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College basketball games of the week: Conference titles, NCAA Tournament bids on the line

By Mike Phillips

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 01: David Johnson #13 of the Louisville Cardinals dribbles the ball against the Virginia Tech Hokies at KFC YUM! Center on March 01, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 01: David Johnson #13 of the Louisville Cardinals dribbles the ball against the Virginia Tech Hokies at KFC YUM! Center on March 01, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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These are the best games of the final week of the college basketball regular season and conference races and NCAA Tournament berths are on the line.

Congratulations college basketball fans, you’ve made it to March. In less than two weeks Selection Sunday will arrive with those magical brackets we spend days debating and seconds ripping up after a big upset. Those brackets will be largely shaped by the action over the next two weeks, including these seven must-watch games for the final week of the regular season.

N.C. State (18-11) at Duke (23-6) – Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

The Blue Devils took a big tumble this week after dropping a pair of road games at Wake Forest and Virginia. There are causes for concern with Duke, especially on defense, but the Blue Devils have been a great home team. That’s bad news for N.C. State which already topped Duke once and finds itself in a position where it really needs this win to get on the right side of the bubble.

Mid-Major Game of the Week: Dayton (27-2) at Rhode Island (20-8)  Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network

Our final dip into the mid-major world this week brings us back to the Atlantic 10, where Dayton is attempting to go through the conference season undefeated. Rhode Island is a legitimate tournament team so this will be a massive test for the Flyers. Rhode Island has one of the few players in America who can score with Obi Toppin in junior guard Fatts Russell, who is averaging 19.6 points per game.

Kentucky (24-5) at Florida (18-11) – Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

The Wildcats have already clinched the SEC regular-season title and are trying to bolster their seeding, but this game is much more important for the home team. Florida is trending in the right direction in terms of the bubbles but knocking off one of the hottest teams in the country would do wonders for the Gators’ resume.

Kansas (26-3) at Texas Tech (18-11) – Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

Order may be restored in the Big 12 where Kansas is prepared to reclaim the conference’s regular-season crown after a one-season hiatus. The Jayhawks look like the favorites to cut down the nets in Atlanta as they ride a 14-game winning streak into a tough road matchup in Lubbock. Texas Tech may not be as good as their national runner-up squad from a year ago but the Red Raiders remain a dangerous opponent in their own building.

Seton Hall (21-7) at Creighton (22-7) – Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX

The Big East’s two best programs square off here as they look to build momentum for the conference tournament. Seton Hall is looking for a measure of revenge as well after Creighton beat them in Newark earlier this season. The Bluejays enter the week steaming after getting blown out at St. John’s on Sunday so they could look to take out some frustration on the Pirates in this one.

Louisville (24-6) at Virginia (21-7) – Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

The ACC’s regular-season crown remains up for grabs and Louisville can secure a share of it with a win in this one. That won’t be an easy task heading to Charlottesville to take on one of the hottest teams in the country in Virginia. Thanks to a strong defense and the emergence of Mamadi Diakite on the offensive end, Virginia has surged off the bubble and safely into the field. A win over Louisville here could push the Cavaliers even further up the seed line.

Ohio State (20-9) at Michigan State (20-9) – Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS

Maryland may be the class of the Big Ten but these two programs are absolutely scorching right now. Ohio State enters the week winners in five of their last six games, including a 14 point beatdown of Michigan last Sunday. The Spartans are also surging, ripping off three straight wins to enter the week, including an impressive double of Iowa at home and Maryland in College Park. It will be Senior Day for Cassius Winston at the Breslin Center so the Spartans will have even more motivation to finish the regular season strong.

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