College basketball games this week: Top 10 games to watch, including a Super Saturday

Diehard fans should make sure to have their holiday shopping done before an epic Saturday of hoops action that includes eight of the week’s best games on the college basketball schedule.

College football has officially left the building as a Saturday staple, meaning the time has come for college basketball to shine. After a week filled with epic contests, like Baylor’s statement against Villanova or Rutgers’ dramatic upset of No. 1 Purdue at the buzzer, college hoops fans should make it a point to clear their calendars ahead of an epic Saturday.

Eight of this week’s top ten games arrive on Saturday, making it important for diehard fans to wrap up that holiday shopping early or try to schedule all family gatherings for Sunday instead.

Here’s this week’s guide to the top games of Week 6, beginning with a huge referendum on Memphis.

Top 10 games on the Week 6 college basketball schedule

Alabama at Memphis – Tuesday, 12/14 at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

The Crimson Tide have proven themselves to be a force this season with wins over Gonzaga and Houston in their last two games. This contest is of much more importance to Memphis, which has been one of college basketball’s biggest disappointments with four consecutive losses (including questionable defeats against Georgia and Murray State) despite the presence of top freshmen Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren.

Villanova at Creighton – Friday, 12/17 at 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1

There may not be a more battle-tested team in the country than Villanova, which has played a rugged non-conference schedule that has seen it take losses against three Top-10 teams in UCLA, Purdue and Baylor. The Wildcats will need to be on their game here as they begin their Big East schedule with a trip to Creighton, which just upset BYU this week.

Crossroads Classic – Butler vs. Purdue – Saturday, 12/18 at 12:00 p.m. ET on FOX

It seems as if No. 1 didn’t agree with Purdue, which got beaten at the buzzer by Rutgers before needing overtime to take down NC State in Brooklyn. This non-conference showcase is a tricky spot for the Boilermakers as they take on in-state rival Butler, one of the Big East’s more underrated teams.

Tennessee at Memphis – Saturday, 12/18 at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2

This week could be a season-defining one for Memphis, which welcomes another ranked SEC team to town with in-state rival Tennessee arriving on Saturday. The Volunteers bounced back nicely from a tough loss against Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden with a 40-point beatdown of UNC Greensboro over the weekend.

Jerry Colangelo Classic – Gonzaga vs. Texas Tech – Saturday, 12/18 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

CBS has a college basketball tripleheader loaded with great games including this neutral-site showdown between Gonzaga and Texas Tech in Phoenix. The Bulldogs will look to pick up a marquee non-conference win against Texas Tech, which is riding high after beating Tennessee in New York last week to improve to 7-1 on the year.

CBS Sports Classic – UCLA vs. North Carolina – Saturday, 12/18 at 3:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Next up on the eye network is the CBS Sports Classic out in Las Vegas which features a pair of tremendous matchups. First on the docket out in Vegas is red-hot UCLA looking to take down North Carolina, which needs another signature victory on its non-conference slate to pair with its win over Michigan in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Gotham Classic – Iona vs. Seton Hall – Saturday, 12/18 at 3:00 p.m. ET on FS2

Seton Hall has made an impressive statement in non-conference play with wins against Michigan and Texas but they will have to be careful in this matchup against Iona. Rick Pitino’s team handed Alabama its only loss of the season to this point in Orlando and is looking to pick up a second marquee win to bolster its at-large candidacy headed into conference play.

Providence at UConn – Saturday, 12/18 at 5:00 p.m. ET on FOX

UConn hasn’t looked quite the same without Adama Sanogo, splitting a pair of games last week, and now they face a potential buzz-saw in red-hot Providence. Wins over Texas Tech and Wisconsin have been the highlights of the Friars’ 10-1 start and they will look to carry the momentum of a five-game winning streak heading into this critical Big East opener.

CBS Sports Classic – Ohio State vs. Kentucky – Saturday, 12/18 at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS

The second half of the CBS Sports Classic features a showdown between two power-conference foes having very different seasons. Ohio State has proven itself in the non-conference schedule by picking up wins against Duke and Seton Hall while John Calipari’s Wildcats have fumbled both of their games against ACC foes by falling to Duke and Notre Dame, making this contest vital for Kentucky.

Baylor at Oregon – Saturday, 12/18 at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2

College basketball’s Super Saturday wraps up with newly-minted No. 1 Baylor heading on the road for a difficult game against an Oregon team that began the season ranked inside the Top 25. The Ducks have struggled of late, going 3-4 over their past seven games following a dominant 2-0 start, but Oregon has the talent to ensure that this is the fourth straight week the No. 1 team in the polls goes down.

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