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Image – ChatGPT

Click the each of the links below to watch the preview I made for each Power 5 conference tournament, hyperlinked to its conference name.

*All rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25*

ACC (Charlotte)
Bracket

Favorite
(1) No. 1 Duke 29-2 (17-1)
Capping off their already incredible resume with an ACC Tournament Championship on Saturday night would lock up the top overall seed in this season’s NCAA Tournament for the Blue Devils. Duke defeated then AP No. 1 Michigan on Feb. 21 in Washington DC and their only loss in the last month was at the buzzer on the road against instate rival North Carolina.

Other NCAA Tournament locks
(2) No. 10 Virginia 27-4 (15-3)
(4) No. 19 North Carolina 24-7 (12-6)
(6) No. 24 Louisville 22-9 (11-7)

Virginia’s impressive first season under new head coach Ryan Odom has the Cavaliers at lock status after a few up and down seasons with Tony Bennett’s retirement. Virginia can lock up a protected seed by Selection Sunday if they advance to the ACC Championship game. If the Cavaliers take a loss earlier in Charlotte, teams behind on the seed list like Arkansas and Vanderbilt have more Quad 1 opportunities to replace them on the No. 4 seed line.

Despite losing star freshman forward Caleb Wilson to a broken right thumb for the rest of the season, North Carolina finished the year 5-2 without their star. Both of those losses, to North Carolina State and Duke, are to teams that should or will definitely be in the tournament. The Tar Heels will likely be a No. 5 or No. 6 seed depending on their results this week. Carolina will likely advance to the semifinals and take a chance to move up the bracket with a chance to beat the Blue Devils for the second time this season.

Despite a 5-9 Quad 1 record, most bracketologists have Louisville as a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals’ 92-89 victory over Miami on the final day of the regular season helped Pat Kelsey’s team with their momentum as they begin play in the ACC Tournament Second Round on Wednesday afternoon.

Should be in
(3) Miami 24-7 (13-5)
(5) Clemson 22-9 (12-6)
(7) North Carolina State 19-12 (10-8)

Jai Lucas’ first season at Miami has been a success. The Hurricanes’ 13-5 ACC record has them close to lock status. If both Miami and Virginia advance to the semifinal round on Friday, the Hurricanes can avenge a loss they took to the Cavaliers just over two weeks ago. If they got that win or even if they did not, Miami should be in the NCAA Tournament.

Starting on Feb. 11, Clemson won just two games until the end of their regular season. The only two victories were against Louisville on Feb. 28 and Georgia Tech on March 7. The Tigers will need a strong ACC Tournament to help themselves stay off the bubble and wear a home jersey as an eight seed or higher in this season’s NCAA Tournament.

Since a dominant 82-58 victory over North Carolina on Feb. 17, the Wolfpack have lost four games in a row, with two results being 29-point blowouts by the top two teams in the conference, Duke and Virginia. Brackets forecast North Carolina State at the bottom of the nine or top of the ten line thanks to a bad group of bubble teams this season.

On the Bubble
(9) California 21-10 (9-8)
(10) Stanford 20-11 (9-9)
(11) SMU 19-12 (8-10)
(12) Virginia Tech 19-12 (8-10)

California, Stanford, SMU, and Virginia Tech make up a large bubble for the ACC this season. The Seminoles have won three straight games to finish the regular season, including a win over a falling SMU team on the final day of the regular season. A lot will need to happen for Florida State to make the big dance.

California, Stanford, and SMU are all among the first eight teams out of the tournament according to most bracketologists. The Golden Bears finished the regular season’s last six games with a 4-2 record and will need to at least open the ACC Tournament with a win over Florida State and defeated No. 1 Duke in the quarterfinals to enter tournament conversations.

The Cardinal will have to defeat NC State and then do the same to Virginia to potentially make the NCAA Tournament and that may not even be enough. The Mustangs entered ACC play playing great basketball. They were up and down for much of January before ending the regular season on a four-game winning streak.

Potential Bid Stealers
(8) Florida State 17-14 (10-8)
(13) Wake Forest 16-15 (7-11)
(14) Syracuse 15-16 (6-12)
(15) Pittsburgh 12-19 (5-13)

Did Not Make Conference Tournament
(16) Notre Dame 13-18 (4-14)
(17) Boston College 11-20 (4-14)
(18) Georgia Tech 11-20 (2-16)

All of Florida State, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Boston College, and Notre Dame will have to win the ACC Tournament in Charlotte to make the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Winner: (1) No. 1 Duke
The Blue Devils’ Cameron Boozer will lead his team to a ACC Tournament Championship and they will in fact clinch the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Big 12 (Kansas City)
Bracket

Favorite
(1) No. 2 Arizona 29-2 (16-2)
The Wildcats were undefeated until they went to Lawrence and got beat by Kansas on Feb. 9. Arizona boast wins over fellow Big 12 NCAA Tournament locks BYU, Texas Tech, Houston, Kansas in the return game, and Iowa State. If they want to move up the No. 1 seed line, they would need Duke to not win the ACC Tournament Championship, Michigan to not win the Big Ten Tournament Championship, and they need to finish the job by winning the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

Other NCAA Tournament locks
(2) No. 5 Houston 26-5 (14-4)
(3) No. 14 Kansas 22-9 (12-6)
(4) No. 16 Texas Tech 22-9 (12-6)
(5) No. 7 Iowa State 25-6 (12-6)
(10) BYU 21-10 (9-9)

Houston won the regular season Big 12 regular season title in their first two seasons in the league to do so. The Cougars failed to do by two games but could be the top two seed in the NCAA Tournament with a Big 12 Tournament title.

Kansas has been up and down with likely No. 1 NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson in and out of the lineup. Still, the Jayhawks have wins over Iowa State, BYU, Texas Tech, Arizona but losses to UCF, West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Arizona State. They look to lock up at least a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a solid run in Kansas City this week.

After Texas Tech’s star forward JT Toppin was ruled out for the season with a torn ACL, there was worry from the media that the Red Raiders would flounder after a loss to Arizona State. Texas Tech has not done as bad as many of thought with a 3-2 record since the loss to the Sun Devils. The Red Raiders defeated Iowa State to end February but have lost back to back games to start March after defeats to TCU and BYU. A bounce back in the Big 12 Tournament should keep them among one of the top five seed lines.

After a dominant run through non-conference play, TJ Otzelberger’s team lost just two games in January, two games in February, and one in March. Iowa State has been inconsistent in March during Otzelberger’s tenure so the Cyclones must play well at the Big 12 Tournament if they want to return to the No. 2 seed line or maintain their spot as a No. 3 seed.

The final lock for the Big 12 is BYU. The Cougars struggled after losing senior guard Richie Saunders to a season-ending injury against Colorado on Feb. 14, losing four of their last six games of the regular season. But their win over Texas Tech to close the regular season has them at lock status.

On the Bubble
(6) TCU 21-10 (11-7)
(8) UCF 20-10 (9-9)
(9) Cincinnati 17-14 (9-9)

Currently, TCU and UCF remain on the right side of the bubble but will have to win a few games if they want to remain there and get a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs will have to get past Kansas and UCF will have to advance past Cincinnati before facing Arizona if they get that far. The Bearcats, who are currently on the outside looking in, would need to defeat the Knights for the second time this season, beat the Wildcats, and win in the semifinals if they want to make it in.

Potential Bid Stealers
(7) West Virginia 18-13 (9-9)
(11) Colorado 17-14 (7-11)
(12) Arizona State 16-15 (7-11)
(13) Baylor 16-15 (6-12)
(14) Oklahoma State 18-13 (6-12)
(15) Kansas State 12-19 (3-15)
(16) Utah 10-21 (2-16)

All of West Virginia, Colorado, Arizona State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Utah all must win the Big 12 Tournament to advance to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Winner: (2) No. 5 Houston
Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars will overcome Arizona and win their second consecutive Big 12 Tournament Championship in Kansas City. The win could give them the chance to claim the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament depending on results in other conference tournaments.

Big East (New York City)
Bracket

Favorite
(1) No. 13 St. John’s 25-6 (18-2)
Outside of a Jan. 3 loss to Providence and a Feb. 25 defeat to UConn, the Red Storm have been the best team in the Big East. St. John’s claimed their second consecutive regular season conference title thanks to a win over the Huskies a few weeks earlier on Feb. 6 and finishing the regular season strong against Seton Hall, with a strong 72-65 victory on March 6. Now, they welcome the rest of the league to Madison Square Garden on their floor.

Other NCAA Tournament locks
(2) No. 6 UConn 27-4 (17-3)
(3) Villanova 24-7 (15-5)
Despite the Huskies’ splitting the season series against St. John’s, and having a week off before their final regular season game at Marquette, UConn fell to the Golden Eagles on the final day of the regular season. Dan Hurley must refocus his team on the goal of winning the Big East Tournament and then the more important goal of winning a third national championship in four seasons.

Villanova is the only other lock in what has been a terrible season for the Big East. The Wildcats will make the NCAA Tournament in their first season with head coach Kevin Willard with wins over Wisconsin and two over Seton Hall so far this season. Villanova should take care of business against DePaul on Thursday and challenge UConn in a potential semifinal matchup on Friday and they could move up the bracket a bit.

On the Bubble
(4) Seton Hall 20-11 (10-10)
The Pirates are currently on the wrong side of the bubble but a win over Creighton in the quarterfinals on Thursday and another potential shot against St. John’s on Friday could mean wonders if they make it that far. Seton Hall will need a lot of help but if they make it to Saturday’s Big East Championship game, their fortunes may be looking good.

Potential Bid Stealers
(5) Creighton 15-16 (9-11)
(6) DePaul 16-15 (8-12)
(7) Marquette 12-19 (7-13)
(8) Butler 16-15 (7-13)
(9) Providence 14-17 (7-13)
(10) Xavier 14-17 (6-14)
(11) Georgetown 14-17 (6-14)

In a down season for the Big East, Creighton, DePaul, Marquette, Butler, Providence, Xavier, and Georgetown all must win the league’s tournament to become potentially the fourth team to make it into the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Winner: (2) No. 6 UConn
For the Huskies to return to the No. 1 seed line, they will have to defeat their rival St. John’s and prevent them from winning both the regular season and tournament championship back to back. Hurley and UConn will win the Big East Tournament and take their shot at a No. 1 seed if Florida fails to win the SEC Tournament or other craziness occurs during ‘Champ Week’.

Big Ten (Chicago)
Bracket

Favorite
(1) No. 3 Michigan 29-2 (19-1)
For much of non-conference play and before they fell to Duke on Feb. 21, they were the presumptive No. 1 overall seed in March Madness. However, unless they win the Big Ten tournament and Duke and Arizona fail to win their respective conference tournaments, the Wolverines will likely be the No. 2 or No. 3 national sign. Michigan won the Big Ten by four games after sweeping Michigan State on Sunday.

Other NCAA Tournament locks
(2) No. 11 Nebraska 26-5 (15-5)
(3) No. 8 Michigan State 25-6 (15-5)
(4) No. 9 Illinois 24-7 (15-5)
(5) No. 23 Wisconsin 22-9 (14-6)
(7) No. 18 Purdue 23-8 (13-7)

Nebraska went undefeated until they lost to Michigan on Jan. 27. After that, the Corn Huskers lost four more times to Illinois, Purdue, Iowa, and UCLA before avenging their previous loss to the Hawkeyes to close the regular season in overtime. Nebraska attempts to win their first game in the NCAA Tournament ever!

Michigan State played tremendously in November and December before going 7-2 in January . The Spartans began February with a bad loss to Minnesota but bounced back quickly with a win over Illinois and losing again to Wisconsin. Michigan State won their next five games before dropping the season finale to the Wolverines.

The final team involved in the three-way tie for second place in the Big Ten is high-scoring Illinois. The Fighting Illini failed to get big wins over Alabama, UConn, and Tennessee in November and December before starting conference play 10-1. After their second Big Ten loss to Michigan State on Feb. 7, Illinois dropped their next game against Wisconsin. Then, they won their last four games of the season entering next week’s Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.

By virtue of Wisconsin’s 97-93 victory at Purdue on Saturday, the Badgers clinched the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten tournament at 14-6. Wisconsin lost their first game against Purdue back on Jan. 3 but then the Badgers rolled off five consecutive conference wins including one at Michigan on Jan. 10. Losses to Indiana on Feb. 7, and Ohio State on Feb. 17 sandwiched Badgers defeating nationally ranked Illinois and Michigan State. Since, they are 4-1 to finish the regular season.

This season has not been everything pre-season No. 1 Purdue has asked for. The lack of athleticism has hurt the Boilermakers in their eight losses. Purdue’s only non-conference loss is to an Iowa State team that will receive a No. 3 seed or higher in the ‘Big Dance’. The Boilermakers have wins over Alabama, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Iowa, UCLA, Nebraska, but have questionable losses against Indiana and Ohio State. A run to the Big Ten title game would include beating Indiana a second time, defeating Nebraska again, and another shot at Michigan, so making it there might not be as hard as you might think.

Should be in
(6) UCLA 21-10 (13-7)
(8) Ohio State 20-11 (12-8)
(9) Iowa 20-11 (10-10)

All three of UCLA, Ohio State, and Iowa are on the right side of the bubble but they are not far from being past it. The Bruins were solid in Big Ten play with important victories over Purdue, Illinois, and Nebraska after failing to defeat nationally ranked Arizona and Gonzaga in non-conference play. After going 4-1 in their last five games of the regular season, UCLA should be selected to be in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Ohio State’s recent 4-1 run to finish the regular season including wins over Wisconsin and Purdue, has put them on the right side of the bubble. A single victory over the winner of No. 9 Iowa/No. 16 Oregon/No. 17 Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament’s third round should have them in the field.

Iowa’s first regular season with Ben McCollum and first and last with point guard Bennett Stirtz certainly brought excitement to Iowa City. The Hawkeyes won games over UCLA, Nebraska, and Ohio State but lost to the conference’s No. 17 Maryland and No. 18 Penn State. They must avoid losing to the winner of the No. 16 Oregon/No. 17 Maryland in Big Ten Tournament’s second round.

On the Bubble
(10) Indiana 18-13 (9-11)
Thanks to Indiana’s win over Purdue on Jan. 27 and UCLA on Jan. 31, the Hoosiers have a small shot to make the NCAA Tournament with a run at the Big Ten Tournament. But, Indiana has losses to bottom half teams in their league Minnesota, Iowa, and USC. The Hoosiers must beat the winner of No. 15 Northwestern/No. 18 Penn State to have a chance to play the No. 7 Boilermakers and beat them for a second time this season. Then, they will have a shot to advance deep in the Big Ten Tournament and make the NCAA Tournament.

Potential Bid Stealers
(11) Minnesota 15-16 (8-12)
(12) Washington 15-16 (7-13)
(13) USC 18-13 (7-13)
(14) Rutgers 13-18 (6-14)
(15) Northwestern 13-18 (5-15)
(16) Oregon 12-19 (5-15)
(17) Maryland 11-20 (4-16)
(18) Penn State 12-19 (3-17)
After the Big Ten only allowed 15 teams in their tournament a year ago, the conference is allowing all 18 teams to play in the event for the first time ever. All eight of Minnesota, Washington, USC, Rutgers, Northwestern, Oregon, Maryland, and Penn State must win the Big Ten Tournament to make it to the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Winner: (1) No. 3 Michigan
The Wolverines only Big Ten loss is to No. 5 seed Wisconsin thanks to their offensive rhythm and quality three-point shooting. In the 15 conference wins, Michigan has done a better job at limiting the three and the opposing stretch big mens’ ability to shoot the ball from distance. Michigan wins and claims at least the No. 2 overall seed in March Madness.

SEC (Nashville)
Bracket

Favorite
(1) No. 4 Florida 25-6 (16-2)
Despite struggling in non-conference play and a slow start to SEC play, the Gators have emerged as the final No. 1 seed entering conference tournament week. Florida won the conference by three games, dominating Alabama and Arkansas, who tied for second place, and finishing the regular season with an 84-77 victory over rival Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. Winning the SEC Tournament championship would mean claiming the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Other NCAA Tournament locks
(2) No. 15 Alabama 23-8 (13-5)
(3) No. 17 Arkansas 23-8 (13-5)
(4) No. 22 Vanderbilt 24-7 (11-7)
(5) No. 25 Tennessee 21-10 (11-7)
(7) Georgia 22-9 (10-8)
(9) Kentucky 19-12 (10-8)

Besides Florida, the SEC has six locks and two more that can make it there in Nashville this week. Alabama was up and down in January but thanks to a 117-115 double-overtime victory over Arkansas on Feb. 18 and sweeping Tennessee, the Crimson Tide were able to claim the No. 2 seed in the SEC. They cannot fall from the No. 4 seed line but can definitely move up to a No. 3 with a successful week in Nashville and some bad results from teams in front of them currently in the Big 12 and Big Ten.

Had Arkansas defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa a few weeks ago, the would be in the Crimson Tide’s spot. But the Razorbacks could have the chance to avenge their loss in the semifinals if they both win their quarterfinal games on Friday night. The Razorbacks’ resume is highlighted by non-conference wins over Louisville, Texas Tech, and conference victories over Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn, a sweep of Missouri, and Texas A&M. A No. 4 seed is in reach with a good week in Nashville for Arkansas.

Vanderbilt remained unbeaten until Jan. 14 when the Commodores fell to Texas and then dropped back to back games to Florida and Arkansas. Vanderbilt never reached the same level of play until their regular-season ending 86-82 victory over Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday. With the Commodores’ strong metrics, they can definitely move to the No. 4 seed line if they get to the SEC Tournament semifinals or further into the weekend.

Tennessee rose all the way to the No. 4 seed line in many projections following their road win against Vanderbilt on Feb. 21. Since, the Volunteers have taken losses to Missouri, Alabama, and the Commodores with their only win being against South Carolina in that stretch.

Georgia opened SEC play well with a 6-0 record to start league play. The Bulldogs defeated Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Missouri before taking their first league loss to Texas. Since the loss to Texas, Georgia has played up and down basketball but has finished the regular season strong with three consecutive wins over South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi State.

Kentucky is the last lock from the SEC to make the NCAA Tournament entering Nashville. The Wildcats will play on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament for the first time in program history but thanks to victories over St. John’s in non-league play and in the SEC, sweeping Tennessee, single wins over Arkansas, and Vanderbilt in the SEC, Kentucky is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament.

Should be in
(6) Texas A&M 21-10 (11-7)
(8) Missouri 20-11 (10-8)

After a 7-1 start in the SEC in January, Texas A&M dropped four games in a row. Then, the Aggies finished the season 4-2 in their last six games. Texas A&M is currently on the right side of the bubble but if they defeat Auburn in the second round and play well in their second shot against Arkansas, the Aggies will be in a great position to lock a bid to the NCAA Tournament up.

As for Missouri, getting swept by Arkansas on Saturday meant that they would not be the No. 4 seed and clinch a double bye in the SEC Tournament. Because of yesterday’s results, the Tigers fell all the way to No. 8 in the league. But wins over Florida, Kentucky, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee, the Tigers are in a great shape to make the NCAA Tournament with a win in Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against either Kentucky or LSU.

On the Bubble
(10) Texas 18-12 (9-9)
(11) Auburn 16-15 (7-11)
(12) Oklahoma 17-14 (7-11)

Texas had a terrible final week of the regular season. Entering last week, the Longhorns played top seed Florida well before defeating instate rival Texas A&M. But back to back defeats to fellow rivals Arkansas and Oklahoma means that Texas has some work to do to firm up a spot on the right side of the bubble. Avenging the loss to Georgia from earlier in the season would help the Longhorns get back on the right track for their postseason hopes.

Auburn is the biggest topic of conversation on the bracket list. The Tigers would become the first team to ever make the NCAA Tournament with more than 15 losses if they do not end up winning the SEC Tournament. But Auburn’s resume is impressive including victories over St. John’s, Arkansas and Florida. Although it is unlikely the Tigers make it, a successful run in Nashville this week could turn some heads.

After starting SEC play 3-11, Oklahoma finished 4-0. Over the last month the Sooners have improved their play and in the last two weeks, they have entered at-large conversations. Oklahoma defeating Mississippi State in round 1 won’t do much for them but avenging their loss to Tennessee from earlier in the season and then beating Vanderbilt again would put them at the top of last four in conversations.

Potential Bid Stealers
(13) Mississippi State 13-18 (5-13)
(14) South Carolina 13-18 (4-14)
(15) Ole Miss 12-19 (4-14)
(16) LSU 15-16 (3-15)

After bad regular seasons, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and LSU know that they must win the SEC Tournament Championship to make the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Winner: (1) No. 4 Florida
The way the Gators have dominated in SEC play of late means they are not slowing down. Florida will win the conference tournament and become the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Image – ChatGPT

I used ESPN for statistics in this blog post. 

*All game are at central standard time and all rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25*

This post will benefit readers because they will find out who I think will win each of the important men’s college basketball games this weekend including St. John’s at. Seton Hall, Vanderbilt at. Tennessee, Wisconsin at. Purdue, North Carolina at. Duke, Auburn at. Alabama, Michigan State at. Michigan, and Iowa at. Nebraska. Plus, I write my thoughts on why the said team will win and improve their chances at getting a better seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

The importance of the final game of the regular season has a defining effect on each team’s ability to have success in their conference tournament next week and beyond in March Madness if they make it that far. So, my writing details just how important winning the final game of the regular season is for each of these 16 teams discussed in this blog post.

*All games are at Central Standard Time, and all rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25*

Friday, March 6
No. 18 St. John’s (23-7) at. Seton Hall (20-10)
8 p.m., FS1
St. John’s are on the road for a rematch versus Seton Hall to close the regular season for both teams. The Red Storm edged Georgetown 72-69 and the Pirates defeated Xavier 77-68 on Wednesday night. Back on Jan. 20, St. John’s won 65-60 against Seton Hall at home. Now, they attempt to beat a Pirates team that has won four of his last six games.

The Johnnies are powered by forwards Zuby Ejiofor (15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 block a game), and Bryce Hopkins (13.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal) to a 17-2 record in Big East play headed into the final weekend of the regular season, which is tied for the conference lead with UConn. Pirate forwards Naijai Hines and Stephon Payne, who combine to score over 12 points and eight rebounds per game will have to put together a great defensive effort and avoid getting in foul trouble as they face Ejiofor and Hopkins on Friday.

Without a true point guard, Oziyah Sellers, Ian Jackson, and Joson Sanon must come together to lead St. John’s on the road against a Seton Hall team they beat by just five points ago over a month ago. Seton Hall’s top five scorers are guards. Both Adam Clark (12.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 2 steals per game) and AJ Staton-McCray (12.1 points and 1.6 steals) will be who Sellers, Jackson, and Sanon are worried about defending and causing havoc to cause the Pirates problems on Friday. If they do that, a shared Big East regular season championship could be in sight for the Huskies.

In what should be a low-scoring, close game until the end, Seton Hall must take advantage of their last opportunity to get a win that is near the top of the bracket with a victory over projected five seed St. John’s. The home energy of the Pirate crowd should be helpful but if the Red Storm’s offense can be better than it was on Tuesday night, St. John’s should take care of win number 18 in league play. A loss for Seton Hall would mean another missed opportunity to help their chances of getting in the NCAA Tournament but they will still have a chance if they can make a run at next week’s Big East Tournament in New York City.

Final Score: St. John’s 79, Seton Hall 74

Saturday, March 7
No. 24 Vanderbilt (23-7) at. No. 23 Tennessee (21-9)
1 p.m., ESPN
Vanderbilt is in Knoxville for a rematch against Tennessee where they will attempt to avenge their loss at home just two weeks ago. The Commodores defeated Ole Miss 88-86 in overtime while Tennessee handled South Carolina 78-59 on Tuesday night. The Commodores will have to play exceptionally well to defeat the Volunteers on the road after losing three of their last five contests. The Volunteers will attempt to become a four seed in the NCAA Tournament beginning with a win on Saturday.

Since Vanderbilt went on a two-game win streak with wins over Auburn and Texas A&M back on Feb. 10 and 14, the Commodores have lost three of their last five games. Point guard Tyler Tanner remains as the most consistent player for Mark Byington’s team with 19 points a contest. Duke Miles’ return from injury has helped Tanner in the back court. The consistency of sharpshooter Tyler Nickel’s three-point shot will be the difference on if Vanderbilt can avenge the loss they took to Tennessee two weeks ago. Ja’Kobi Gillespie has been Volunteer’s leader throughout the season, scoring a team-leading 18 points, assisting on almost six baskets, and adding two steals a game. If Gillespie and fellow guards Bishop Boswell and Amari Evans are able to make shots early in the first half and get second attempts from distance thanks to rebounds by their front court, Tennessee can have success and win this game.

The Commodores’ Devin McGlockton and Jalen Washington will be important for rebounding against the Volunteers, one of the nation’s top teams on the glass. McGlockton scores 10 points and grabs seven rebounds and Jalen Washington gets nine points, adds almost six rebounds, and over a block a contest. Even though both players are undersized, McGlockton’s three-point shooting and Washington’s impact on defense must be felt in front of a raucous environment in Knoxville. Without freshman sensation Nate Ament thanks to a high-ankle sprain last week, the Volunteers’ interior scoring will be up to JP Estrella, Felix Okpara, and Jaylen Carey, who will have much better height and length along their front court than Vanderbilt’s.

At the end of the day, Vanderbilt should have defeated Tennessee at home on Feb. 21. After losing to No. 17 Alabama 71-69 on Feb. 28 after leading for almost the entire game, the Volunteers missed the chance to win the SEC regular season championship. After a bounce back victory over the Gamecocks on Tuesday, Tennessee extends their win streak to two games with a victory over the Commodores.

Projected Score: Tennessee 81, Vanderbilt 77

Wisconsin (21-9) at. No. 15 Purdue (23-7)
3 p.m., CBS
Wisconsin and Purdue face off in West Lafayette on Saturday afternoon. The Badgers dominated Maryland 78-45 and the Boilermakers took care of Northwestern 70-66 on Wednesday night. The two teams are tied for fourth in the Big Ten standings, five games back of top place Michigan before they square off. The winner of Saturday’s game will be in better position as they head to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament next week.

Wisconsin is definitely capable of winning against No. 15 Purdue with upset victories already this season against No. 3 Michigan and No. 10 Michigan State. The Badgers can do so with guards John Blackwell, Nick Boyd, and Braeden Carrington on the perimeter getting what they can done against one of the most talked about back courts on the other side of the court with Purdue. Senior guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined for just 17 points but freshman CJ Cox exploded for 27 against the Wildcats, helping them to their close win.

On Wednesday, Austin Rapp came off the bench and led Wisconsin in scoring up front with 11 points but he only had one rebound against the Terrapins. The Badgers’ front line will have to be better with improved performances Aleksas Bieliuaskas and Nolan Winter. The Wisconsin front court will have to be better because if they are not, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff combined for 20 points and 17 rebounds. If Kaufman-Renn and Cluff can be successful offensively, it all be hard for Wisconsin to come out on top.

In what should be a back and forth game throughout with Purdue’s recent struggles, Wisconsin’s guards must take advantage of the lack of defense from Smith and Loyer at times if they want to win this game on the road. This is Smith, Loyer, and Kaufman-Renn’s final game at Mackey Arena and it will not be a loss. The Boilermakers beat the Badgers in a close one.

Projected Score: Purdue 84, Wisconsin 81

No. 5 Florida (24-6) at. Kentucky (19-11)
3 p.m., ESPN
Florida attempts to extend their 10-game winning streak in Lexington on Saturday when they try to sweep the season series against Kentucky inside Rupp Arena. The Gators won their tenth consecutive against Mississippi State by scoring over 100 points for the second straight game, in a 108-74 victory. The Wildcats lost to Texas A&M 96-85 in midweek action. Kentucky attempts to close out the regular season with a win against the SEC regular season championship in front of their home crowd on Senior Day against Florida.

The Wildcats will have to go up against Gators’ forward Alex Condon, who has scored 20+ points in his last four games. Against the Bulldogs on Tuesday, Condon scored 26 points and added seven rebounds while his front court mate Rueben Chinyelu had another double-double performance with 11 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks. Outside of Mouhamed Dioubate’s 19 points and seven rebounds in the loss to the Aggies, the Kentucky front court combined for only 18 points. They will have to put up a strong showing with Florida forward Thomas Haugh likely returning to action after resting Tuesday’s action.

The Gators’ guards have improved over SEC play with both starting guards Xavian Lee and Boogie Fland scoring double digits and assisting on nine combined fields goals in their victory over Mississippi State. Lee and Fland will have to deal with Kentucky’s Otegah Oweh, who scored 24 points to lead the Wildcats. Oweh and his teammates Denzel Aberdeen and Colin Chandler will have to play fantastic on Saturday afternoon if they want to outlast Florida.

The Gators have already locked up the SEC regular season championship and the top seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville. So the question presents itself. How much does this game really matter to them? The Wildcats need a victory after losing four of their last six games to remain above the dreaded eight seed line in the NCAA Tournament. A loss for the Wildcats would have them trending that way. Florida will go into Rupp Arena and get a close win (by their standards) over Kentucky, getting their 16th game in league play.

Projected Score: Florida 87, Kentucky 73

No. 18 North Carolina (24-6) at. No. 1 Duke (28-2)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina is in Durham attempting to sweep the season series against No. 1 Duke for the first time since the 2023-2024 season. On Monday, the Blue Devils dominated North Carolina State 93-64 in Raleigh. The Tar Heels defeated Clemson 67-63 on Tuesday. Duke has already clinched a second consecutive ACC regular season championship. Now, they look to avenge their buzzer-beater loss to North Carolina on Saturday night.

Blue Devil forward Cameron Boozer scored 24 points and added 11 rebounds in the back and forth game late with the Tar Heels a month ago that they eventually lost. But now, Boozer and center Patrick Ngongba, who scored just four points and seven rebounds against North Carolina, was limited due to fouling out early in the second half. If Ngongba can stay out of foul trouble on Saturday, which will be easier as the Tar Heels will be without star freshman forward Caleb Wilson due to injury, they will have a much better shot to continue their streak to four of the last five games where they have won by at least 26 points. When Henri Veesar is on the floor for North Carolina, positive things happen. Against Duke a month ago, the forward dropped 13 points and rebounded 11 missed shots. He will have to be even better against Boozer and the Blue Devil front court without Wilson by his side.

If Boozer leads Duke on offense and Ngongba anchors the paint on defense, all the Blue Devil back court will have to do is support their teammates playing in the painted area. Against North Carolina on the road, Duke guards combined for 33 points, seven assists three steals and just three turnovers. If they continue to limit turnovers and get the scoring production they have received from Isaiah Evans (19 points against Virgina on Feb. 28) and Dame Sarr (16 points against North Carolina State on March 2). The Tar Heels’ leader, Seth Trimble scored only nine points in their victory on Tuesday. His back court mate, Luke Bogavac scored 20 points against the Tigers. Trimble will have to be better than he was on his senior night against the Blue Devils.

Duke has proven that they are the best team in the country with their win over No. 3 Michigan and blowout victories over the past couple of weeks. The Blue Devils can make another statement by avenging their loss to instate rival North Carolina on Saturday night. The Tar Heels must do their best against Boozer and Co. without Wilson in the lineup. The Blue Devils will take care of North Carolina by 10+ at home.

Projected Score: Duke 85, North Carolina 71

Auburn (16-14) at. No. 16 Alabama (22-8)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Auburn looks to get on the right side of the bubble by attempting to give Alabama their second consecutive defeat on Saturday. The Tigers defeated LSU score while the Crimson Tide dropped their game to Georgia 98-88. Auburn will be walking into a hornet’s nest inside Coleman Coliseum with a raucous environment following Alabama’s loss on Tuesday.

If the Tigers want to get back on the right side of the bubble, forward Keyshawn Hall and guard Tahaad Pettiford will have to play up to their standard and better if they want to defeat Alabama off of a loss in their gym. Hall (20.6) and Pettiford (15.1) lead the Tigers in scoring and will be expected to duel with Alabama’s hot shooting guards and forwards. In the Crimson Tide’s loss on Tuesday, Labaron Philon scored 26 points, Latrell Wrightsell scored 19 points, and Aden Holloway scored 15 points. To put Auburn away, Philon, Wrightsell, and Holloway will need similar performances and forward Amari Allen will need to bounce back from a 3 point performance to win this game.

The Tigers’ coach Steven Pearl has not had a successful season in his first year on “The Plain” and while he likely won’t be fired, a victory over Alabama in a rivalry game would mean a lot for him and his program entering next season, especially if they do not make the NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday, if the Alabama defense can show up, it should be all Crimson Tide. The Tiger offense will not be able to keep up and Alabama will clinch the two seed in the SEC Tournament next week in Nashville.

Projected Score: Alabama 94, Auburn 85

Sunday, March 8
No. 8!Michigan State (25-5) at. No. 3 Michigan (28-2)
3:30 p.m., CBS
Michigan State is in Ann Arbor for a huge last day of the regular season matchup between two of the top teams in the Big Ten and intrastate rivals. The Spartans edged Rutgers 91-87 and the Wolverines defeated Iowa 71-68 on Thursday night. Michigan State has won five consecutive games, putting them in position to be a two seed and if things go well next week in Indianapolis, they could be the final one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan has noticeably been struggling since backup point LJ Cason went down with a season-ending injury. The Wolverines attempt to sweep the Spartans on Sunday afternoon.

For the Spartans to keep it close, they must get offensive production outside of Jeremy Fears, who leads the way with 15 points, nine assists, and a steal a game. On the perimeter, Kur Teng and Divine Ugochukwu must support him on the perimeter even though the back court rotation is a bit shorter for the Wolverines without Cason available. Point guard Elliot Cadeau played 30 minutes in the first game since Cason’s injury and scored 11 points and nine assists. Next to him, Nimari Burnett scored just three points and added two rebounds versus the Hawkeyes. Entering Sunday’s matchup, the two sides seem to be with Michigan’s limited depth.

Senior bigs Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper have been mainstays in coach Tom Izzo’s rotations for the last four years. Both guys score over 10 points and seven rebounds a contest. They will have to play their best games of the season if they want to get past a Wolverine front court that is full of talent. Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara combined for 46 points, 24 rebounds, three blocks, and a steal. Their contributions were the reason why Michigan went on the road and won on Thursday night.

Like their first meeting on Jan. 30, the Spartans and Wolverines should go back and forth the first 30-35 minutes of this game. Then, Michigan will take over the game with Lendeborg, Johnson Jr., and Mara taking over in the paint. The Wolverines win on their Senior Day and look forward to a couple of days off being the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big Ten tournament.

Projected Score: Michigan 83, Michigan State 73

Iowa (20-10) at. No. 9 Nebraska (25-5)
4 p.m., FOX
Iowa will face off with Nebraska on Sunday afternoon as both teams attempt to enter next week’s Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis playing well. UCLA dominated the Cornhuskers 72-52 on Wednesday night. The Hawkeyes took a tough 71-68 loss at home but they will look to bounce back with a win over their rival. A win for Nebraska and loss by Michigan State would give them the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament but a loss would keep them at No. 3 or No. 4 depending on Illinois’ last result. Iowa is out of position to get a top spot in the league tournament with a 10-9 record but they can avoid falling to .500 in conference with a victory.

Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz scored 21 points and added four assists in their close loss to the Wolverines. Similar to Michigan State, others will have to step up beside him including Kael Combs and Tavion Banks. In their 20-point loss to the Bruins, Sam Hoiberg led the Cornhuskers with 12 points. Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence, who only scored two points on Wednesday night will be trusted to step up and win the game for Nebraska on Sunday with terrific performances against Stirtz and the Iowa backcourt.

Inside the paint, it has been Cam Manyawu (14 points and eight rebounds) delivering for the Hawkeyes. Cooper Koch will need a better game versus Nebraska after scoring only three points versus Michigan. The trio of Rienk Mast, Pryce Sandfort, and Berke Buyuktuncel to take over versus Iowa with scoring and rebounding.

In what should be a low-scoring game, the Corn Huskers should bounce back and come out victorious with their 15th Big Ten victory of the season. Iowa will be able to hang with Nebraska for awhile in this game but Hoiberg and Mast will win them that game with Stirtz almost single-handily taking the Hawkeyes to a win.

Projected Score: Nebraska 75, Iowa 71

After each of these games end by the time the weekend finishes up, teams will be traveling to their conference tournament’s destination to begin their postseason runs. Whether the team is solidly in the tournament field, on the bubble, or does not have a chance to make it without winning their conference tournament, each team has a chance with the best time of the year just around the corner. Selection Sunday is just nine days away.

Image – Gators Wire – USA Today

I used https://www.espn.com/ for statistics in this blog post. 

*All games are at Central Standard Time, and all rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25* 

Friday, Feb. 27 
No. 3 Michigan (26-2) at. No. 10 Illinois (22-6) 
7 p.m., FOX 
As Michigan heads to Illinois for an important Friday matchup, both teams look to bounce back after losses last Saturday. The Wolverines lost to Duke 68-63 in Washington DC, and the Fighting Illini fell to UCLA 95-94 on a Donovan Dent game-winner in the overtime period on Saturday. Michigan bounced back with a 77-67 win over Minnesota, but Illinois had the midweek off before they host the No. 3 team in the country. 

In Illinois’ high-scoring loss to the Bruins, freshman sensation Keaton Wagler led the team with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and veteran Kylan Boswell added 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists. A strong showing on both sides of the basketball will be important for the Fighting Illini to counter Michigan’s tremendous front court with a strong performance from the perimeter. After struggling in their loss to the Blue Devils on Saturday, Wolverine guard Elliot Cadeau led the team with 15 points and five assists. If Cadeau can be smart, avoid turning the ball over, and shoot the ball well enough,Michigan can go on the road and get a tough win. 

Illinois centers Tomislav Ivisic (19 points and 6 rebounds), Zvonimir Ivisic (11 points) and forward Ben Humrichous (15 points and 5 rebounds) will all have to put up similar performances offensively and will need to put up a tremendous effort against one of the top front courts in the country for Michigan, including a former Fighting Illini forward Morez Johnson, who scores over 13 points and seven rebounds a contest. On Tuesday against the Golden Gophers, Aday Mara led the front court with 10 points and five rebounds. Johnson scored six points but grabbed seven rebounds, and leading scorer Yaxel Lendeborg only put up three points. That group will have to be much better against Illinois’ paint players because they are a talented group offensively as much as the Wolverines’ group normally is. 

A loss for Michigan will not hurt them in the Big Ten race as they are still three games ahead of Illinois for the Big Ten lead. But three straight inconsistent performances from the Wolverines could mean that they will lose on Friday night at Illinois, who has lost three of their last five games. Dusty May’s team should not turn in another bad performance, and they will beat the Fighting Illini in what should be a close game. 

Projected Score: Michigan 85, Illinois 83 

Saturday, Feb. 28 
No. 11 Virginia (25-3) at. No. 1 Duke (26-2) 
11 a.m., ESPN 
Virginia heads to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face Duke with the ACC rivals separated by just one game in both their overall and conference records. The Cavaliers did not play as strong of a non-conference schedule as the Blue Devils but have improved their level of play since conference play started with their only two losses in the last two months being to instate rival Virginia Tech and North Carolina. On Tuesday, Virginia dominated North Carolina State 90-61, and Duke did the same to Notre Dame 100-56. A huge battle at the top of the ACC looms early Saturday. 

The Blue Devils play through forward Cameron Boozer, who puts together a double-double performance in almost every game by averaging over 22 points and 10 rebounds per game. They will need center Patrick Ngongba II to play tough against the Virginia front court and avoid picking up two fouls early, so it does not limit the Duke defense against the Cavaliers’ strong offense. The Cavaliers’ leading scorer, forward Thijs De Ridder and centers Johann Grunloh and Ugonna Onyeso will have to counter against Boozer and Ngongba.  

In front of their home crowd, the Blue Devils will also need consistent guard play versus Virginia, something they have failed to get for much of the season. It will take Isaiah Evans reaching his season averages of 14.7 points and Caleb Foster settling everyone down and passing out assists like coach Jon Scheyer expects him to when the Cavaliers go on a run. When they do that, Virginia’s Malik Thomas, Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory are all capable of scoring in bunches, but it will be tough to do on the road in Durham. 

In what should be a highly contested game in the first half if Virginia can limit Boozer early in the game, Duke should go on a run in the second half and continue their success against ACC opponents. Boozer will be too much for De Ridder to handle, and the Blue Devils will grab their 15th conference win. 

Projected Score: Duke 79, Virginia 68 

No. 24 Louisville (20-8) at. Clemson (20-8) 
1 p.m., ESPN2 
Louisville heads to Clemson to face the Tigers on Saturday afternoon in an important ACC battle. The Cardinals have won six of their last eight games while Clemson has lost its last four contests. Louisville dropped their game on Monday at North Carolina, 77-75, while Clemson had the midweek off after losing to Florida State 74-72 on Saturday. The winner of Saturday’s game will help their chances at moving up the seed list as Selection Sunday is just a few weeks away. 

Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. scored 24 points on 25 shots in the Cardinals’ loss in Chapel Hill earlier this week. While Brown was not efficient on Monday, his backcourt mate Ryan Conwell scored 23 points. They will need to be prepared as they continue their roadtrip against a Tiger team with multiple defeats in a row. Clemson does not have a guard that scores over 10 points in a contest this season. They will need one of Jestin Porter, Ace Buckner, or Dillon Hunter to step up and match Brown Jr., Conwell or another one of Louisville’s tremendous guards, with all of them capable of knocking down multiple three pointers in a single game.  

Louisville got almost nothing from its bigs against the Tar Heels. Sananda Fru scored only three points and added five rebounds and got zero points from bench pieces Kasean Pryor and Aly Khalifa. A better performance will be expected from the Cardinal front court as they head on the road. The Tigers’ balanced scoring is led by forward RJ Godfrey who scores over 11 points and five rebounds and Carter Welling who adds over 10 points and almost six rebounds a game. Godfrey and Welling will have to score the ball efficiently against the Cardinals if the opposing guards have tremendous games like I think they will, even though they are playing on the road. 

In what should be a back-and-forth game, Louisville can win their seventh of nine games if Fru, Pryor, and Khalifa can handle Godfrey and Welling defensively and get consistent production from their guards. Clemson should gain a lead for some portion of this game, but the Cardinals’ offense will take over and outlast the Tigers with a run in the second half. 

Projected Score: Louisville 77, Clemson 71 

No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-6) at. Kentucky (18-10) 
1 p.m., ESPN 
Vanderbilt will be in Lexington attempting to sweep Kentucky and move back up the SEC standings after recent struggles. A month ago, the Commodores dominated the Wildcats 80-55. This week, Vanderbilt took care of Georgia 88-80 on Wednesday while the Wildcats struggled at times in their 72-63 victory over South Carolina on Tuesday night. With the teams tied for fourth in the SEC, the winner of this game on Saturday will look to move up the standings. 

Normally, Otega Oweh leads the way for Kentucky at guard as the team’s leading scorer. But on Tuesday, Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen helped the Wildcats overcome the Gamecocks with 19 points, five assists and four rebounds. On Wednesday, Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner dropped 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists against Georgia. His running mate, Tyler Nickel, scored 10 points on two for ten shooting. Nickel will have to return to his quality shooting form if they want to go on the road and beat a Kentucky team that needs to protect their home floor after winning just one of their previous four games.  

Inside, Mouhamed Dioubate came off the bench and scored 12 points and added four rebounds for the Wildcats. Dioubate was a big part of Kentucky’s success in the second half, helping them to their 18th win of the season after three consecutive losses. Andrija Jelavic (11 points) and Malachi Moreno (8 points and 11 rebounds) must continue to produce against the Vanderbilt bigs if they want to avenge their loss to the Commodores from earlier in the season. Forward Devin McGlockton matched Tanner’s point total of 17 and added ten rebounds to put together a double-double performance. If McGlockton and Jalen Washington can play through Dioubate, Jelavic, and Moreno’s tough defense on the road, Vanderbilt has a great chance to sweep the Wildcats this season. 

With Kentucky’s recent struggles, the Commodores need to come into Rupp Arena playing hard because they do not want to let Oweh have a bounce back game against them. If Tanner, Nickel, and McGlockton shoot the ball well, Vanderbilt will defeat the Wildcats. Vanderbilt will win this game and have a chance to get a double bye at the SEC Tournament in a week and a half if they can finish the season strong with wins over the Wildcats, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, which are all on the road. 

Projected Score: Vanderbilt 79, Kentucky 76 

No. 14 Kansas (21-7) at. No. 2 Arizona (26-2) 
3 p.m., ESPN 
Kansas travels to Tucson to face Arizona in a huge Big 12 game on Saturday afternoon. After Cincinnati dominated the Jayhawks last weekend, they bounced back with a 69-56 victory over No. 5 Houston. A similar performance will be expected for Kansas to go on the road and defeat an Arizona team that just defeated the Cougars last weekend too. The Wildcats went to Waco and defeated Baylor 87-80 on Tuesday night. The Wildcats will attempt to avenge their loss to Kansas on Feb. 9 in this one. 

On Monday, Tre White was the star for the Jayhawks. White scored 23 points and grabbed five rebounds against the strong Houston defense. Joining him on the perimeter, Darryn Peterson (14 points) and Melvin Council (11 points) helped Kansas gain another victory. Jaden Bradley (25 points and 6 assists against the Bears), Brayden Burries (24 points and 5 rebounds), and Anthony Dell’Orso (8 points) make up a formidable group of perimeter players that will have to limit White, Peterson, and Council from continuing their success on the road and give it back to them on offense. 

Forward Bryce Tiller put together a double-double performance with 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Next to Tiller, Flory Bidunga only scored four points and added seven rebounds. He will have to be much better against a talented Arizona front court that includes, Montiejus Krivas (12 points and 4 rebounds), and Ivan Kharchenkov (8 points and 6 rebounds). Freshman Koa Peat who was listed as questionable for the Baylor game with a lower leg muscle strain, has not played in their last three contests. 

Arizona and Kansas will play a close game throughout the first half before the Wildcats overtake the Jayhawks in the second half. The winners of the guard matchups will determine this game, and it will be Arizona’s Burries and Bradley that outperform Peterson, Council, and White in this game. The Wildcats will extend their two-game Big 12 lead with the win. 

Projected Score: Arizona 85, Kansas 73 

No. 16 Texas Tech (21-7) at. No. 4 Iowa State (24-4) 
3 p.m., CBS 
Texas Tech and Iowa State meet in Ames after both teams gained midweek wins on Tuesday night over Cincinnati and Utah respectively. The Red Raiders will continue without star forward JT Toppin after he tore his ACL a week ago. Scoring has not been an issue without Toppin but defending Iowa State will be tough to do on the road in their house on Saturday afternoon. With both teams tied at 11-4 in Big 12 play, the winner may have a chance to challenge Arizona for a Big 12 regular season title if they win out. 

Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson powered his team to a victory over the Bearcats with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Next to Anderson, LeJuan Watts (13 points) and Donovan Atwell (12 points) will have to continue putting up similar numbers to continue getting wins without Toppin in the lineup. Anderson and Atwell will match up with Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey and Killyan Toure. Lipsey scores 13 points and adds five assists a night while Toure scores almost nine points a game and shoots 32.3% from three-point range. 

The Red Raiders’ Luke Bamgboye and Marial Akuentok will have to step up even more without Toppin playing at all. They will have the challenge of defending one of the nation’s top shooters Milan Momcilovic and top passing big men, Joshua Jefferson. Momcilovic leads the Cyclones with 17 points a game, and Jefferson is a terrific all-around player with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists per contest. 

At home, Iowa State has not lost yet this season. The Cyclones will be hard to beat, but Anderson and Texas Tech will continue their winning ways without Toppin. This game should be close throughout, but Iowa State will overtake Texas Tech with Lipsey and Jefferson’s playmaking and Momcilovic’s shooting and move their focus to Arizona on Monday night. 

Projected Score: Iowa State 79, Texas Tech 72 

No. 17 Alabama (21-7) at. No. 22 Tennessee (20-8) 
5 p.m., ESPN 
Alabama heads to Knoxville attempting to avenge a loss to Tennessee they took at home a couple of weeks ago by the score of 79-73. The Crimson Tide made 22 three-pointers and defeated Mississippi State 100-75 while Tennessee lost at Missouri 73-69 in midweek action. The winner of Saturday night’s action will be tied for second in the SEC standings, at least depending on the Arkansas-Florida game that will follow on ESPN. 

The Volunteers got tremendous play from their front court throughout their loss to Missouri. Freshman phenom Nate Ament scored 17 points and added seven rebounds, Felix Okpara scored 15 points and added eight rebounds, and Jaylen Carey had 10 rebounds. At home if they can score inside and rebound like they did on the road this week, it will be hard for Alabama’s sharpshooting guards to get second and third looks from the three-point line. In addition, freshman forward Amari Allen has emerged as one of the Crimson Tide’s most consistent players. Allen led his team with 23 points and five rebounds while shooting six for seven from three-point range. If he and Aiden Sherrell (who scored 11 points and added six rebounds on Wednesday) shoot as well as they have over the last month, it will be hard for the Tennessee defense to consistently get stops. 

Ja’Kobi Gillespie has been the Volunteers’ top guard all season since he transferred from Maryland. Gillespie led the team with 19 points and dished out six assists while Bishop Boswell added 13 points. Gillespie and Boswell will have difficult defensive assignments against Labaron Philon, Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell, all of whom could light the Volunteers up from three. Holloway scored 18 points and Wrightsell added 16 points in the victory on Wednesday. Leading scorer Labaron Philon did not play against the Bulldogs.  

If Alabama can play at the fast pace they want to play at, they can go to Knoxville and defeat Tennessee. However, playing at the Food City Center is not easy, and Gillespie, Ament, and the Volunteers will want to sweep the Crimson Tide after falling to the Tigers on Tuesday night. Tennessee will limit the Crimson Tide’s three-point shooting and protect their home floor on Saturday night. 

Projected Score: Tennessee 86, Alabama 84 

No. 20 Arkansas (21-7) at. No. 7 Florida (22-6) 
7:30 p.m., ESPN 
ESPN’s College GameDay will be on site for a huge SEC matchup in Gainesville between Arkansas, who is tied for second in the SEC standings with Alabama, and Florida, who has won eight games in a row and is two games ahead of the rest of the league. The Razorbacks outscored Texas A&M 99-84 while Florida used a late run to defeat Texas 84-71 in their last games. A win for Arkansas would mean a jump to the four seed line while a victory for Florida would all but lock up an SEC regular season title as they continue to pursue a top three seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second season in a row. 

On Wednesday, Razorback wing Billy Richmond continued his streak to four consecutive 20-point games with 23 against the Aggies. Richmond is a tough cover with his athletic ability, and if the front court of Malique Ewin and Trevon Brazile can continue to play efficiently against a talented Gators’ front line, they will have a chance to win this game on the road. Florida forward Alex Condon scored 23 points and four rebounds while Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu combined for only 10 points in their last action. Haugh and Chinyelu will have to be much better against a high scoring Arkansas lineup, and they should be when they return home in front of a big crowd. 

Razorback guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas both struggled in the first half of action on Wednesday, shooting a combined one for 12 from the field. However, they both woke up in the second half as Acuff scored 22 points, added seven assists and five rebounds while Thomas dropped 13 points. Former Arkansas guard Boogie Fland will face his former team as a Gator for the first time after scoring 22 points against the Longhorns. Fland and Xavian Lee will start versus Acuff and Thomas, but Urban Klavzar will be the difference with his three-point shooting. Klavzar only scored eight points on two for five shooting from three-point range on Wednesday however a big game could be in line for him if Acuff, Thomas and veteran DJ Wagner do not come out and defend him from deep range. 

If the Razorbacks had a healthy Karter Knox, they may be the betting favorite to defeat Florida on the road. However, the group of Condon, Haugh and Chinyelu will be too much to handle for an Arkansas front court that has not been able to defend in the paint all season. The Razorbacks will keep it close, but the Gators will continue their winning streak to nine games. 

Projected Score: Florida 90, Arkansas 84 

No. 9 Gonzaga (28-2) at. Saint Mary’s (26-4) 
9:30 p.m., ESPN 
Gonzaga is in Moraga to face rival Saint Mary’s for the final time as common West Coast Conference opponents before they head to the Pac-12. The Bulldogs have dominated WCC competition this season with their only loss being to Portland on Feb. 4. Gonzaga avenged that loss in midweek action, dominating the Pilots 89-48 on Wednesday night. The Gaels are just two games back of the Bulldogs overall and are just a game back in conference play after they crushed Santa Clara 86-67. On Jan. 31, Gonzaga defeated Saint Mary’s 73-65. The winner of the final regular season matchup between the two as common conference opponents in the WCC will be the regular season conference champion. 

The Bulldogs are powered by big man Graham Ike, who scored 19 points, eight rebounds seven steals, and a block versus Portland. As Ike continues his strong season without front court mate Braden Huff due to his injury, he will be the most important player on the Bulldog roster for defeating their longtime rivals. Paulias Murauskas has the job of defending Ike on Saturday night. In their last game versus Gonzaga, Murauskas scored 15 points, four rebounds, and two steals. He will have to put up similar or better numbers and prevent Ike from doing whatever he wants to inside if the Gaels want to come out victorious. 

The Bulldogs have more depth on the perimeter with Braeden Smith, Tyon Grant-Foster, and Mario Saint-Supery combined for 39 points and eight assists versus the Pilots. They will need to come together and play well again versus the Gaels if they want to come out with another WCC regular season title. On Jan. 31, Saint Mary’s guard Joshua Dent led his team with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Like Murauskas, Dent will need to step up and score with the Gonzaga guards and defend them with the help of his teammates Dillan Shaw and Mikey Lewis to win this game. 

In the last Bulldogs-Gaels matchup as members of the WCC, Gonzaga will win their first regular season conference title since 2023 with a win over Saint Mary’s thanks to another great performance from Ike. But the Gaels always make it tough when the Bulldogs come to their home court. 

Projected Score: Gonzaga 77, Saint Mary’s 75 

Sunday, March 1 
No. 8 Purdue (22-5) at. Ohio State (17-11) 
2:45 p.m., CBS 
Purdue is in Columbus to face Ohio State on Sunday afternoon in a game the Buckeyes must win to stay on the right side of the bubble. Michigan State defeated Purdue 76-74 but are playing some of their best basketball of the season at the right time, winning five of their last seven games. However, Ohio State dropped a game to Iowa 74-57, in a spot where they could not lose. An upset win over Purdue would help the Buckeyes get themselves solidly in the NCAA Tournament field again while the Boilermakers look to keep chugging along in another successful season under Matt Painter. 

Braden Smith led the Boilermakers with just 12 points but stood out with 10 assists in another double-double performance against Michigan State. Smith, Fletcher Loye, and CJ Cox will be trusted to match one of college basketball’s top scorers Bruce Thornton, who scores 20 points a contest. He is the key to Ohio State getting an upset with John Mobley Jr. next to him scoring over 15 points a game. 

Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds while Oscar Cluff added 10 points and four rebounds to help the Purdue front court in their loss to the Spartans. Buckeye forward Devin Royal and center Christopher Tilly combine to average over 25 points and 10 rebounds a game. If Smith and Loyer get their points for the Boilermaker backcourt, it will be up to Royal and Tilly to step up on their home court to win this game. 

Purdue should take care of business on the road, but they have had problems on the road facing weaker teams in the past. The veteran group of Smith, Loyer, and Kaufman-Renn will be the difference against Thornton and Mobley Jr. The Boilermakers will get a bounce back performance as they continue their road trip to Evanston to face Northwestern. 

Projected Score: Purdue 81, Ohio State 75 

Conclusion 
As Selection Sunday nears, the results of the ten games this weekend I wrote about in this blog post will have a giant impact on where they will be seeded in the NCAA tournament that will be played from the middle of March to the first week of April. Enjoy watching them and come back to my blog for more coverage in the next few weeks. 

Image Courtesy: ESPN

*All game are at central standard time and all rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25*

Friday, Feb. 13
10.Michigan State (20-4) @ Wisconsin (17-7)
7 p.m., FOX
Michigan State heads to Madison looking to continue their winning ways against Wisconsin on Friday night. The Spartans bounced back from a three-game losing streak against then No. 5 Illinois last Sunday. The Badgers overcame a 12-point deficit late to defeat the Fighting Illini on Tuesday night. Veteran guards Nick Boyd and John Blackwell starred in Wisconsin’s two point victory.

Michigan State’s true leader is lead guard Jeremy Fears. Fears leads the Spartans in scoring (15.1 points), assisting (9.1), and stealing (1.3) per game. Fears will have a tough job dealing with Boyd and Blackwell, who combined for 49 points, nine assists, and three steals versus Illinois. Fears taking on the duo of Boyd and Blackwell will make for an interesting matchup on Friday night.

If Michigan State wants to continue to win, it cannot only be Fears showing up. Forwards Jaxon Kohler and Coen Carr must add solid performances against the Badgers’ front court. Kohler and Carr combine to average over 24 points and almost 15 rebounds. They will put that up to the test against the Badgers’ Nolan Winter, who scores over 14 points and adds almost nine rebounds a contest. The battle between Winter and Kohler will be a defining factor in who will win the game.

In what should be another close game in the Big Ten, the Spartans will go into Madison and defeat Wisconsin on their home floor. Michigan State will grab a four-point win thanks to Fears, Kohler, and Carr playing efficiently against Boyd, Blackwell, and Winter consistently throughout the game.

Projected Score: Michigan State 76, Wisconsin 73

Saturday, Feb. 14
20.Clemson (20-5) @ 4.Duke (22-2)
11 a.m., ESPN
The top two teams in the ACC standings meet in Durham at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Duke was angry after rival North Carolina beat them last Saturday but as a result, they defeated former assistant coach Jeff Capel and Pittsburgh 70-54 on Tuesday behind 21 points from guard Isaiah Evans. Clemson fell to Virginia Tech 76-66 on Wednesday night, thanks to Jailen Bedford’s 23 points against the Tigers.

Evans’ scoring outburst is important as lately it has been forward Cameron Boozer and no one else offensively for a Blue Devil team that has lost only two games this season. Boozer finished with another double-double against the Panthers with 17 points and 10 rebounds. A complete team performance will be expected from coach Jon Scheyer with Evans, Boozer, Dame Sarr, Caleb Foster, and Maliq Brown all coming out strong against the Tigers.

Clemson’s attack is balanced. Forward RJ Godfrey leads the way with almost 12 points and five rebounds, guard Jestin Porter, forward Carter Welling, forward Nick Davidson, and guard Dillon Hunter all contribute as well. Those five will have to put up their best fight of the season after a tough loss last time out against the Hokies if they want to beat a Duke team ready to pounce.

All of that being said, it is hard to see the Blue Devils losing on Saturday afternoon against the Tigers. Duke will overwhelm Clemson and run away with it in the second half. In a game that will be a full team victory, the Blue Devils will enter their next game on Monday against Syracuse with a newfound energy.

Projected Score: Duke 77, Clemson 62

Texas A&M (17-7) @ 19.Vanderbilt (20-4)
12 p.m., SECN
Texas A&M heads to Nashville as they face Vanderbilt in a matchup between two of the better teams in the SEC. The Aggies fell at home to Missouri 86-85, continuing their three game losing streak. The Commodores took a tough quad three loss to Oklahoma before bouncing back with an 84-76 victory over Auburn on Tuesday night.

Vanderbilt was led by guard Tyler Tanner’s 25 points and six assists and Tyler Nickel’s 10 points. Tanner and Nickel will need similar or better production against Texas A&M as back court mates Duke Miles and Frankie Collins remain out with injuries. In the loss to the Tigers, Rylan Griffen scored 17 points and added five rebounds but Marcus Hill, Jacari Lane, and Rubén Dominguez were limited to just 17 combined points. They will have to be much better to match Tanner’s all-around abilities and Nickel’s shooting ability.

Forward Jalen Washington posted a season best 22 points, five rebounds, and one block against the Tigers. Fellow teammate Devin McGlockton helped Washington with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks of his own. If Washington, McGlockton, and AK Okereke perform well against the Aggies, they can win on Saturday afternoon. The Aggies’ leader in every way is Rashaun Agee. The forward leads the team in scoring, rebounding, and is always loud on the court and when he is on the bench. Agee is capable of shutting down Washington, McGlockton, and Okereke from having their normal averages or better with the help of his teammate Zach Clemence but it will not be easy on the road.

In a game Texas A&M needs to win after falling from the top of the SEC, first year coach Bucky McMillan needs to refocus his team on what they need to do Saturday to come out victorious on the road in front of a raucous environment for Vanderbilt. If Agee eliminates Washington from putting up similar numbers to what he had against Auburn on Tuesday, the Aggies have a shot to win in Nashville. But McMillan’s pressure on guards Tanner and Nickel will not be enough to give the Commodores back to back home losses.

Projected Score: Vanderbilt 88, Texas A&M 82

UCLA (17-7) @ 2.Michigan (23-1)
12 p.m., CBS
UCLA is looking for a season-defining win in Ann Arbor as they face No. 2 Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins will attempt to continue a two game winning streak on Saturday but their next three games will all be against AP Top 10 opponents, at Michigan, at No. 10 Michigan State, and back home against No. 8 Illinois.

The Bruins are powered by four scorers that put up over 10 points per contest. Forward Tyler Bilodeau, guards Donovan Dent, Skyy Clark, Trent Prey, and Eric Dailey Jr. are the group that can give Michigan their second loss after they struggled to gain the lead until late against Northwestern earlier this week. The Wolverines’ top group is their front court that includes Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and Aday Mara. The group averages over 39 points, over 21 rebounds, and over 5 blocks a game. Bilodeau and Michigan State transfer Xavier Booker will be trusted to defend one of the nation’s best front courts that boasts three guys 6’10 or taller.

On the other hand, Dent, Clark, and Prey will look to handle Michigan’s Trey McKenney and Eliot Cadeau from the perimeter. McKenney is a better scorer and Cadeau is a better playmaker but UCLA definitely has the guys to shut up McKenney and Cadeau from starting up the Wolverine offense.

Despite the Wolverines’ slow start on the road against Northwestern earlier this week, they will be back home to play UCLA and that should help them begin the game better. The Bruins must play tough defense to limit Lendeborg from leading Michigan to win 24 of the season. But he and the Michigan front court will be too much for UCLA to handle.

Projected Score: Michigan 87, UCLA 72

9.Kansas (19-5) @ 5.Iowa State (21-3)
12 p.m., ABC
The early Saturday slate will be defined by the game in Ames on ABC. Kansas dominated Iowa State a few weeks ago in Lawrence so it will be up to the Cyclones to avenge themselves against the Jayhawks. The Jayhawks gave No. 1 Arizona their first loss of the season in a thriller, 82-78 behind a phenomenal performance from forward Flory Bidunga without the presumptive No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft Darryn Peterson due to flu-like symptoms. Iowa State took their first loss since Jan. 17 against Cincinnati when they were upset by TCU 62-55 on the road. A bounce back performance will be necessary for the Cyclones to secure their spot on the two seed line versus the Jayhawks.

Kansas’ Bidunga scored 23 points, added 10 rebounds, blocked three shots, and stole the ball once in another performance that proves he can be an All-American and the national defensive player of the year. Fellow forward Bryson Tiller had 18 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a steal to help Bidunga up front. They will match up with an Iowa State front line that can score efficiently on a regular basis. However, forwards Joshua Jefferson’s 12 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds and Milan Momcilovic 11 points and 5 rebounds led the Cyclones in a game where they struggled to score the ball.

If Peterson returns to action for the Jayhawks, great. But their guards have been doing well without him. Guard Melvin Council matched Bidunga’s performance against the Wildcats with 23 points, six assists, and six rebounds, proving he has an all around game. If Peterson does not play on the road versus the Cyclones, more will be expected of Council’s backcourt mates Jamari McDowell and Tre White to sweep the season series against their rivals.

Veteran guard Tamin Lipsey matched Jefferson’s 12 points to lead Iowa State in scoring. The Ames native will have to play much better and lead his Cyclones to a win over a red hot Kansas on Saturday afternoon. Killyan Toure will have to be the defensive anchor that helps Lipsey shut down Council and Peterson if he plays.

Like last weekend when Michigan State was on a losing streak entering Sunday’s game against Illinois, I picked the Spartans to pull a mini upset of the Fighting Illini and it happened. KenPom has Iowa State handling Kansas 74-68 in a close game. I agree with them but I think the game will be a bit more high-scoring and the game will be closer than a six point deficit. Lipsey, Jefferson, and Momcilovic will lead the Cyclones in a much better offensive effort and avoid being swept by the Jayhawks.

Projected Score: Iowa State 81, Kansas 80

25.Kentucky (17-7) @ 14.Florida (18-6)
2 p.m., ABC
Kentucky has returned to the AP Top 25 and had the midweek off before their trip to Gainesville this weekend to face No. 14 Florida, who has emerged as the top team in the SEC over the last couple of weeks. The Wildcats are just a game back of the Gators in SEC play with an 8-3 record. Florida has won eight of their last nine games, the latest victory a 20 point drubbing of rival Georgia on the road, 86-66. Florida will face Kentucky for the first of two games between the longtime conference rivals so Saturday’s matchup will be a preview of what to expect inside Rupp Arena in just three weeks on the final day of the regular season in the SEC.

Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen power the Wildcats on the perimeter with Collin Chandler contributing as well. Their group has been much more consistent than the Gators’ group. However, the Gators’ back court, including Boogie Fland, Xavian Lee, and Urban Klavzar, combined for 41 points and eight assists in their win against the Bulldogs. If they meet Oweh and Aberdeen’s physicality and put up a similar performance as they did on Wednesday night, they can definitely help their bigs perform inside

Inside the paint, the toughness of veteran Mouhamed Dioubate and freshman Malachi Moreno has helped Kentucky wake up after a rough start to the season through non-conference and through much of the first month of SEC play. They will need all of Dioubate and Moreno against Florida’s group, who many label as the top unit in the country. It was a balanced effort for the Gators’ forwards against Georgia. Alex Condon scored 12 points and five rebounds, Thomas Haugh put up 11 points and five assists, and Rueben Chinyelu boasted seven points and an incredible 20 blocks. The tougher group between these two may determine the winner of the game.

Florida will protect the O’Connell Center and send Kentucky back to Lexington with a fourth SEC loss. Fland, Lee, and Klavzar will play hard in the back court and Condon, Haugh, and Chinyelu will come up with important rebounds down the stretch to help the Gators defeat the Wildcats. A rematch is set for March 7 inside Rupp Arena in three weeks.

Projected Score: Florida 85, Kentucky 79

13.Purdue (20-3) @ Iowa (18-6)
4 p.m., FOX
Purdue must start well if they want to bounce back from recent up and down play as they travel to face Iowa this weekend. The Boilermakers lead for most of the way against No. 7 Nebraska in Lincoln but the Corn Huskers forced overtime. Purdue’s Oscar Cluff made a game-winning layup and they got a huge win over Nebraska 80-77 to help them move up the Big Ten standings and two and a half games of No. 2 Michigan. Maryland upset the Hawkeyes 77-70 on Wednesday night, Iowa’s first loss since their first game against the Boilermakers back on Jan. 14.

It was a balanced effort from the Boilermakers offense in their victory on Tuesday night. Senior guards Fletcher Loyer (18 points) and Braden Smith (13 points and 10 assists) lead the way. They will need to do the same as they enter what should be another hostile environment in Iowa City on Saturday afternoon. The Hawkeyes’ point guard Bennett Stirtz put up 32 points and six assists in the loss to the Terrapins but more will be needed outside of Stirtz on the perimeter like from Tavion Banks and Kael Combs to defeat the Boilermakers at home.

Cluff’s double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds supported Loyer’s and Smith’s performances as they had to dig deep late in the game to overcome Nebraska in overtime. However, pre-season All-American Trey Kaufman-Renn only scored six points but he had 19 rebounds. More points will be expected of Kaufman-Renn against the Hawkeyes but if he and Cluff can combine for 33 rebounds, it will be tough to play against them throughout the rest of the season. Iowa’s Cam Manyawu and Cooper Koch will need to step up inside against Cluff and Kaufman-Renn inside after only combining for 11 points on Wednesday if they want to defeat the Boilermakers.

If Purdue starts well against Iowa, they should take care of business. But Loyer and Smith will have to make sure Stirtz does not go for more than 30 points because then they could be in trouble. However if Stirtz is the only Hawkeye that causes problems against the Boilermaker defense, they will coast to a win on Saturday night.

Projected Score: Purdue 77, Iowa 71

16.Texas Tech (18-6) @ 1.Arizona (23-1)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Texas Tech heads to Tucson to face No. 1 Arizona after their first loss of the season on Monday night. The Red Raiders dominated Colorado 78-44 on Wednesday night thanks to Donovan Atwell’s 20 points. After falling for the first time this season to No. 9 Kansas, Arizona continues one of the toughest stretches in the country when they host No. 16 Texas Tech on Saturday night. The Wildcats fell 82-78 to the Jayhawks on the road in front of one of college basketball’s best environments at Allen Fieldhouse.

Arizona should not worry about taking their first loss this season against Kansas. There is a reason why they were 23-0 and they performed well in Lawrence but fell inside one of college basketball’s top atmospheres.

Guards Brayden Burries (25 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals against Kansas) and Jayden Bradley (6 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals are the guys that have paced the Wildcats this season. Burries continues to do good things but more will be expected of the veteran Bradley scoring wise if they want to keep up with Texas Tech’s backcourt, who score at one of the highest rates in the country. On top of Atwell’s performance, Christian Anderson scored 14 points and Jaylen Petty added 12 points of his own. The guard matchups in this game will go a long way in determining this game.

Like their guards, Arizona’s front court has been fantastic this season. Center Motiejus Krivas scored 14 points, had 15 rebounds, and added an incredible six blocks versus the Jayhawks, forward Ivan Kharchenkov scored 13 points, added six rebounds, and had three steals, but freshman sensation Koa Peat was limited to only six points. Peat will have do more alongside Krivas and Kharchenkov with JT Toppin facing the Wildcats on Saturday night. Toppin scored 16 points and added 18 rebounds for an impressive double-double against the Buffaloes on Wednesday night. Krivas, Kharchenkov, and Peat will have to limit Toppin if they want to come out victorious on Saturday night.

All of that being said, Arizona should protect their home floor and grab win 24 of the season thanks to Burries and Bradley leading the Wildcats as playmakers and making passes to Peat, Kharchenkov, and Krivas to set them up to make plays that will help them overcome Anderson, Toppin, and the high scoring Red Raiders.

Projected Score: Arizona 89, Texas Tech 77

12.Gonzaga (24-2) @ Santa Clara (22-5)
9:30 p.m., ESPN
Gonzaga meets Santa Clara on the road in a battle between the top two teams in the West Coast conference with matching 12-1 records. The Bulldogs dominated instate rival Washington State 83-53 on Tuesday night and will definitely have a tougher test against the Broncos on Saturday night. Santa Clara took care of Seattle University 84-72 on Wednesday night.

Graham Ike scored 20 points and added seven rebounds and guard Adam Miller scored 11 points against the Cougars earlier this week. Both guys will be trusted to lead the way again versus Santa Clara, especially as they continue without forward Braden Huff due to injury. Forwards Junseok Yeo (17 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block against the Redhawks) and Will Heimbrdt (11 points) continue to anchor the Broncos.

More will be expected of guards Jalen Warley and Tyon Grant-Foster to support Miller in the backcourt so they can defeat the Broncos. On the perimeter, Brayden Maldonado, who scored 17 points and assisted six baskets versus Seattle U will have to hope his teammates Maleek Arington, John Christofilis, and Jojo Murphy pick it up behind them after all of them only put up subpar showings in midweek action.

If the Zags want to end their time in the West Coast conference on a positive note and win the league, they will have to win this game. But without Huff, they have struggled to do so. Facing Santa Clara on the road will be a tough test as they are just four point favorites on KenPom. That being said, give me the Bulldogs to win close against the Broncos and reclaim the lead of the league entering the last two weeks of regular season play.

Projected Score: Gonzaga 85, Santa Clara 82

Sunday, Feb. 15
Indiana (19-8) @ 8.Illinois (20-5)
12 p.m., CBS
Indiana will try to continue to rise up the bracket by traveling on the road and potentially upsetting No. 8 Illinois on Sunday afternoon. The Hoosiers dominated Oregon 92-72 on Monday night, a team that fell to then No. 12 Purdue by just four points on Saturday. The Fighting Illini fell to Wisconsin 92-90 in overtime, marking back to back losses since their 12-game win streak ended.

Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson put up 41 points against the Ducks while Nick Dorn supported him with 11 points. Wilkerson will have to face a guard with similar offensive abilities on Sunday afternoon. The guy Wilkerson must face is freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who will continue to be Illinois’ standard bearer with 34 points against the Badgers as senior guard Kylan Boswell remains out with a hand fracture. Wagler was not able to handle the Badgers’ guards and as a result Boswell was definitely missed defensively. In addition to missing Boswell, second leading score Andrej Stojakovic missed Tuesday’s game with an ankle injury.

The Hoosiers’ front court, including Tucker DeVries and Sam Alexis, combined for 31 points and 8 rebounds on Monday. They will have a tough test against the high-scoring Illinois front court. The revolving door of injuries for the Illini backcourt must mean that Tomislav Ivisic, David Mirkovic, and Zvonimir Ivisic continue their hot offensive play and rebound the ball well to support Wagler without Boswell and Stojakovic next to him on the perimeter.

In what should be a back and forth game, Illinois will go on a late run in the last eight minutes of the second half to defeat Indiana by eight points. Wagler, Mirkovic, and the Ivisic brothers will match Wilerson, DeVries, and Alexis and overtake them in the eight minutes of their late run and win their first game since Feb. 4 against Northwestern.

Projected Score: Illinois 86, Indiana 78

Image Courtesy: Heartland College Sports

*All game are at central standard time and all rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25*

Friday, Feb. 6
3.UConn (22-1) @ 22.St. John’s (16-6)
7 p.m., FOX
Everyone expected the battle for this season’s Big East regular season championship was going to be decided during their two battles this season on Friday in New York City and then in Storrs on Feb. 25 between UConn and St. John’s. The Huskies (12-0 in Big East play) and the Red Storm (10-1) stand just a game back in the league. After St. John’s up and down start to the season, they have won seven games in a row since Jan. 6 and now they will face their biggest test against UConn.

The Huskies have yet to play their best basketball yet this season despite their race out to an impressive 22-1 record to start this season. A balanced attack heads the UConn offense with guards Solo Ball, Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary Jr., forward Alex Karaban, and center Tarris Reed all averaging over 10.9 points a game. Ball, Mullins, and Demary Jr. must make smart passes and score consistently against a Red Storm backcourt that has improved on defense.

Ball, Mullins, and Demary Jr. will have the job of defending Oziah Sellers, Ian Jackson, and Josan Sanon on the perimeter. Though inconsistent Sellers and Jackson match their opponent with 11 points each. Sanon comes off the bench with almost 9 points a game. The problem is that Sellers, Jackson, and Sanon all average less than two assists a game. They will have to pass the ball to their talented bigs against a talented UConn defense that will not make it easy.

Karaban and Reed combine to average over 24 points and over 13 rebounds a contest. That will be tested against one of the league’s best paint duos, Zuby Ejiofor (15.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1.2 steals) and Bryce Hopkins (13.6 points, 5.5 points, and 1 steal), that lead St. John’s on the season. They will be the key factors in helping the Johnnies overcome Danny Hurley’s team that is finally coming together as one of the best in America.

In the battle of Hurley versus Rick Pitino, UConn should outlast St. John’s inside Madison Square Garden on Friday night. The Huskies will end the Red Storm’s seven game winning streak and move their focus to their trip to Indianapolis where they will face Butler next Sunday. The Johnnies will continue their home stand against Xavier on a quick break against Xavier.

Projected Score: UConn 81, St. John’s 79

Saturday, Feb. 7
Alabama (15-7) @ Auburn (14-8)
3:30 p.m., ESPN2
Alabama heads to “the Plains” to continue its instate rivalry series with Auburn on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson Tide and Tigers both fell in key games last weekend and will be looking to defeat their rival to get going the right direction. Auburn lost to Tennessee on the road last Saturday and has the midweek off before this weekend’s battle. Alabama out dueled Texas A&M and defeated 100-97 to move back over .500 in SEC play with a 5-4 record. The winner will hope that Saturday’s victory can help propel them back into conference title talks as February continues and March begins.

The Tigers are paced by forward Keyshawn Hall, whose 21 points and seven rebounds a game will be important to keep pace with Alabama’s fast pace on offense. Keyshawn Murphy, Sebastian Williams-Adams, and Filip Jović join Hall in the front court. Charles Bediako and Aiden Sherrill will have to contend with and limit Hall from success tomorrow.

At guard, Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton will be crucial pieces against the Crimson Tide’s loaded backcourt. Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway are too dangerous from deep and in the lane for Auburn to not worry about them on offense. But on the other side Pettiford and Overton are skilled offensively as well, so the up and down defense of the Alabama guards will be important as well.

In the ‘Iron Bowl’ on the basketball court part 1 this season, Auburn will take down Alabama. Hall will overcome the Crimson Tide’s guards many threes and put up another 20+ point performance. Alabama will want revenge in a month on March 7.

Projected Score: Auburn 89, Alabama 86

4.Duke (21-1) @ 14.North Carolina (18-4)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina hosts Duke in another installment of one of college basketball’s top rivalries. The Tar Heels handled Syracuse on Monday 87-77 and come into Saturday night’s game on a four-game win streak. On the other hand, the Blue Devils won a low scoring game against Boston College, 67-49.

The Tar Heels will hope that their lethal front court duo of Caleb Wilson (20 points, 10 rebounds, and over a block and a steal a game) and Henri Veesaar (17 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block) will be crucial against Duke’s Cameron Boozer, who leads the national player of the year rankings. Boozer, who scores over 23 points and almost 10 rebounds is joined by Patrick Ngongba, Nikolas Khamenia, and Maliq Brown up front.

Seth Trimble, Luka Bogavac, Derek Dixon, and Kyan Evans head up the guard spot for North Carolina against Duke’s athletic group from the perimeter. Trimble is the clear leader of the group with 14.5 points and four rebounds while first year college players Bogavac and Dixon have impressed with recent quality performances and Evans does his job of the ball.

Isaiah Evans (14 points), Caleb Foster (almost 9 points) and Cam’s brother Cayden Boozer (over 6 points) head up the Blue Devils guard group. If Evans, Foster, and Boozer show off their athleticism on both sides of the ball and make smart decisions with the basketball on offense, they could make easy work of the Tar Heels. But North Carolina plays up to their potential, this could be one of the classics in recent memory in this rivalry.

The x-factor in this game is Tar Heel forward Jarin Stephenson. Recently, he has exploded for some impressive scoring outputs but only averages seven points for the season. If he proves himself to be a hard matchup for a Duke wing or forward to guard from the three point line, it could be harder for the Blue Devils to continue their success in this series.

If Wilson and Veesar struggle to contain Cam Boozer in the paint, it will be hard for this North Carolina team to overcome a Duke team that beat them all three times last season. Because the Blue Devil guards have been more consistent than the Tar Heels’, they should go into the ‘Dean Dome’ and get it done and move to 11-0 in ACC play.

Projected Score: Duke 86, North Carolina 81

5.Illinois (20-3) @ 10.Michigan State (19-4)
7 p.m., FOX
Illinois is playing its best basketball of the season as it travels to one of the toughest road environments in the country inside the Breslin Center against Michigan State. The Fighting Illini dominated Northwestern by 40 points and the Spartans lost to Minnesota by three on Wednesday night, their second consecutive loss.

For the Fighting Illini to continue their phenomenal play without veteran guard Kylan Boswell, freshman Keaton Wagler will have to continue his hot scoring performances in one of college basketball’s top environments. Wagler, who scored 46 points two weeks ago at Purdue, will look for a similar performance against one of college basketball’s top point guards, Jeremy Fears. Andrej Stojakovic joins Wagler in the Illinois backcourt against a Michigan State group that does not have much outside of Fears.

Brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic and David Mirkovic make up an entertaining paint group for the Illini. They can shoot consistently but must grab enough rebounds against Jaxon Kohler, Coen Carr, and Carson Cooper. Kohler, Carr, and Cooper all average north ten points and five rebounds per game. The inside presences for the Spartans will have to support Fears against a high-scoring Illini perimeter group.

Illinois will have to face Michigan State in their place after the Spartans fell in back to back games. That will be tough to do for the Fighting Illini in front of what should be a hornets’ nest. Michigan State will bounce back and end Illinois’ 12-game win streak on Saturday night.

Projected Score: Michigan State 74, Illinois 73

17.Florida (16-6) @ Texas A&M (17-5)
7:30 p.m., SECN
Florida travels to Texas A&M for a huge game atop the SEC standings. The Gators had the midweek off after dominating Alabama on Sunday while the Aggies fell to Alabama, 100-97, their first loss since their trip to Knoxville, when they lost to Tennessee on Jan. 13. Florida will face Texas A&M to determine who will clinch the SEC’s lead at 8-2 in the league.

The Gators front court has been the best in college basketball for a season and a half running now. Headed by Thomas Haugh’s 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, one steal, and one block a game, Alex Condon’s 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, and Rueben Chinyelu’s 12.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks will make it difficult for A&M to get their first victory in a week.

Rashaun Agee (14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, and almost 1 steal) and Zach Clemence (5.1 points and almost 3 rebounds a game) will be trusted to be as good as they have been this entire season against the Gators’ strong paint play. Agee has led the Aggies all season but Clemence has had to step up since fellow forward Mackenzie Mgbako after he refracted his foot.

Boogie Fland’s 15 points and eight assists helped the Florida bigs succeed against the Crimson Tide last weekend. But Xavian Lee only posted six points and two assists in that same game. So, if the group of Texas A&M’s Rubén Dominguez, Rylan Griffen, Pop Isaacs, and Marcus Hill can step up and press Fland and Lee well like their coach Bucky McMillan preaches, then the Aggies could have another win for themselves.

Texas A&M’s speed will test Florida as they attempt to protect home court on Saturday night. The Gators’ Haugh and Chinyelu have been dominant inside the paint of late and with only Agee and Clemence to challenge them, it will be tough for the Aggies to remain atop the SEC with a victory. The game will be close but Florida’s front court will overwhelm Texas A&M and they will return to the top of the league.

Projected Score: Florida 89, Texas A&M 86

25.Tennessee (16-6) @ Kentucky (16-7)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Tennessee heads on the road looking to avenge a home loss to rival Kentucky a few weeks ago. Both the Volunteers and Wildcats are playing some of their best basketball of the season so it should be a good battle. Tennessee, winners of five of their last six, dominated Ole Miss in the second half and won 84-66 on Tuesday and Kentucky continued their two game win streak against Oklahoma with a 94-78 victory on Wednesday.

Nate Ament’s recent rise of play has helped Tennessee to their success since the loss at home to Kentucky almost a month ago. He is able to play point forward and play in the paint as an anchor on offense with JP Estrella, Jaylen Carey, and Felix Okpara next to him. Ament scores over 17 points, over six rebounds, and a steal. Estrella, Carey, and Okpara all contribute north of six points and five rebounds and are consistently protecting the paint against opposing front courts by blocking shots.

Kentucky counters Tennessee’s tough group in the paint with Mouhamed Dioubate, Malachi Moreno, and Andrija Jelavic. Dioubate, Moreno, and Jelavic did help the Wildcats come out victorious with 18 points and 13 rebounds between the three of them. It will take a performance like the Wildcat bigs had against the Volunteer bigs in their last matchup for Tennessee to go in and win inside Rupp Arena on Saturday night.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie has led the Volunteers in scoring all season with Bishop Boswell and Amari Allen playing smaller roles alongside him. They will have to deal with Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh for the Wildcats, who combined for 34 points in their win over Tennessee a few weeks ago.

Kentucky enters Saturday’s contest against Tennessee half a game higher in the standings at 7-3 with the Volunteers at 6-3. A win for either team would put them in position to remain tied for second depending on the Florida-Texas A&M game happening at the same time. If the Wildcats are legit, they will sweep Tennessee for the second consecutive regular season and move closer to the top of the SEC.

Projected Score: Kentucky 78, Tennessee 76

8.Houston (20-2) @ 16.BYU (17-5)
9:30 p.m., ESPN
Two of the Big 12’s best teams match up in the Marriott Center as Houston tries their luck at BYU. The Houston Cougars have been playing much better than the BYU Cougars, having won three games in a row since losing on the road in their return game against Texas Tech. Since their “Big Monday” game against Arizona, BYU has dropped three in a row. Most recently, they dropped a game to Oklahoma State on Wednesday. They will be attempting to bounce back against one of the nation’s toughest team in the country, Houston , on Saturday night.

Projected Score:

Image Courtesy: Sports Illustrated

*All game are at central standard time and all rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25*

Friday, Jan. 30
3.Michigan (19-1) @ 7.Michigan State (19-2)
7 p.m., FOX
No. 3 Michigan heads on the road to face No. 7 Michigan State in East Lansing. The Wolverines trailed for 36 minutes against No. 5 Nebraska on Tuesday but eventually came back and defeated the Corn Huskers 75-72, giving them their first loss of the season. The Spartans came back to beat a struggling Rutgers squad 88-79 in overtime behind Jeremy Fears’ 29 points and nine assists.

The front court of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara all average more than ten points, seven rebounds, and are more than capable defenders inside. That will serve them well against Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler, who serves them well as he almost averages a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds per game.

In the back court, North Carolina transfer point guard Elliot Cadeau has improved his jump shot and his offensive game overall, scoring ten points and passing out over five assists a game. If Cadeau can avoid turnovers and pass the ball out to fellow guards Trey McKenney, Nimari Burnett, and Roddy Gayle Jr., the Wolverines could go into a tough environment in East Lansing and come out victorious over the Spartans.

Next to Fears and Kohler, Michigan State wing Coen Carr and forward Cam Ward will be the ex-factors against a strong Michigan front court. Their athleticism will be important against Lendeborg, Johnson, and Mara, who have been giving their opponents problems all season long.

Michigan and Michigan State are tied for first in the Big Ten with Nebraska and Illinois at 9-1 so the winner will enter February right at the top of the league with the loser just a game back. The two teams will match up again on the final day of the regular season, Sunday, March 8.

It is tough for visiting teams to go into the Breslin Center and win but the Wolverines have experience overcoming that very challenge. The Spartans will drop just their second home game of the season by just a point on Friday night.

Projected Score: Michigan 75, Michigan State 74

Saturday, Jan. 31
11.Texas Tech (16-4) @ UCF (16-4)
11 a.m., ESPN2
Texas Tech is red hot with wins over both No. 13 BYU and No. 10 Houston in the last few weeks. Another win on the road against a solid UCF team, led by head coach Johnny Dawkins. The Knights have been up and down in Big 12 play after dropping back to back games to AP top 10 Arizona and Iowa State, they bounced back against Colorado and Arizona State.

Guard Christian Anderson and forward JT Toppin have been the linchpins for much of Texas Tech’s success this season. But, it will be up to the rest of the roster to continue the success that they have been having. For the Knights to come out victorious, it will be big for them to limit Anderson and Toppin and hope that well traveled guard Riley Kugel, guard Themus Fulks, and forward Jamichael Stillwell to show up and perform on Saturday.

Last Saturday in their victory over the Cougars, four Red Raiders scored in double figures. Toppin accounted for 31 points and 12 rebounds, Donovan Atwell scored 18 points and added four rebounds, Jaylen Petty scored 18 points and had eight rebounds, and Christian Anderson scored 12 points and nine assists. UCF forwards Stillwell and Jordan Burks both average over a steal per game this season. They will have to lead the Knights’ defense against a red hot Texas Tech offense.

If the Red Raiders gets that effort from their offense, it will be difficult for UCF to win on Saturday, even in front of their home crowd. That is where dismal showings against the top of the league (outside of their victory over Kansas to begin conference play), make me worry for the Knights and why Texas Tech should win this game but it will be close.

Projected Score: Texas Tech 85, UCF 82

SMU (15-5) @ 20.Louisville (14-6)
1 p.m., ESPN
Louisville welcomes SMU to the ‘KFC Yum Center’ for a Saturday afternoon battle. Duke dominated the Cardinals 83-52 in guard Mikel Brown’s second game back from injury. SMU had the midweek off but will attempt to continue a two game winning streak going after defeating Wake Forest and Florida State in the last week and a half.

Everything went wrong for the Cardinals against the Blue Devils after an okay first half. The freshman guard Brown must hope his third game back from injury is better than his game on Monday as he was defended well and only had seven points, four assists, and went just 1-13 from the field. Brown is so important for Louisville because his passing to consistent shooters Ryan Conwell (18 points versus Duke) and Isaac McKneely (11.5 points per game) is so important to their offensive success, especially against a high-scoring SMU team.

Guards Boopie Miller, Jarron Pierre Jr., and BJ Edwards lead the Mustangs in scoring. Their offensive production versus Louisville will be a big reason why or why they will not go on the road and win against a Cardinal team that has been up and down defensively.

Louisville coach Pat Kelsey was upset multiple times in Monday’s loss because his team failed to rebound and grab loose balls away from Duke. Forwards Sananda Fru and Aly Khalifa have struggled this season being good rebounders to help set up their offense so it will be important to block out and grab the basketball so they can protect home court on Saturday afternoon.

The depth of the SMU roster must step up against Louisville in the Cardinals’ big bounce back opportunity if they want a victory. Mikel Brown will have a bounce back performance and Louisville should bounce back and win versus SMU to gain their fifth ACC game, move above .500 in conference play. That would cause the Mustangs to fall to .500 at 4-4 in league play.

Projected Score: Louisville 84, SMU 80

13.BYU (17-3) @ 14.Kansas (15-5)
3 p.m., ESPN
ESPN’s College GameDay makes their second Saturday stop of the college basketball season in a row again in Big 12 country, this time at one of the most famed arenas in the sport, Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence for a battle between the presumptive top two picks in June’s NBA Draft, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa.

Dybantsa scored 24 points, Richie Saunders scored 18, and Kennard Davis scored 17 in the Cougars’ loss to top ranked Arizona on Monday. BYU struggled for much of that game before a late run brought them within one with under 20 seconds to go. Rob Wright’s layup that would have given them the lead was blocked and their focus must shift to Kansas.

The Cougars must hope for a better overall performance against the Jayhawks, who hope for Peterson to be available for Saturday afternoon’s action after he suffered an ankle sprain. If Peterson is active, it would be helpful for the Jayhawks to have his almost 22 points will be helpful against the Cougars’ Dybantsa, Saunders, and Davis. If not, guards Trey White, Melvin Council Jr., and forward Flory Bidunga will have to step up, especially if they want to move their win streak to five games after a week off.

Self expects Peterson to play on Saturday. If that is the case, the entire BYU roster must be expected to step up including point guard Rob Wright and forward Keba Keita, who will be trusted to grab rebounds against Bidunga.

If Peterson plays, that is advantage Kansas at home. If he is limited, BYU must take advantage of that and bounce back after their tough loss against Arizona. However, Kevin Young’s team will be one of the few to overcome Kansas’ impressive home environment and Dybantasa will lead the Cougars to a victory.

Projected Score: BYU 81, Kansas 77

Kentucky (14-7) @ 15.Arkansas (16-5)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
A year after Arkansas won just its second SEC game of the season inside Rupp Arena against Coach John Calipari’s former team, the Razorbacks welcome Kentucky for their return trip. The Razorbacks are tied for second in the SEC with a 5-2 record and with a successful month of February, they could be in position to win the SEC regular season championship.

Kentucky struggled to open the season before a four game win streak over the last couple of weeks, which ended on Tuesday night on the road against a Vanderbilt team that had lost three of its last four games. The Wildcats will be in Fayetteville trying to upset the Razorbacks like they did a year ago in Lexington.

The Razorbacks are paced by freshmen guards Darius Acuff, who averages over 20 points, six assists, and just two turnovers a game and Meleek Thomas, who has scored 15 points and three assists and was recently added to the starting lineup. Kentucky has been without a true point guard since Jaland Lowe suffered multiple lingering injuries earlier in the season.

In Lowe’s absence, Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen havs done his best manning the playmaker role. Aberdeen score over 13 points and passes out three assists per game. Pre-season SEC Player of the Year Otega Oweh normally plays off the ball but when Aberdeen is not in the game, he dribbles the ball up the court. Oweh leads the Wildcats with over 16 points, four assists, and two assists a game.

On the wing and inside the paint for the Razorbacks, Trevon Brazile, Karter Knox, Malique Ewin, and Nick Pringle have all been inconsistent. But Arkansas has played much better at home, winning all 13 of their games inside the friendly confines of Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville so far. Last season, Kentucky’s front court had few answers for the Razorbacks’ that were driving to the paint to either dunk or lay it in. Overall average to good showings from Brazile, Knox, Ewin, or Pringle in addition to another quality game from one of the best bench players in the country, Billy Richmond, should mean a win for Arkansas.

The Kentucky wings and front court have both been up and down this season and they will face an Arkansas front court that has been allowing lots of points in the paint. Veteran Alabama transfer Mouhamed Dioubate and freshman Malachi Moreno have been a big part of why the Wildcats went on a four game winning streak before losing to the Commodores on Tuesday.

Saturday will be a war. Like I previously mentioned, Arkansas has been great at home, but that doesn’t mean Kentucky won’t keep the game close. The Razorbacks and Wildcats should battle into the second half. But Arkansas will take over in the last eight minutes and win their 17th game of the season.

Projected Score: Arkansas 86, Kentucky 81

Auburn (14-7) @ Tennessee (14-6)
7:30 p.m, ESPN
A huge SEC matchup looms on Saturday night between two original members of the league. Auburn came back and beat Texas 88-82 and Tennessee defeated Georgia 86-85 in an overtime thriller both on Wednesday night. The Tigers come in to Saturday night’s action at 5-3 while the Volunteers are a half game back at 4-3 after last week’s bye in midweek action.

Auburn’s leader has been veteran UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall, who has scored north of 20 points and added almost eight rebounds a game from his forward spot. Matching up with him will likely be talented freshman Nate Ament, who has emerged over the past few weeks as a more willing driver and scorer. Ament now averages over 16 points over six rebounds, and over one steal a game.

The Tigers’ KeShawn Murphy will have to challenge a Tennessee front court that has depth. Jaylen Carey, J.P. Estrella, and Felix Okpara are vital for the Volunteers average a combined 22 points and 15 rebounds a game and will be thrown at Murphy trying to get him in foul trouble.

Auburn’s only returner for this season, Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton have scored the ball well but average only a combined four assists so they will have to move the ball well against a strong Tennessee defense. Tennessee’s leading scorer Ja’Kobi Gillespie has taken a bit of a backseat to Ament the last couple of weeks but he still leads his team in scoring per game with almost 19 points, five assists, and almost two steals per game. Next to him on the perimeter Bishop Boswell and Amaree Evans must be ready to play fast against Auburn guards that are known to get up and down the floor.

Because this game is at the Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee should get the edge in this game over Auburn. The abilities of Gillespie and Ament were overcome Hall’s scoring and the Volunteers will defeat the Tigers in what should be a close game. Tennessee would get their fifth win of SEC play and Auburn would drop game number four of conference play.

Projected Score: Tennessee 84, Auburn 80

Saint Mary’s (19-3) @ 6.Gonzaga (21-1)
9:30 p.m., ESPN
Both Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga had the mid-week off before the Gaels final trip to Spokane for a conference battle with the Zags before they move to the Pac-12 in July. Saint Mary’s fell to Santa Clara, their first loss in conference play, two weeks ago before back to back victories over Oregon State and Portland. Gonzaga has yet to lose a West Coast conference game and have not fallen since the day before Thanksgiving against Michigan at the Player’s Era Festival in Las Vegas.

Saint Mary’s Paulius Murauskas’ 19 points and seven rebounds and Andrew McKeever’s eight points and nine rebounds per game make up one of the West Coast conference’s top front courts. They will square off versus one of the nation’s top units on the other end versus Gonzaga, including Graham Ike, who could return from injury on Saturday. Ike leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 points and almost nine rebounds per game. Ike’s running mate Braden Huff remains out due to a left knee injury.

Gael back court mates Joshua Dent and Mikey Lewis both score north of 13 points a game and will be treated to a similar challenge versus the Bulldogs. Dent and Lewis match up with Tyon Grant-Foster Mario Saint-Supery score more than they assist their teammates so they will have to get the ball inside to Ike if they want to beat their rival one more time at home.

After defeating San Francisco by just two points last Saturday, Gonzaga will need a much better showing against St. Mary’s to win this weekend. The Gaels will make it tougher than the Dons did on the Bulldogs but the home environment will be the difference. Gonzaga will win but will have to travel back to Moraga in less than a month may result in a loss there.

Projected Score: Gonzaga 80, Saint Mary’s 72

Sunday, Feb. 1
23.Alabama (14-6) @ 19.Florida (15-6)
12 p.m., ABC
Alabama heads to Gainesville for a rare Sunday afternoon SEC matchup against Florida in the feared O’Connell Center. The Crimson Tide handled Missouri 90-64 on Tuesday night while Florida dominated South Carolina 95-48. Both of those blowouts prove that Alabama and Florida can be the best team in the league. But injuries have hobbled the Tide and the Gators back court is finally playing better in the last couple of weeks.

Labaron Philon Jr. leads Alabama with 22 points, five assists, and a steal a game. On the other end, Florida’s backcourt has struggled but Boogie Fland and Xavian Lee have stepped up in recent weeks. Fland scores 11 points and assists on nearly four shots a game and Lee scores 11 points and adds three assists per game.

In the front court, NBA G-League transport Charles Bediako has uplifted the Crimson Tide’s front court in his two games back with the Crimson Tide. He has combined for 27 points and nine rebounds in the action but will be facing the SEC’s top challenger on the road. That group includes Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Reuben Chinyelu. Haugh leads Florida with over 17 points, 6.5 assists, one steal, and one block per game. In the paint, Condon and Chinyelu combine to average over 25 points, over 20 rebounds, over two blocks, and over a steal a game.

To me, the difference in the game is going to be whether Alabama guards and wings Latrell Wrightsell, Amari Allen, and Houston Mallette are key in supporting Philon Jr.’s efforts with three-point shooting, rebounding, and grabbing lose balls against Florida’s strong front court. If they can do that on the road against the Gators and guards Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown that come off the bench, I would be impressed.

Florida will outlast Alabama after what should be a fantastic 40 minutes of action. The Gators will not lose their second consecutive game at home to back to back schools from the state of Alabama. A win would keep them at least tied for second place in the SEC.

Projected Score: Florida 89, Alabama 85

9.Illinois () @ 5.Nebraska (20-1)
3 p.m, FS1
Illinois heads to Lincoln for what will begin an important month of February in the Big Ten. Nebraska welcomes the Fighting Illini to what should be a hornet’s nest after the Corn Huskers’ impressive game against Michigan ended in a three point defeat in Ann Arbor. Over a month ago, Nebraska went to Champaign and defeated Illinois 83-80 on Dec. 13. Illinois defeated Washington on Thursday night behind guard Keaton Wagler’s 22 points. Wagler exploded for 46 points in their victory at Purdue last Saturday.

Against Michigan earlier in the week, Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfordt (20 points and 4 rebounds) and guard Jamarques Lawrence (20 points, 4 assists, 4-9 from three point range) against the vaunted Wolverines in the loss. Another performance like that from both of them could mean a season sweep against the improving Fighting Illini.

Corn Husker guard Lawrence and forward Rienk Mast will have to be solid again against Illinois if they want to continue to be successful without forward Braden Frager, who’s missed the last two games due to an ankle injury. Frager should return on Sunday after being listed as a game-time decision for Tuesday’s game. As veteran guard Kylan Boswell continues to deal with a hand injury, it will be up to Wagler and Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic to continue to play well while he is out.

Forward David Mirkovic, and centers Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic have the job of dealing with Sandfordt and Mast and inside. Mirkovic and the Ivisic brothers all score efficiently but are not the best defensively so stopping Sandfordt and Mast on the road especially will be difficult.

If Nebraska shoots the three ball as well as they did against Illinois as they did against Michigan earlier in the week, the Corn Huskers should take care of Illinois if they limit Wagler and Stojakovic enough. The Fighting Illini will make this a heck of a game but this being a chance to bounce back for Nebraska at home, it will be too much for Illinois to win.

Projected Score: Nebraska 88, Illinois 87

Image Courtesy: The State News

Click this link to watch a video where I give my thoughts and score predictions for each of these games.

*Rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25*

Tuesday, December 16
11.Louisville (9-1) @ 20.Tennessee (7-3)
7 PM ET, ESPN
Projected Score: Louisville 86, Tennessee 82

Saturday, December 20
22.St. John’s (6-3) vs. Kentucky (7-4) (Atlanta; CBS Sports Classic)
12:30 PM ET, CBS
Projected Score: St. John’s 80, Kentucky 73

Ohio State (8-2) vs. 12.North Carolina (9-1) (Atlanta; CBS Sports Classic)
3 PM ET, CBS
Projected Score: North Carolina 88, Ohio State 84

14.Arkansas (8-2) vs. 8.Houston (10-1) (Newark; Never Forget Tribute Classic)
5:30 PM ET, CBS
Projected Score: Houston 81, Arkansas 80

21.Auburn (8-3) vs. 6.Purdue (10-1) (Indianapolis; Indy Classic)
6:30 PM ET, Peacock
Projected Score: Purdue 85, Auburn 80

3.Duke (10-0) vs. 19.Texas Tech (7-3) (New York City)
8 PM ET, ESPN
Projected Score: Duke 89, Texas Tech 81

Sunday, December 21
13.Vanderbilt (10-0) @ Wake Forest (8-3)
1 PM ET, The CW
Projected Score: Vanderbilt 86, Wake Forest 85

Monday, December 22
18.Illinois (8-3) vs. Missouri (9-2) (St. Louis; McBride Homes Braggin’ Rights)
8 PM ET, FS1
Projected Score: Illinois 88, Missouri 82