Predictions for the biggest college basketball games of the weekend, including Duke-UNC, Kentucky-Florida and Michigan-Michigan State.
There is plenty on the line this weekend in college basketball, from regular season championships in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC to teams simply fighting for their bubble lives. Get used to the comfort of your couch this weekend, because if you want to catch all the action you’ll be riding it for the next 48 hours.
We have a lot to get to, so let’s not waste any more time and dive right in with our first game of the weekend, featuring a potential no. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 5 Tennessee at Auburn – Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Kick off the weekend with a look at one of the SEC’s best teams, the Tennessee Volunteers, and newly minted Naismith semifinalist Grant Williams. The Vols bounced back nicely from a rough patch by ripping off three straight wins, including a 71-54 triumph over Mississippi State on Senior Night.
A share of the SEC title is on the line for Tennessee, which hits the road to take on a competitive Auburn team that should be dancing. The Tigers haven’t lived up to the hype as potential favorites in the SEC, but they have done enough good work to secure their at-large bid, including a 66-60 victory over in-state rival Alabama on Tuesday night.
This game also features an intriguing revenge angle for Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl was the Volunteers’ coach from 2005-2011 when he got fired after getting Tennessee caught up in a recruiting scandal, and Pearl would love nothing more than to topple Tennessee’s dreams of a top seed.
Prediction: Tennessee
No. 23 Villanova at Seton Hall – Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET on FOX
If you’re not feeling SEC flavor to start the day, check out this compelling Big East matchup involving the defending national champs. Villanova stumbled a bit in the middle of the season, dropping four of five after an 11-game winning streak, but Jay Wright’s team has stabilized by winning their last two.
A win in Newark would give the Wildcats the Big East’s regular season title, but this game is much more important for the home team. After looking like a sure thing for the tournament with wins over Kentucky and Maryland in the non-conference schedule, Seton Hall has cratered down to a team fighting for its bubble life.
Since beating Butler on Jan. 12 to improve to 12-4, the Pirates dropped nine of their next 12 but had a massive win against Marquette on Wednesday. Seton Hall closed the game on an 18-0 run to secure another marquee victory, and the momentum of that finish could prove to be huge against Villanova.
Prediction: Seton Hall