7 best college basketball games this weekend: Vols vs. Kentucky, Zion and Duke back in action
Tennessee vs. Kentucky is the best college basketball game this weekend, but don’t forget to watch these other six games, including Duke and Zion Williamson in action.
If you’re a hoops addict, this weekend will have plenty of action for you. The pros are set to take part in the All-Star festivities down in Charlotte, but the college kids will be taking part in a ton of intriguing games.
With just over a month left until Selection Sunday, every contest is meaningful as teams look to make statements to the selection committee, either by securing a better seed for themselves or getting off the bubble and into the field of 68. The result is extremely entertaining basketball for college hoops fans, and you have your pick of the litter with seven games rating as “must watch” in our book.
Let’s get started with a showdown in what has been arguably the best conference in college basketball this season, the Big Ten.
No. 24 Maryland at No. 6 Michigan – Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on FOX
The weekend’s action kicks off with an intriguing matchup of tournament bound squads in Ann Arbor. Michigan was riding high after avenging their loss to Wisconsin over the weekend, but things got weird in Happy Valley on Tuesday night.
Penn State, which has been the league doormat for most of the season, upset the Wolverines 76-69 in a game where Michigan coach John Beilein was ejected at halftime. Michigan lost the game despite shooting 51 percent from the floor, outdone by a parade of Nittany Lions to the free throw line, where they converted 21-of-34 attempts.
The Wolverines will look to bounce back against a dangerous Maryland squad that is only a game behind them in the conference standings. The Terrapins scored a huge win on Tuesday, defeating No. 12 Purdue by 14 in College Park.
Five different Terrapins scored in double figures in the contest, with freshman forward Jalen Smith leading the way with 16 points. Maryland will need that kind of production again if they hope to pick up a win at the Crisler Center.
Baylor at No. 16 Texas Tech – Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN
Just over a month ago, Baylor was nowhere near the tournament Bubble. The Bears had just lost by five to Kansas at home to fall to 9-6 on the season and 1-2 in Big 12 play. Since that game, Baylor has gone on a tear, winning seven of their last nine to get back in the hunt. That stretch includes victories over TCU, Alabama, a sweep of Oklahoma, and their opponent this weekend, Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders bring a stingy defense to the contest, limiting opponents to just 57 points per game, the second lowest total in the country. Poor Oklahoma State couldn’t even muster that much offense against Texas Tech earlier this week, putting up only 50 points in a game the Red Raiders won by 28.
The first time these two teams met, on Jan. 19 in Waco, the Bears walked away with an 11-point victory. Texas Tech will look to return the favor on its home floor and keep pace with Kansas State in the Big 12 standings.
NC State at No. 2 Duke – Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Take some time to get some fresh air after the Big 12 matchup ends before hopping back on the couch to watch this stellar ACC showdown and likely top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson. On one side, you have the NC State Wolfpack, a truly bubbly team trying to snag liquid gold for their resume: a win at Cameron Indoor over Duke.
On the other, you have Duke, the presumptive favorites to win the National Championship, who pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in NCAA history with their 71-69 victory over Louisville Tuesday night.
That remarkable effort was the eighth straight win for Duke, which hasn’t lost since falling to Syracuse in mid-January while playing without Cam Reddish and Tre Jones was injured in that game. Duke’s run includes a sweep of potential one seed in Virginia, the only games the Cavaliers have lost all season.
Things are a bit more desperate for the Wolfpack, who have gone 6-6 in conference play and have one of the worst non-conference schedules in the country, making big wins in the league of vital importance. To make matters worse, NC State has an off the court distraction to deal with after senior guard Eric Lockett was dismissed from the team after being arrested for assaulting a woman.
The Wolfpack have won two in a row, including a 73-58 victory against fellow bubble team Syracuse on Saturday, to stabilize things after a three-game losing streak against ranked teams. Winning at Duke, however, involves a much higher degree of difficulty.
No. 1 Tennessee at No. 5 Kentucky – Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
For the second straight week college hoops fans are blessed with a top five matchup on Saturday night. This time the action shifts to the SEC’s top two teams as Tennessee puts their 19 game winning streak on the line at Rupp Arena.
The Volunteers took care of business earlier this week, picking up an 85-73 win at South Carolina. Admiral Schofield led the way for Tennessee, putting up 21 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Vols in a game they dominated from start to finish.
The tone is a bit different in Lexington this week with Kentucky entering the matchup fresh off a 73-71 loss against No. 19 LSU. The ending to that game was controversial as LSU’s Kavell Bigby-Williams got the winning tip in at the buzzer, but the Wildcat faithful felt like the Tigers may have gotten away with offensive interference on the play.
The sequence was not reviewed, so John Calipari’s squad will enter this game heated after a big loss. This is the first of two matchups between the potential one seeds, with Kentucky traveling to Knoxville on March 2.