matchup of two top 25 squads from the ACC, and it should be a dandy. The Tar Heels enter the game on a four-game winning streak after scoring a 23 point road rout over Georgia Tech on Tuesday night.
North Carolina’s two leading scorers were big in that game as Cameron Johnson and Cody White combined to score 41 points in the victory. This matchup with Louisville promises to another stiff test for a Tar Heel team that has already played non-conference matchups with Michigan (loss), Gonzaga (win), and Kentucky (loss).
The Cardinals are one of the true surprises of the ACC this season in Chris Mack’s first year on the job. Mack inherited a program in dire straits after the disastrous end to Rick Pitino’s tenure, but the Cardinals have played hard for him, winning 16 of their first 21 games, including an overtime win over Michigan State back in December.
This is the second matchup between the ACC powers on the year, with Louisville walking into Chapel Hill and smacking the Tar Heels down in a 21 point rout back on January 12th. North Carolina will look to return the favor at the KFC Yum Center Saturday.
No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 11 Kansas-Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET on CBS
Let’s turn to the Big 12 for a minute to focus on another elite matchup between Texas Tech and Kansas. It’s safe to say that the Jayhawks are struggling right now, losing three out of four entering this game.
Kansas has had a tough time adjusting to life with Udoka Azubuike, fighting hard but losing road games to Kentucky and Texas to fall to 16-5 on the year. Things won’t get any easier for Bill Self’s team with a talented Texas Tech squad coming to town.
The Red Raiders snapped a three-game conference losing streak with an 84-65 win over TCU on Monday when four different players scored in double figures. This isn’t new for Texas Tech, which has three players averaging at least ten points a game, including sophomore guard Jarrett Culver who leads the way with 18.5 ppg.
The X-factor in this game could be the fact that Kansas is home. The Jayhawks have been dominant at Allen Fieldhouse under Bill Self, compiling a 245-13 record at home in Self’s Kansas career.
Indiana at No. 6 Michigan State-Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
This rivalry game in the Big Ten should be fun as both teams should be highly motivated to secure a W. The Spartans are back home after a 10 point road loss at Purdue last Sunday, which snapped a 13 game winning streak.
Despite losing Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr to the NBA, Michigan State has been atop the Big Ten standings for most of the season. Tom Izzo’s squad has become a more complete group with veteran leadership from juniors Cassius Winston and Nick Ward.
The opposition comes from Indiana, which is in a complete free fall after a hot start to the year. The Hoosiers were 12-2 and 3-0 in conference play before heading to Michigan on January 6th.
The Wolverines won that game by 11 and the Hoosiers have spiraled out of control since, dropping seven games in a row, including an eight-point loss at Rutgers Wednesday night. Indiana has slid down to one of the last four bids in Lunardi’s projected bracket, so they need to start picking up wins fast to avoid falling off the bubble entirely.
Mid-Major Game of the Weekend: No. 18 Buffalo at Bowling Green-Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
This week’s mid-major spotlight shifts to some #MACtion. One of the best mid-majors in America has been the Buffalo Bulls, who have built on their upset win over Arizona in last year’s tournament nicely.
Nate Oats’ team enters this matchup with a 19-2 record, a mark that includes road wins over West Virginia and Syracuse in non-conference play. The Bulls have three starters averaging at least 13 points a game, including senior guard C.J. Massinburg, who is averaging 18.1 points per game and shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc.
Buffalo hits the road for this matchup with one of their top challengers in the MAC, Bowling Green. The Falcons are 6-1 in league play entering the game and just had a 10-game winning streak snapped in a loss at Miami of Ohio last Saturday.
If you’re a fan of high-flying offense, this should be the game for you. The Bulls score 84.7 points per game, good for 11th in the nation, while Bowling Green pours in 78.3 a night. In other words, this game has big-time shoot out potential.