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College basketball Week 10: 5 best games of the week – Conference play in full bloom

By Mike Phillips

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 04: Marcus Garrett #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks swats the ball out of the hands of Miles McBride #4 of the West Virginia Mountaineers during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on January 04, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 04: Marcus Garrett #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks swats the ball out of the hands of Miles McBride #4 of the West Virginia Mountaineers during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on January 04, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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A battle atop the Big 12 and a showdown in the Big Ten highlight the must-watch action this week in the world of college basketball.

2020 is finally here, and the world of college basketball is back in full swing. Conference play is finally underway across the country, and it presents new opportunities for the best teams to establish themselves as potential title contenders.

This week’s action showcases some intriguing showdowns in the nation’s best conferences, including a matchup of two of the Big Ten’s best teams and another early test for the Kansas Jayhawks. Let’s start out with that Big Ten battle.

Ohio State (11-3) at Maryland (12-2) – Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

Despite posting an incredible performance in the non-conference schedule, Big Ten play hasn’t been as kind to Ohio State, which has dropped two of its first three league games, including an upset at Wisconsin last Friday. The Buckeyes hit the road to take on Maryland, which has won two straight, including an emphatic 16-point win over Indiana last week.

Memphis (12-2) at Wichita State (13-1) – Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2

James Wiseman may be gone, but the Tigers are still loaded. Memphis takes on another one of the American’s elite programs in Wichita State, which put together an impressive performance in the non-conference schedule that includes wins over VCU, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.

Arizona (11-3) at Oregon (12-3) – Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN or ESPN2

Pac-12 After Dark is back with the league in a full renaissance after a down season. Two of the league’s best teams square off here as Arizona will look to get off to a 2-0 start in Pac-12 play against Oregon, which bounced back from a loss at Colorado to squeak by Utah with a five-point victory.

Baylor (11-1) at Kansas (11-2)-Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Just a week after topping West Virginia at Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas welcomes in the league’s other powerhouse in Baylor. The Bears enter the week on a 10-game winning streak and as the owners of the nation’s No. 12 defense, surrendering just 58.9 points per game.

Mid-Major Game Of The Week: East Tennessee State (13-3) at UNC Greensboro (12-4)-Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+

The SoCon, which gave us Wofford a year ago, is poised to deliver another Cinderella story as two of the underrated league’s best face off this week. The Buccaneers and guard Bo Hodges, who leads the team in scoring and is knocking down nearly 53 percent of his field goal attempts, travel to Greensboro to take on the Spartans, who limit opponents to just 57.9 points per game, the seventh-best mark in the country.

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