The college basketball regular season is winding down with just two weeks of action remaining for most leagues. Smaller leagues, like the Missouri Valley and West Coast Conference, are actually finishing their regular season slates this week ahead of their conference tournaments, meaning the final push to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament is on.
While some big results last week led to movement on the bottom of the new AP Top 25, the top stayed relatively unchanged as Auburn claimed the top spot for a seventh straight week while Duke flip-flopped with Florida for the No. 2 and No. 3 spots respectively. St. John's and Michigan State also moved up with perfect weeks to look like strong bets for the final 2-seeds if the season were to end today.
The most notable development in the bottom of the poll is the fact that Kansas, which entered last week at No. 23, dropped out after getting blown out at newly minted No. 25 BYU on Monday. This marks the first time that the Jayhawks don't have a number in front of their name in four years, a remarkable fall from grace for the preseason No. 1.
How will the newly ranked teams fare in their games this week? Read on to find out with a look at predictions for every game involving a Top 25 team in Week 17 of the season and stay tuned for extra analysis of the Game of the Day, which is italicized in the daily table of game picks.
Week 17 College Basketball Predictions For Every Game Involving A Top 25 Team
Monday, Feb. 24
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 15 Michigan | Nebraska | 8:00 p.m. ET | FS1 | Michigan |
No. 4 Houston | No. 10 Texas Tech | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Houston |
Game of the Day - No. 4 Houston at No. 10 Texas Tech
People are starting to pay attention to No. 4 Houston as a national title threat after their win over Iowa State on Saturday. The Cougars have won 19 of their past 20 games and have a 15-1 record in Big 12 play, but the lone loss came at home to No. 10 Texas Tech, which hosts Houston on Monday trying to complete a sweep of the season series.
The first meeting went to overtime and was decided when Red Raiders' Chance McMillan hit the go-ahead free throws with 16 seconds left in the extra session. Houston's J'Wan Roberts committed a critical traveling violation with 1.5 seconds to go, short-circuiting a potential game-winning attempt, so expect revenge to be on the minds of the Cougars in Lubbock.
Tuesday, Feb. 25
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 2 Duke | Miami | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Duke |
No. 3 Florida | Georgia | 7:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Florida |
Providence | No. 21 Marquette | 7:00 p.m. ET | FS1 | Marquette |
No. 9 Iowa State | Oklahoma State | 8:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Iowa State |
No. 5 Tennessee | LSU | 9:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Tennessee |
No. 24 Mississippi State | No. 6 Alabama | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Alabama |
Washington | No. 11 Wisconsin | 9:00 p.m. ET | Peacock | Wisconsin |
South Carolina | No. 14 Missouri | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU | Missouri |
No. 19 Louisville | Virginia Tech | 9:00 p.m. ET | ACC Network | Louisville |
Game of the Day - No. 3 Florida at Georgia
There aren't a ton of standout games on Tuesday but the SEC does deliver a matchup full of bubble intrigue as No. 3 Florida hits the road to take on Georgia. While the Gators are in a strong position to land on the top line on Selection Sunday, this game is very important for the Bulldogs, who appear to be the most vulnerable SEC team in terms of the bubble.
Since they entered the poll following a home sweep of Kentucky and Oklahoma in mid-January, the Bulldogs have dropped seven of their next nine games, with the two victories coming against the conference's only bottom feeders in South Carolina and LSU. Georgia desperately needs a big-time win to show they belong in the field and finding a way to take down Florida, one of two teams this season to actually beat No. 1 Auburn, would be a monumental statement for the Bulldogs' resume.
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 8 Michigan State | No. 16 Maryland | 6:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network | Michigan State |
Ole Miss | No. 1 Auburn | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Auburn |
Vanderbilt | No. 12 Texas A&M | 7:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Texas A&M |
Notre Dame | No. 13 Clemson | 7:00 p.m. ET | ACC Network | Clemson |
Rice | No. 18 Memphis | 8:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Memphis |
No. 7 St. John's | Butler | 9:00 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network | St. John's |
No. 17 Kentucky | Oklahoma | 9:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Kentucky |
Utah | No. 22 Arizona | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Arizona |
No. 25 BYU | Arizona State | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | BYU |
Game of the Day - No. 8 Michigan State at No. 16 Maryland
The only game featuring a pair of ranked teams on Wednesday night comes in College Park as No. 8 Michigan State looks to build on its impressive results from last week with another matchup against a ranked foe in No. 16 Maryland. This contest could provide a unique problem for the Spartans to tackle as the Terrapins' best offensive weapon is center Derik Queen, who enters the matchup with a streak of four consecutive double-doubles.
Michigan State's bigs aren't their strong suit, so expect Maryland to push the pace and feed the post as often as possible. The Terrapins' homecourt advantage should also be a huge factor as Maryland is 16-1 at the Xfinity Center this season with the only loss coming against Marquette back in November.
Thursday, Feb. 27
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rutgers | No. 15 Michigan | 9:00 p.m. ET | Peacock | Michigan |
No. 23 Saint Mary's | Loyola Marymount | 11:00 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network | Saint Mary's |
Friday, Feb. 28
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
UCLA | No. 20 Purdue | 8:00 p.m. ET | FOX | Purdue |
Game of the Day - UCLA at No. 20 Purdue
FOX's Friday night Big Ten showcase game is a compelling one as UCLA looks to follow up Mick Cronin's 500th career win over Ohio State on Sunday with a statement road victory at No. 20 Purdue. Cronin has notably complained about the Bruins' absurd travel schedule in the Big Ten with UCLA dropping its first five games outside of the Pacific Time Zone before snagging a four-point victory at Indiana two weeks ago.
This contest is also important for Purdue, which stumbled last week with a road loss at Michigan State before getting blown out by the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. The Boilermakers will be stewing in that loss for almost a week before they take the court against UCLA, which should lead to a big effort from Matt Painter's team in front of a national audience.
Saturday, March 1
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 13 Clemson | Virginia | 12:00 p.m. ET | ESPN or ESPN2 | Clemson |
No. 16 Maryland | Penn State | 12:00 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network | Maryland |
No. 1 Auburn | No. 17 Kentucky | 1:00 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+ | Auburn |
No. 10 Texas Tech | Kansas | 2:00 p.m. ET | ESPN or ESPN2 | Kansas |
Seton Hall | No. 7 St. John's | 2:15 p.m. ET | CBS | St. John's |
LSU | No. 24 Mississippi State | 3:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Mississippi State |
No. 6 Alabama | No. 5 Tennessee | 4:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Tennessee |
Cincinnati | No. 4 Houston | 4:30 p.m. ET | CBS/CBS Sports Network | Houston |
No. 14 Missouri | Vanderbilt | 6:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Vanderbilt |
Pittsburgh | No. 19 Louisville | 6:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Louisville |
Florida State | No. 2 Duke | 7:00 p.m. ET | ACC Network | Duke |
No. 21 Marquette | Georgetown | 8:00 p.m. ET | Peacock | Marquette |
No. 12 Texas A&M | No. 3 Florida | 8:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Florida |
No. 22 Arizona | No. 9 Iowa State | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Iowa State |
Oregon State | No. 23 Saint Mary's | 10:00 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network | Saint Mary's |
West Virginia | No. 25 BYU | 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 or ESPNU | BYU |
Game of the Day - No. 6 Alabama at No. 5 Tennessee
The calendar flips to March on Saturday and college basketball is delivering with a stacked slate of games involving ranked teams. 20 of the Top 25 will be in action, but the unquestioned headliner of the day comes in Knoxville as No. 5 Tennessee hosts No. 6 Alabama in a showdown of SEC powerhouses.
This game is part of an absurdly difficult finishing kick for the Crimson Tide, who are in the middle of a stretch that sees their final seven opponents of the regular season ranked in the Top 25. This game could be a key factor for the SEC Tournament as Tennessee, which currently trails Alabama by two games in the standings, has a much softer landing and could secure an important head-to-head tiebreaker over the Crimson Tide with a win here.
Sunday, March 2
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 11 Wisconsin | No. 8 Michigan State | 1:30 p.m. ET | CBS | Michigan State |
Illinois | No. 15 Michigan | 3:45 p.m. ET | CBS | Michigan |
No. 18 Memphis | UAB | 4:00 p.m. ET | ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPNU | Memphis |
Game of the Day - No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan State
The Oscars will be on everybody's mind on Sunday but college basketball fans can start off their day with a critical Big Ten matchup between No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 8 Michigan State. It certainly feels like March when CBS' Sunday afternoon slate features huge Big Ten games and this one will be no exception.
While the Spartans have proven their bona fides against top competition this season, there are questions about how good the Badgers are since they only have two signature wins (vs. Arizona in non-conference play and at Purdue two weeks ago) this late into the season. Finding a way to leave the Breslin Center with a victory would inspire much more confidence in Wisconsin's ability to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.