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College basketball games this week: Top 10 games to watch, including a tough test for Gonzaga

By Mike Phillips

Dec 29, 2021; Auburn, Alabama, USA; LSU Tigers guard Justice Williams (11) shoots past Auburn Tigers center Dylan Cardwell (44) and takes a shot during the first half at Auburn Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2021; Auburn, Alabama, USA; LSU Tigers guard Justice Williams (11) shoots past Auburn Tigers center Dylan Cardwell (44) and takes a shot during the first half at Auburn Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /
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Gonzaga faces a tough test while LSU’s big two-game homestand are among the Top 10 games on this week’s college basketball schedule.

The calendar has officially flipped to 2022 and college basketball is getting set to wind up for a fun two-month stretch run towards the NCAA Tournament. The schedule has had some issues working around the country’s latest COVID surge but some of last week’s best games were dynamic, including Baylor’s huge win over Iowa State on Saturday in what could be the last matchup of unbeaten teams this season.

There are plenty of excellent matchups littering the Week 9 college basketball schedule, so even if COVID concerns cause a few to get postponed there will be no shortage of entertaining games for fans to enjoy. Let’s take a look at 10 of this week’s top games.

Top 10 games on the Week 9 college basketball schedule

Note: All games listed in this post were officially scheduled as of post time. COVID-19 issues could lead to postponements at any time.

Wisconsin at Purdue – Monday, 1/3 at 7:00 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network

The Boilermakers are back in action as they are set to resume their Big Ten schedule by welcoming Wisconsin to Mackey Arena. The Badgers looked a bit rusty in their first action in nearly two weeks last Wednesday, hanging on by four against Illinois State at home, but that tune-up should help them be ready for a daunting test against one of the country’s best teams.

Oklahoma at Baylor – Tuesday, 1/4 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2

The rugged Big 12 will continue to challenge Baylor as they welcome the Oklahoma Sooners to town on Tuesday night. Porter Moser’s team has already picked up wins over Arkansas and Florida in the non-conference portion of the schedule but will look at this game as a tremendous opportunity to score a road win over the nation’s top team.

Kentucky at LSU – Tuesday, 1/4 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

This week figures to be a referendum on LSU, which was unbeaten until they got run out of the gym by a very good Auburn team last week. First up is a Tuesday night date against Kentucky, which enters the week on a four-game winning streak that started with a demolition of North Carolina in Las Vegas on the Saturday before Christmas.

Alabama at Florida – Wednesday, 1/5 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2

The Crimson Tide has been one of the country’s most eclectic teams that has paired tremendous wins with strange losses on its resume. A true road win is still missing from Alabama’s team sheet and it could come here against a dangerous Florida team that has spent plenty of time inside the Top 25 this season.

San Francisco at Gonzaga – Thursday, 1/6 at 9:00 p.m. ET on Root Sports Plus

Gonzaga is obviously the class of the WCC but the conference has a legitimate shot to get four teams into the NCAA Tournament. One of the other March Madness hopefuls is San Francisco, which is off to a 13-1 start and can seriously bolster its resume by picking up a road win over the Bulldogs.

Michigan State at Michigan – Saturday, 1/8 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX

This is a desperation spot for Michigan, which is seriously underachieving after beginning the season inside the AP’s Top 10 and is coming off a disastrous road loss to UCF. The Spartans have quietly risen inside the Top 10 thanks to an excellent 12-2 start to the year (with their only losses coming against Kansas and Baylor) and Michigan State would love to add to the Wolverines’ misery here.

Kansas at Texas Tech – Saturday, 1/8 at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2

The Jayhawks have yet to begin Big 12 play after their conference opener was postponed due to COVID issues with TCU but this road game will be a big challenge for them. The Red Raiders have the kind of defensive intensity that could make life very difficult for a high-flying Kansas offense.

Tennessee at LSU – Saturday, 1/8 at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPNU

The second half of LSU’s homestand brings another ranked team in as Tennessee will look to bounce back after a tight loss to Alabama last week. The Tigers would do well to secure a split of these games but each should be appointment television.

Iowa State at Oklahoma – Saturday, 1/8 at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPNU

The Cyclones acquitted themselves well against Baylor in a loss but they will need to maintain their focus ahead of a tough Big 12 trip to Norman against Oklahoma. This is also the second time this week we’ll spotlight the Sooners, who could be coming off a loss against Baylor and find themselves in need of a win.

Iona at Monmouth – Sunday, 1/9 at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Let’s take a look at the little guys for a minute here in a huge matchup in the MAAC between Iona and Monmouth, the two best teams in this traditional one-bid league. Iona is off to an 11-2 start that includes a win over Alabama on a neutral floor while Monmouth has already racked up an impressive six true road wins, with the highlight coming against Cincinnati in December.

Next. College basketball blue bloods ranked by legacy. dark

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